Astros @ Athletics September 8, 2015

[Mr. Happy]

Your lineups for tonight's late show:

Astros

RFGeorge Springer (R)
2BJose Altuve (R)
SSCarlos Correa (R)
CFCarlos Gomez (R)
3BJed Lowrie (S)
DHEvan Gattis (R)
1BLuis Valbuena (L)
CHank Conger (S)
LFJake Marisnick (R)

HOU: Scott Kazmir (L)  (7-9, 2.50)

Athletics

CF Billy Burns (S)
1B Mark Canha (R)
2B Brett Lawrie (R)
3B Danny Valencia (R)
DH Billy Butler (R)
C Josh Phegley (R)
RF Josh Reddick (L)
LF Jake Smolinski (R)
SS Marcus Semien (R)

OAK: Sonny Gray (R)  (12-7, 2.36)

[subnuclear]

West Coast games are still sub-optimal in their starting time.

[austro]

West Coast games are still sub-optimal in their starting time.

At least tonight we get the pleasure of watching the Cards get beat like a drum for a couple of hours.

[Reuben]

The G-Stros are nursing an 8-7 lead in the 8th inning of their winner-take-all Appy league championship Game 3.

Kyle Tucker hit his 3rd HR of the postseason.

[BudGirl]

At least tonight we get the pleasure of watching the Cards get beat like a drum for a couple of hours.

are they beating the rangers?  cause I don't care like I used to care.

[austro]

are they beating the rangers?  cause I don't care like I used to care.

No, and it's the Cubs administering the beating, so that takes some of the fun out of it. But it's fun listening to the Cards' announcers (including McCarver) worrying about the recent pitching performances and the lack of offense.

[Reuben]

The G-Stros are nursing an 8-7 lead in the 8th inning of their winner-take-all Appy league championship Game 3.

Kyle Tucker hit his 3rd HR of the postseason.

And... they won, thanks in no small part to 4 innings of 1-hit, 1-run, 7 K relief by Edgardo Sandoval. And a catcher named Correa.

[HudsonHawk]

T1:

Springer with a line drive into RCF, but Burns runs it down
Altuve pops out F9
Correa pops out F9

Quick first inning for Gray

No score.

[austro]

T1:

Springer with a line drive into RCF, but Burns runs it down
Altuve pops out F9
Correa pops out F9

Quick first inning for Gray

No score.

Those looked like better swings for Springer. The ball to RCF was hit pretty solidly.

[HudsonHawk]

Those looked like better swings for Springer. The ball to RCF was hit pretty solidly.

He was right on the ones he fouled back too

[HudsonHawk]

Fuck...we've played 1/2 an inning and I'm already sick of Ashby

[BudGirl]

He does seem to be worse than usual.

[Jacksonian]

Fuck...we've played 1/2 an inning and I'm already sick of Ashby

Took that long, eh?

[OregonStrosFan]

Fuck...we've played 1/2 an inning and I'm already sick of Ashby

That just proves that you are a much more patient person than I am...


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[homer]

Ashby needs new material. Or a new job.

[HudsonHawk]

Kazmir struck out Valencia twice.  Apparently it's against the rules to call a strike on him.

[HudsonHawk]

B1:

Burns pops out F9 in foul territory
Canha singles to RF
Lawrie strkes out swinging
Valencia...who's hitting .500 against the Astros...singles to CF, Canha to 3B
Butler grounds out 6-3

No score after one

[hostros7]

This umpire is not off to a hot start in my book.


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[BudGirl]

I think Mark Raup is going to blow up if he starts watching this game.

[hostros7]

What a dipshit. 


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[homer]

How would that be different from any other game?

[HudsonHawk]

Astros have bases drunk with one out...Feed the Conger...

[BudGirl]

fuck

[homer]

What a waste.

[HudsonHawk]

T2:

Gomez doubles to LF
Lowrie...works the count 3-0 before flying out F7
Gattis ...works the count 3-0 and walks, as Gomez steals 3B...but apparently the umpire interfered with the catcher, so Gomez has to go back to 2B...WTF?
Valbuena walks to load the bases
Conger...takes a hanging curve for strike one, takes a meatball right down the middle for strike two, and swings at a pitch in the dirt for the punchout.  Worst.  At Bat.  Ever.
Marisnick pops up F5

Astros complete the full 0 for 3 with RISP this inning, three LOB

Still no score.

[NeilT]

What a waste.

It's probably not a waste like WW I was a waste, but it at least matches most of my high school education.

[HudsonHawk]

If Ashby calls our centerfield "go'MEZ" again, I'm gonna fucking hurt someone.

[NeilT]

If Ashby calls our centerfield "go'MEZ" again, I'm gonna fucking hurt someone.

Fuck this.  you just have a hard on for Gomez.

[NeilT]

Time for the two-out walk on the way to the play-offs.

[HudsonHawk]

Fuck this.  you just have a hard on for Gomez.

He's been hitting well, so it's just a semi

[BudGirl]

Ranger fans would probably enjoy Ashby.

[HudsonHawk]

B2:

Phegley flies out F8
Reddick grounds out 4-3
Smolinski walks
Semien grounds into FC, Smolinski out 5-4

Still no score

[NeilT]

Ranger fans would probably enjoy Ashby.

I watched a Ranger broadcast this weekend.  Ranger fans would be ecstatic with Ashby.

[HudsonHawk]

Ranger fans would probably enjoy Ashby.

They're enjoying anything right now.  4-run lead, and if the Astros don't get their shit together, they'll no longer be leading the AL West in a few hours.

[HudsonHawk]

T3:

Springer grounds out 6-3 on the first pitch
Altuve flies out F8
Correa grounds out 6-3

Still no score

[HudsonHawk]

B3:

Burns homers to CF
Canha grounds out 5-3
Lawrie strikes out looking
Valencia grounds out 3U

1-0 A's

[NeilT]

If Gomez doesn't get on base, I'm bitching about the trade for the next three minutes.

[NeilT]

Sometimes I get tired the videos of former glory.

[hostros7]

Blue doesn't seem to be calling the high strike consistently.


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[HudsonHawk]

T4:

Gomez...whom Julia just referred to as "Gomie"...grounds out 5-3
Lowrie grounds out 3-1
Gattis strikes out looking

1-0 A's

[NeilT]

Blue doesn't seem to be calling the high strike consistently.


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Only on Altuve.

[HudsonHawk]

B4:

Butler singles off the RF wall, but he's out trying to stretch it into a double...9-4
Phegley flies out F9
Reddick...or is it "red-DICK" Ash?...pops out F7 as Marisnick runs a LONG way into foul ground for the catch

1-0 still

[NeilT]

Really nice play by Springer.  Really nice play by Marisnick. 

[NeilT]

Ir's Marisnick time.

[hostros7]

Sonny's curve is pretty filthy.


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[HudsonHawk]

T5:

Valbuena singles to RF...the Astros second hit
Conger pops out F3 in foul ground
Marisnick strikes out swinging at a 3-2 curveball in the dirt
Springer singles up the middle
Altuve swings at the first pitch, flies out F9

Another 0-fer with RISP

1-0 A's

[HudsonHawk]

Canha with a 3-run homer makes it 4-0 A's

[HudsonHawk]

B5:

Smolinski strikes out swinging on the check swing
Semien walks
Semien steals 2B
Burns singles to RF, Semien to 3B
Canha homers to LF, Semien scores, Burns scores
Lawrie grounds out 4-3
Valencia grounds out 6-3

through five...4-0 A's

[juliogotay]

I hoped Kazmir was going to have a good game in  his old yard.

[HudsonHawk]

T6:

Correa flies out F8
Gomez strikes out swinging
Lowrie flies out F8

4-0 still

[HudsonHawk]

OK boys and girls...I gotta go to bed.  When I wake, I expect the Astros will no longer be leading the division.

[Aussie Astro]

Good guys lose 0 - 4 and never really threatened in the late innings.

[The Spleen]

Sonny Gray is legit.
The scary thing is this pitching staff suddenly giving up runs in bunches.

[BudGirl]

OK boys and girls...I gotta go to bed.  When I wake, I expect the Astros will no longer be leading the division.

How long are you going to sleep?  They still have a 1 game lead.

[HudsonHawk]

How long are you going to sleep?  They still have a 1 game lead.

No, they're tied.  They both have 64 losses, and the loss column is all that matters.  The Astros no longer have a lead in the AL West.

[BudGirl]

No, they're tied.  They both have 64 losses, and the loss column is all that matters.  The Astros no longer have a lead in the AL West.

I just looked at the order on astros.com, they had the Astros up by 1 so for me they are up by 1.

[HudsonHawk]

I just looked at the order on astros.com, they had the Astros up by 1 so for me they are up by 1.

OK, but that's like looking at a track race and ignoring the staggered start and the split times.  Hmmm...one guy is "ahead" on the track, so he must be leading the race. 

[subnuclear]

OK, but that's like looking at a track race and ignoring the staggered start and the split times.  Hmmm...one guy is "ahead" on the track, so he must be leading the race.

The Astros have a higher winning percentage than the Rangers, so that analogy doesn't work either.

[mrpink]

No, they're tied.  They both have 64 losses, and the loss column is all that matters.  The Astros no longer have a lead in the AL West.

Wow.

[HudsonHawk]

The Astros have a higher winning percentage than the Rangers, so that analogy doesn't work either.

Only because of the staggered start.  Look at it this way...(ignoring for the moment that they still play each other) if the Astros won all of their remaining games, would they necessarily win the division?  Answer:  No.

If you're in a race, and from this point forward you and your opponent run at exactly the same speed...and you're not ahead at the end...then you're not leading now. 

[subnuclear]

Winning percentage = speed in this analogy, i.e. the rate at which you win games per games played.  If the Astros and Rangers maintained the same winning percentage they have  till the end of the season the Astros would win the division. 

[HudsonHawk]

Winning percentage = speed in this analogy, i.e. the rate at which you win games per games played.  If the Astros and Rangers maintained the same winning percentage they have  till the end of the season the Astros would win the division.

Yeah, but if the Astros and Rangers win all of their remaining games, the Astros don't win the division.  Winning percentage = speed up to this point, not necessarily speed going forward.

Winning percentage only figures because of the different number of games.  I get that people like to say "if the season ended today..." based on winning percentage.  And if that makes folks feel better, OK.  But we all know that the season doesn't end today. 

[subnuclear]

If you start a season off 2-0 and the other team hasn't played, then you are better off because you have eliminated the risk of loss in those two games and the other team has not.

[juliogotay]

Yeah, but if the Astros and Rangers win all of their remaining games, the Astros don't win the division.  Winning percentage = speed up to this point, not necessarily speed going forward.

Winning percentage only figures because of the different number of games.  I get that people like to say "if the season ended today..." based on winning percentage.  And if that makes folks feel better, OK.  But we all know that the season doesn't end today.

I tend to agree with you whether it is technically correct or not. You can go out and win a game but you can't get a loss back.

[HudsonHawk]

If you start a season off 2-0 and the other team hasn't played, then you are better off because you have eliminated the risk of loss in those two games and the other team has not.

Again, it may make you feel better about your chances but you're not in the lead.  If you start 3-2 and they start 1-1, you may temporarily have a higher winning percentage, but you don't "control your own destiny".  You still have to have help.  That's not leading. 

But again...if you feel better saying the Astros are still leading, so be it. 

[JimR]

the loss column is all that matters, folks.

[subnuclear]

I would rather be 80-20 rather than 20-20, but I guess I'm wrong.

[HudsonHawk]

I would rather be 80-20 rather than 20-20, but I guess I'm wrong.

I would too.  I'd rather be 161-1 than 0-1.   But to say that 75-64 is "leading" 73-64 is just to make yourself feel better. 

[Bench]

Sure, you can't make up losses.  But there is obvious value to categorically ruling out a loss that the other team still faces a risk of.

[HudsonHawk]

Sure, you can't make up losses.  But there is obvious value to categorically ruling out a loss that the other team still faces a risk of.

Sure, with an equal number of losses, you'd rather have more wins.  But would you rather be 80-75 or 77-73?

[subnuclear]

Sure, with an equal number of losses, you'd rather have more wins.

You're only saying that to make yourself feel better.

[Aussie Astro]

The main thing is to not over think the situation,

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

The team that has the best record at the end of the season, wins!