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2018 Houston Astros Season Thread

Planet Houston

By Planet Houston
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TexArcher
TexArcher

Bregs is going Crawford Boxes right here.

ERhine
ERhine

Prior to the footage being edited by Bender:

wesleywest
wesleywest

Two Diamond Club tickets available for the Sunday night game.  Free.  Need to pick them up from me in 77027. Rules: Poster must be a big contributor to this thread/last years shag thread.  No gue

UTexasFight

UTexasFight 9429

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Keep struttin

If A.J. Hinch's bullpen usage in the Astros' first 10 games proves indicative of the rest of 2018, it wouldn't be surprising to see Brad Peacock record multiple saves, multiple holds and make a slew of multi-inning appearances this season.

Already, Houston's World Series-winning manager has backed up his spring training statement that he's comfortable using Peacock at any point in games. The righthander has appeared in the seventh inning, the eighth inning and the ninth inning and recorded anywhere from three outs to nine outs. Simultaneously, he represents both closer and starter insurance for the 8-2 Astros.

“Very rare,” Hinch said, “and he's a great weapon for me to have. You're completely comfortable going to him early for a little bit of length if you need or going to him for the last three outs of the game.”

Peacock, who's logged six scoreless innings across four appearances, won't be pigeonholed into a particular inning or length of outing. Hinch's only real criteria is to use him in Astros' wins. “When we're winning, you're going to see him a lot,” he said Sunday after their 4-1 victory against the Padres.

Sunday afternoon at Minute Maid Park serves as a perfect example of Peacock's versatility. With Ken Giles unavailable after pitching Friday and Saturday — the beleaguered closer didn't instill confidence in either performance — Hinch planned before the game to use Peacock anywhere from the sixth inning to the ninth.

Charlie Morton eliminated the sixth as a possibility, and with two left-handed hitters due up for the Padres in the seventh Hinch called on Will Harris, who's better against lefties than Peacock. Sidearmer Joe Smith handled the eighth, setting up Peacock to close the game.

Peacock required only eight pitches to dispatch Freddy Galvis, Cory Spangenberg and Manuel Margot in order. The save — the Astros' first of 2018 — was the first of Peacock's career in the regular season. After he struck out Margot to end the game, he retrieved the baseball for safe keeping. It will eventually go next to the ball from his 3 2/3-inning save in Game 3 of the World Series on his trophy case at his home in Florida.

Peacock's only previous regular-season save opportunity came in his major league debut with the Nationals against the Dodgers on Sept. 6, 2011. He blew it by allowing a run on four hits and a walk in just 1 1/3 innings. Seven seasons later, he's a vastly different pitcher, with a lower arm slot and a different repertoire.

Peacock, who started 21 times for the Astros last regular season and once in the ALDS, seems truly indifferent as to his role. “I just like being a team guy,” he said Sunday. “Whatever the team needs me to do I'm willing to do.” The quiet 30-year-old never seems rattled on the mound. Hinch lauded the pitcher's composure and his ability to “not really get caught up in anything.”

“That's Brad Peacock in a nutshell,” Hinch said. “His demeanor is one of his strengths.”

“I don't show much emotion,” Peacock admitted with a laugh. “I just try to make pitches.”

Peacock was arguably the Astros' most valuable regular season pitcher last year, posting a 3.00 ERA in 132 innings. In his six innings so far this season, he's allowed only two hits and has eight strikeouts against zero walks. He's once again thriving behind command of his fastball from his low three-quarters arm slot — he has both a four-seam and a two-seam — and getting swing and misses with his slider.

“To be equally dominant in both roles,” Hinch said, “is pretty unique.”

Notes

— George Springer was removed from Sunday's game before the seventh inning after reporting leg soreness to the team. Springer should return to the Astros' lineup Monday in their series opener in Minnesota, according to Hinch, who said he planned to give Springer a DH day Monday anyway. “He's completely fine,” Hinch said. “He probably should have stayed in the game. If we didn't have Jake (Marisnick) on the bench as an elite centerfielder, I probably wouldn't have done it. But I wasn't going to take any chances.”

— Charlie Morton has yet to allow an earned run through two starts, each of which have lasted six innings. He's struck out 13 and scattered seven hits and five walks.

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ausjala

ausjala 101

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I realize that MLB had to let the schedule play out, and northern teams have to host games. But crap, couldn't they at least force them to play the game in the daylight hours. Hell, Twinkie fans might actually like sitting in the sun instead of freezing their asses off at night. Thought that was for ice fishing, or least that's what Virgil 'f-ing' Flowers thinks.

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uoftorange

uoftorange 1386

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7 hours ago, ausjala said:

I realize that MLB had to let the schedule play out, and northern teams have to host games. But crap, couldn't they at least force them to play the game in the daylight hours. Hell, Twinkie fans might actually like sitting in the sun instead of freezing their asses off at night. Thought that was for ice fishing, or least that's what Virgil 'f-ing' Flowers thinks.

Or require a damn roof

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Gut Wagon

Gut Wagon 8065

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3 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Reddick is out due to illness:

https://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/Josh-Reddick-out-Astros-lineup-after-falling-ill-12819430.php

Bad timing, given the way he's been hitting and fielding. But several other guys are due to step up, so I'm guessing at least one will. Thinking Springer.

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