2018 Houston Astros Season Thread

[UTexasFight 9431]

I think I may have figured it out as well... my 3 yo hasn’t had his orbit doll since before the season started now that I think about it.  Thinking maybe it made it’s way to his mother’s house... I’ve got to solve this problem before 8:40 tomorrow night.

[HtownHorn 14677]

1 hour ago, David Dennison said:

That's better than I thought it would be.

The hitting will be fine.

Yeah, if Marwin, Marisnick, and Reddick all return to their career year averages from last year. Gattis's body doesn't continue to break down, and McCann finds the fountain of youth.

[David Dennison 18854]

A jinxed first place team.

I love being spoiled rotten.

[UTexasFight 9431]

At this point, I would just settle for a do-over in our first trade deadline deal last year.

The lefty/righty OF combo we traded: .268 BA, .894 OPS, 8 2B, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 20 Ks, 7 BBs in 82 ABs (and that's even after a 1-10 today by Hernandez and Aoki sitting at home in Japan or whatever he's doing these days)

The lefty/righty OF combo we currently having manning our 3rd OF spot on most days (Fisher/Jake): .167 BA, .542 OPS, 3 2B, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 62 Ks (you fucking kidding me?!?!), 4 BBs in 120 ABs.

Edited May 4, 2018 by UTexasFight

[David Dennison 18854]

4 minutes ago, HtownHorn said:

Yeah, if Marwin, Marisnick, and Reddick all return to their career year averages from last year. Gattis's body doesn't continue to break down, and McCann finds the fountain of youth.

It might not include all of them. 

[DaysOff 7947]

I don't know who David Dennison is, but I'm going to need you to stay on the Politics board with Hugo until this team turns it around. Nothing personal. Just baseball. 

[Tailleur17 361]

6 hours ago, Teddy Tucker said:

This is why you have roles in a bullpen. Kenneth fucking Giles is the closer on this team. He has the best stuff of anyone in the damn bullpen. When you are up by 1-3 runs in the 9th inning you pitch the mfer. Leave him in the damn closers role. 

Wrong.

[Tailleur17 361]

6 hours ago, Helobious said:

I'll be back to talk shit again at the end of the month. It was a hard fought series for the most part, don't beat yourselves up over it. 

Negged. You are such a clown.

Yankees fan from Harlingen. Shut the fuck up. 

 

Edited May 4, 2018 by Tailleur17

[Tim Beck 20]

 

Foreign substance talk not going away

[Guest]

That settles it.

 

No foreign substances for batters going forward.

 

Fuck you pussies and your body armor crowding the plate.

[Fudge Nuggets 19190]

nvm

Edited May 4, 2018 by Fudge Nuggets

[Gut Wagon 8065]

After reflecting on that game (and a number of others) overnight, I'm even more amazed we finally won a title in 2017. We all realize it wouldn't have happened without the belated addition of Verlander, but it also took a sudden resurgence of several other guys (both pitchers and hitters, most notably Morton and Springer) to close the deal.

So far this year we've staggered around without any apparent sense of urgency. Whether the team has one or not is hard to say; I don't know what any manager, coach or player is thinking, or how they prepared for this season. I just know we've lost quite a few games in embarrassing fashion and have wasted some brilliant starting pitching in the process. Yesterday was only the latest example of ineptitude. 

Sure, bad losses happen to every team every year. But I don't know that it's routine for a defending champion with a smart front office to lose in the way we've been losing so far. I disagree with those who point to our 20-13 record as evidence that we're in good shape. Yes, in terms of record we are, but we've shown some disturbing patterns of failure in our losses (and even some wins). If we didn't have talent, I could say that's just the way it is, but we all know this team can do far better. We should gauge the Astros' performance against their talent, not where they happen to be in the standings.      

[Hank Chinaski 6314]

I know he very well may be a classic quad-A guy, but how much longer can we give Gattis ABs when White is obliterating AAA pitching (.337/.456/.641)? Yes, it's his 3rd stint in AAA and he's 27, but it's not like Gattis has ever been that good - and he's been an utter mess this year. Hell, White was better at the major league level than Gattis was last year anyway (albeit in a small sample). Offense needs a spark - surely someone could use a DL trip...

[Fozzz 152]

I think Gattis' lack of options is making them reticent to make a move but if he continues to struggle I bet they convince him to take a stint on the DL to make room for White or Davis.

[Amos Moses 795]

26 minutes ago, Gut Wagon said:

After reflecting on that game (and a number of others) overnight, I'm even more amazed we finally won a title in 2017. We all realize it wouldn't have happened without the belated addition of Verlander, but it also took a sudden resurgence of several other guys (both pitchers and hitters, most notably Morton and Springer) to close the deal.
So far this year we've staggered around without any apparent sense of urgency. Whether the team has one or not is hard to say; I don't know what any manager, coach or player is thinking, or how they prepared for this season. I just know we've lost quite a few games in embarrassing fashion and have wasted some brilliant starting pitching in the process. Yesterday was only the latest example of ineptitude. 
Sure, bad losses happen to every team every year. But I don't know that it's routine for a defending champion with a smart front office to lose in the way we've been losing so far. I disagree with those who point to our 20-13 record as evidence that we're in good shape. Yes, in terms of record we are, but we've shown some disturbing patterns of failure in our losses (and even some wins). If we didn't have talent, I could say that's just the way it is, but we all know this team can do far better. We should gauge the Astros' performance against their talent, not where they happen to be in the standings.      

Good post. I mostly agree - it seems to me that with the exception of 4/5 of the starting pitchers, no one has really ratcheted up the intensity, and that includes Hinch. Nothing is fucked yet with such a long haul to go, but I don’t think they should assume they can enhance their competitiveness on command. I know - first place, yada yada - but the lack of apparent give a shit especially in the bad losses is an early troubling trend.

Edited May 4, 2018 by Amos Moses

[Fozzz 152]

funny that people want to crucify Hinch for using Harris in the 9th (with a switch hitter and a couple of RHHs due up) given that Harris has been substantially better than Devo against RHH.

[Ldogg53 514]

1 hour ago, Amos Moses said:

 I know - first place, yada yada - but the lack of apparent give a shit especially in the bad losses is an early troubling trend.

I think the players give a shit.  You could see during the game yesterday how pissed they were that they couldn't hit and score.  At one point the body language from a lot of those guys was not good. 

The only thing that makes sense to me is that they're all just too uptight/tense after winning it all.  We went from being a very loose playing, fun team, to one that is gripping hard to meet expectations. 

[Gut Wagon 8065]

1 hour ago, Fozzz said:

funny that people want to crucify Hinch for using Harris in the 9th (with a switch hitter and a couple of RHHs due up) given that Harris has been substantially better than Devo against RHH.

Wonder why he had Devo face the Yankees' very biggest RH threats in the 8th with a 1-run lead, then. 

[Fozzz 152]

Didi is a RHH?  

[David Dennison 18854]

2 hours ago, Amos Moses said:

Good post. I mostly agree - it seems to me that with the exception of 4/5 of the starting pitchers, no one has really ratcheted up the intensity, and that includes Hinch. Nothing is fucked yet with such a long haul to go, but I don’t think they should assume they can enhance their competitiveness on command. I know - first place, yada yada - but the lack of apparent give a shit especially in the bad losses is an early troubling trend.

You're insane if you think the players and manager don't give a shit. They care a whole lot more than we do.

[Amos Moses 795]

I'm sure they're frustrated.  It's hard to know if the inability to execute is due to not dealing with the expectations of a defending champ, not able to ramp up after the high of winning it all in dramatic fashion, or if they're holding on too tight and lost the edge.

 

[runthebone 7968]

Same shit has happened to every defending champ for the past 20 years.  They need to jettison the nonperformers by midseason  and then make a playoff run.  These regular season losses piss us off but are mostly meaningless.  I guess having four on the road in New York would be bad based on last year.  Fuck them

[Limp Brisket 546]

22 minutes ago, Fozzz said:

Didi is a RHH?  

Stanton and Sanchez are.

[Fozzz 152]

So Hinch should have used Devo against the switch hitting Walker instead of Didi, the best left handed bat in their lineup?  I'm guessing he wanted to avoid using any reliever for more than one inning given that their next day off isn't until Thursday.  

[Hank Chinaski 6314]

I don't see the problem with Hinch. Harris just didn't get it done - it's on him. Just like it was on Giles a few nights ago. 

They've been frustrating as hell this year, but as long as they don't dig themselves into too deep a hole, they'll be fine for a while. But from an entertainment standpoint, it would be great to see guys other than Gattis/Marwin/Marisnick try to hit baseballs. Springer will get on one of his streaks soon, Altuve will do Altuve things and Bregman will start hitting the ball with a little more authority (he wasn't particularly good in the first half last year either). 

But so much success last year resulted from ridiculous production from the bottom of the order. They'll probably never replicate that (I want to say our bottom 3 outperformed most teams' middle-order), but they have to get something out of them. 

[UTexasFight 9431]

Can’t be much worse than the current 9 hitter any given night:

 

Lance McCullers Jr. won’t pitch in this weekend’s series against the Diamondbacks in Arizona, as his next turn in the Astros’ rotation doesn’t fall until Tuesday at Oakland.

But there is no doubt that the confident 24-year-old will still be boasting about his rare offensive accomplishment from last season’s Fall Classic as often as he feels necessary throughout Houston’s three-game set against the D’Backs.

“I’ve let people know,” McCullers said. “They know.”

Unlike other pitchers in the American League, Astros pitchers always have fun with the idea of hitting. Before their first National League-style game last season, McCullers and Dallas Keuchel advertised their upcoming batting practice on the whiteboard in the visitors’ clubhouse at Miami’s Marlins Park:

But as Houston’s pitchers prepare to bat for the first time this season, McCullers still retains ultimate bragging rights in the clubhouse. After all, how many pitchers can lay claim to a World Series Game 7 RBI?

“Well, it did [give me bragging rights], and then we got [Gerrit] Cole and he’s got a couple homers in his career,” McCullers said. “But I feel like I would have some homers, too, if I had enough ABs. But that’s better than a homer. An RBI in the World Series is better than a homer.”

Cole, who will start Friday night at Chase Field, actually has three career home runs, including one off Arizona’s Patrick Corbin, in 270 career plate appearances. Overall, the ex-Pirates ace is a .174/.198/.221 hitter.

No other Astros starter has a major-league home run. Charlie Morton, who starts Saturday, has a .074/.084/.089 line with four doubles in exactly 300 plate appearances, one of which resulted in a torn hamstring that prematurely ended his 2015 season with the Phillies. Justin Verlander, Sunday’s starter and a career American Leaguer, is a .093/.093/.093 hitter in just 53 plate appearances.

McCullers is a modest 1-for-8 for his career in the regular season, but he will forever be able to boast about driving in one of the Astros’ five runs in a 5-1 victory over the Dodgers last November, which clinched the franchise’s first World Series title.

“It gets brought up,” McCann said of McCullers’ Game 7 RBI. “As it should be. It was a huge run. He’s got a good hack.”

Using a bat that belonged to third baseman Alex Bregman, McCullers grounded a Yu Darvish slider to the right side of the infield, which scored Brian McCann from third and increased the Astros’ second-inning lead to 3-0. If McCullers hadn’t moved the runners – Marwin Gonzalez advanced from second to third on the groundout – the Dodgers probably would have intentionally walked eventual World Series MVP George Springer, who instead broke open Game 7 with a two-run blast in the second inning.

McCullers is one of only seven pitchers – and the only AL pitcher – to record an RBI in the seventh game of the Fall Classic (below). He was the first pitcher to accomplish the feat in any World Series game since Barry Zito did while with the Giants in Game 1 of the 2012 Series, and the first AL pitcher since the Yankees’ Andy Pettitte in Game 3 in 2009.

“I was trying to go deep,” McCullers said. “Go back and look at the first swing I took (below). That was a homer hacMcCullers, who hit a postseason-record four batters and lasted only 2 1/3 innings in the game, kept the bat as a souvenir. Six days after the game, MLB opened an online auction for the ball from McCullers’ RBI groundout. Morton saw it and sent McCullers the link. He bid on it for a couple of days before bowing out. It sold on Nov. 15 for $9,505.

McCullers, who bats (and golfs) left-handed despite pitching right-handed, was a touted position player in high school. He even verbally committed to play at the University of Florida as a third baseman/shortstop before his sophomore year in high school.

A few of the Astros relievers actually did hit collegiately. Will Harris was a first and third baseman at LSU. Tony Sipp played the outfield at Clemson. Chris Devenski was a shortstop at Golden West College before he transferred to Cal State Fullerton.

Each of the three has exactly one major league plate appearance. Harris’s occurred in 2015. Sipp’s and Devenski’s were last year, a season in which swingman Brad Peacock experienced his best offensive results. Peacock laced a two-run double off the Diamondbacks’ Anthony Banda in Arizona and singled off ex-Astro Vince Velasquez in Philadelphia. He also worked a walk off the Braves’ Luke Jackson in Atlanta and was subsequently nearly lapped on the base paths by Springer on a Jose Altuve double.

“I’d like another crack at it,” said Harris, who was instructed not to swing in his one plate appearance, a strikeout against then-San Diego reliever Cory Mazzoni. “We’re all competitive, and a lot of us think we can hit a lot better than we can. It would be fun to go out there and just see, see what a big-league heater looks like.”

Others are less enthused about hitting. Morton, who on Saturday will face Zack Greinke, took bunting practice under the direction of Astros bench coach Joe Espada and third base coach Gary Pettis this week. As he walked back to the bat rack after he was finished one afternoon, Morton was asked about the quality of his hitting.

“Probably like the worst,” he said. “It’s bad. It’s really bad.”

Morton also had a plate appearance in Game 7 of the World Series. Unlike McCullers, he was asked by manager A.J. Hinch to stand as far back in the batter’s box as he could and not to swing, a request to which he deadpanned, “But if I don’t swing, I’m going to strike out.” (“I told you so,” Morton quipped to Hinch after Alex Wood got him on three pitches to lead off the ninth inning.)

McCullers recently assured Hinch he could pinch hit against a right-hander if an early-game situation arises in which the manager doesn’t want to empty the bench. The right-handed hitting Cole, McCullers suggested, could get the lefthanders.

“I know Lance considers himself the best hitter and has an RBI in the World Series and a couple of hits here and there,” Hinch said. “Gerrit Cole has the most power given the power numbers that we have. He’ll get the first test on Friday.”

In an alternate reality where every Astros pitcher could get 50 plate appearances, Hinch speculated that Cole would produce the best OPS, but McCullers the most hits. However, Keuchel might have the most productive at-bats in this scenario, Hinch said.

Asked who he thought was the Astros’ best-hitting pitcher, McCann narrowed the field to McCullers and Cole.

“And if I don’t say Verlander, he’s going to get hot,” the veteran catcher said, smiling. “Gerrit Cole’s got a homer in the big leagues, so I’ve got to go with him.”

McCullers said bluntly he believes he’s the best hitter of the Astros’ 13 pitchers. But given Cole’s track record, he acknowledged the case for his newest rotation mate.

“I mean, overall, Cole’s got the most hits (41), the most homers (3), the most Abs (235). So, he’s probably the most polished talent,” McCullers said. “I think I’ve got the most raw hitting ability. We’ll put it that way.”

 

[Gut Wagon 8065]

21 hours ago, UTexasFight said:

This thread way overacts, but I get it.

I also know it’s time for a bit of early season “put up or shut up”

yes this team is not far behind last year’s pace at this point, but that team also won 9 out of 10 around games 30 through 40.

the rest of May’s schedule is not going to do us any favors.

7 vs Indians
3 vs yanks

1 vs Red Sox
3 vs dbacks 
3 vs angels

 

 

Time to step up.

Edited May 4, 2018 by Gut Wagon

[WBT 20561]

2 hours ago, UTexasFight said:

Morton also had a plate appearance in Game 7 of the World Series. Unlike McCullers, he was asked by manager A.J. Hinch to stand as far back in the batter’s box as he could and not to swing, a request to which he deadpanned, “But if I don’t swing, I’m going to strike out.” (“I told you so,” Morton quipped to Hinch after Alex Wood got him on three pitches to lead off the ninth inning.)

lulz

[Seasick Sailor 3747]

Just now, WBT said:

lulz

I love Charlie Morton.

[Seasick Sailor 3747]

 

[Seasick Sailor 3747]

Started looking through some of my old likes from Twitter. I had totally forgotten about this one:

 

[Fudge Nuggets 19190]

19 hours ago, UTexasFight said:

I think I may have figured it out as well... my 3 yo hasn’t had his orbit doll since before the season started now that I think about it.  Thinking maybe it made it’s way to his mother’s house... I’ve got to solve this problem before 8:40 tomorrow night.

Naaaaah, that ain't it.  Outfield needs to get rid of that faggoty ass "Fortnite Dance" and go back to the "Put your right foot in, then jump" routine.

I mean it's the outfield that's killing us so obviously it's their fault.  Altuve and Correa keep doing their regular celebration routine and they doing half ass ok.

[Fudge Nuggets 19190]

9 hours ago, Hank Chinaski said:

I know he very well may be a classic quad-A guy, but how much longer can we give Gattis ABs when White is obliterating AAA pitching (.337/.456/.641)? Yes, it's his 3rd stint in AAA and he's 27, but it's not like Gattis has ever been that good - and he's been an utter mess this year. Hell, White was better at the major league level than Gattis was last year anyway (albeit in a small sample). Offense needs a spark - surely someone could use a DL trip...

I have to admit I am 100% embarrassed to admit I was happy when we resigned Gattis in the offseason.  I was of the "don't rock the boat, we need 3 'catchers'" mentality.  I can't GM for shit, but I can still manages as long as someone puts a lineup card that I filled out three hours earlier in front of me as a reminder before I start making my brilliant stratergic moves.

[Fudge Nuggets 19190]

8 hours ago, Fozzz said:

funny that people want to crucify Hinch for using Harris in the 9th (with a switch hitter and a couple of RHHs due up) given that Harris has been substantially better than Devo against RHH.

Devo gets through Didi, Stanton and Sanchez and you want to yank him for Walker, Andujar and Hicks?  Get the fuck out of here with that shit.

[Fozzz 152]

10 minutes ago, Fudge Nuggets said:

Devo gets through Didi, Stanton and Sanchez and you want to yank him for Walker, Andujar and Hicks?  Get the fuck out of here with that shit.

How many two inning appearances does Devo have this season?  

[Fudge Nuggets 19190]

2 hours ago, WBT said:

lulz

And based on Houston sports history I have no doubt if Charlie took a swing he would have torn a ligament, couldn't go out for the ninth and Giles would have come in and given up 5 runs to lose it.

[Fudge Nuggets 19190]

8 minutes ago, Fozzz said:

How many two inning appearances does Devo have this season?  

I was in MMP when he went 4 last year to get a win against KC.

Next question.

[Fudge Nuggets 19190]

Maybe Beltran was the key last year after all.  He is well known to be one of the best sign stealers in the game so maybe he could also pick up pitcher tendencies and relay them to the hitters even from the bench.  Seems like last year we seemed to always know what pitch was coming and this year we can't guess right for shit.

[Fozzz 152]

That’s odd.  Maybe there is a reason they aren’t using Devo that way anymore. 

Edited May 4, 2018 by Fozzz

[Fudge Nuggets 19190]

1 minute ago, Fozzz said:

That’s odd.  Maybe there is a reason they aren’t using Devo that way anymore. 

Yes, it is extremely odd especially when you consider our starters are going way deeper into games than the starters did last year.  It's not like the bullpen is pitching a ton of innings early like they did last year.  An extra inning for Devo yesterday would have meant fuck all.

[Fudge Nuggets 19190]

Can we go back to having Reddick at clean-up and Yuli as the #5?  Seems like the offense was more woke with that little wobble in the lineup.

[Horny Bull 2759]

Back on the road where we belong. Let's fuck somebody up

[thetruth 149]

It's amazing how much better they hit on the road. 

[Gut Wagon 8065]

Guess there’s nothing wrong with our offense that bad pitching won’t cure. 

Edited May 5, 2018 by Gut Wagon

[DoobieWah 1435]

Say what you want about Hellboyardee, but give him credit for not shitting all over this thread the last three days.

He sure fucking could have.

That's on us. But I'm pretty sure he knows in his heart we're better and will be there again at the end.

Like the man said, "It's the same team".

They'll come around. Maybe even tonight. 😀

[runthebone 7968]

Hey, he made contact at least

[Gut Wagon 8065]

I don’t post on the NY or Boston or Seattle or Ranger threads. I don’t want any of their fans posting here. If we faced them in a series, we can make a thread for all to bomb. 

[cabowabo 4484]

This dude is fucking amazing.

[Dr. Teeth 5844]

Filthy

[Dr. Teeth 5844]

Challenges matter.