Apr 5 2019

Free Blog Weekend :The stats say it all

Today we return to a fabulous Chipalatta tradition of Free Blog Weekend. You can take the discussion anywhere you want as long as it is respectful and has some ties to the Astros or baseball.

As per normal, the blog will toss out a discussion point in case you are not feeling too original today.

Clutch Performance – Offense

If you are wondering why the Astros are 2-5 and trailing the first place 7-1 M’s by 4-1/2 games one week into the season, you really don’t have to look farther or deeper than a few stats relative to offense between the two teams.

Offense – Runners in Scoring Position (RISP)

With runners in scoring position, the Astros are last (30th)  in the major leagues with a .095 BA/ .220 OBP and are 29th in OPS (.458) and 28th in runs scored (10).

The M’s are 9th in BA (.297), 5th in OBP (.408) and 6th in OPS (1.003), but 1st in runs scored (41) when runners are on 2nd and or 3rd base. The M’s have 5 HRs and 21 hits  with RISP while the Astros have only 4 hits total with RISP.

This also extends to RISP with 2 outs where the M’s have scored 24 runs vs. the Astros pitiful three.

Offense – Late

Even though the Astros are hitting for a slightly better batting average in the 7th inning and later (.183 vs. .169 BA) – the M’s have scored 7 runs in the late innings while the Astros have scored ZERO from the 7th inning onward! Slightly choking there Houston?

In general, the Astros offense is struggling. They have scored 15 runs in 7 games (29th ahead of the Reds who have played one less game) while the M’s have scored 56 runs in 8 games.

The Astros are kind of middle of the road so far in getting people on base, but are a huge fail in getting them home. Something better change soon.

OK – talk about that or whatever you fancy on this early April weekend.

 

 

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79 comments on “Free Blog Weekend :The stats say it all”

  1. hey dan, wishing you good luck and a happy outcome on your procedure next week. I think just like the astros, you will be fine. best wishes

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    • I love the way you weaved the Astros into that comment. I fear I may not be so accomplished in my blogging this weekend. I not a good rule follower most of the time. And the rest of the time, I’m really bad at it. But in this comment I managed to mention the Astros twice.
      The things a guy will do just to fit in.

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  3. It’s a good thing we got to play against last year’s Cy Young winner or the Astros would probably be dead last in offense.

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  4. Another sign of the Astros problems..
    Gurriel, White, Reddick, Diaz and Stassi all have 0 RBIs

    Bregman, Altuve and Marisnick all have 1 RBI, but have not driven in any one but themselves.

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  6. So I just watched the home opener ceremonies with the strong-voiced National Anthem and the flyover and all that, and I’m thinking we don’t got no ballplayers what measure up to this. And we don’t got no management that measures up, and we don’t got no former president that measures up. And so what’s a feller gonna do? Well, I guess you keep on trying to imitate, and simulate, and offering up the best facsimile you can put forward. ‘Cause the fans we don’t measure up neither. Thank goodness somebody come and died for this.

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  9. Astros hold on and win one – just enough hitting and just enough pitching.

    Only tip the writer needs is the interest of the readers!

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  10. It was a good win….but Lordy closers give heartburn! The look on Springer’s face was priceless, I sure have missed that big grin! You can bet the music in the clubhouse was loud and proud after this game! My youngest son (35yrs) met us for dinner in the Heights, and we went to our favorite watering hole to watch the game! The guys really needed to come home, to hear their own fans show them some love! I especially liked the way McHugh got out of his mess with the bases loaded!

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  11. Colin McHugh pitched a really good game. Our pen again did a good job. Our big guys got big hits. And in the 9th, New York again missed a replay. That ball was off the bat. It could have been a big one. I also got in a no cash hotdog line at one point. I need to retreat.

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    • Dave, I didn’t get to watch the game, but I noticed it was a sellout. What was the mood of the crowd last night and what was the atmosphere like?

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      • 1OP, very positive crowd. Air Force flyover brought tingles. Very festive atmosphere all around the park on the way in. Zero indication of anyone being offended by our 2 and 5 start. And I had the pleasure of sitting in my old seats with my brother and really got a kick out of seeing some many people, season ticket holders for many years whom I used to greet each April after a winter of no baseball.

        Liked by 3 people

  12. I would be doing a disservice if I failed to point out that the Round Rock Express went all Astros on us last night in their 2-1 loss to the New Orleans Baby Cakes. The Express were no-hit until Jack Mayfield hit a leadoff HR in the ninth inning. The next three batters struck out. The Express finished the game with one hit, no walks and 17 strikeouts.
    The only baserunner RR had, besides Mayfield’s HR, was Garrett Stubbs reaching base on an error in the third inning. He was promptly thrown out trying to steal 2B.
    The winning run was the result of a walk, an error, an advance to 3B on a fly ball and a wild pitch.
    How’s that for a season opener? You look at the lineup that Round Rock put on the field and try to figure out a way they could possibly lose that game. But, they did.
    https://www.milb.com/gameday/express-vs-baby-cakes/2019/04/05/579838?#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=579838

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  13. Jason Martin, acquired by Pittsburg from the Astros in the Gerritt Cole trade, has been called up to the majors and will officially be in a big league dugout for the first time today.

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  14. Can anyone tell me the name of the X-Astro that joined the cast of the post game this year? A friend asked me and it’s driving me mad trying to remember.

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  19. Tonight it was simple. Two evenly matched teams down to the wire. Virginia makes its free throws and Auburn doesn’t. Virginia moves on by one point.

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    • Ironically the Astros have 5 runs but have decided that 1st base is scoring position. All runs scored with a runner on first base.

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  21. First homerun for Chirinos too! A *VERY* up living game for the guys!
    I hope our “pitching whisperer” Brent Strom will work his magic on Wade Miley like he did for McHugh! Very well pitched game for Miley!

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  23. Very tidy game tonight. Pitching remains excellent. Guys are starting to hit. Jake is back to being Jake. I had a 7.50 Chick-fil-a sandwich to go with my ten dollar Budweiser.

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  24. In the latest setback for Robin Hood and his men, Rotherham United dealt Nottingham Forest a stinging 2-1 defeat yesterday. It will be very hard now for the poor people of the woods to continue in the Championship run.
    Sadness reigns there today.

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  25. The Astros are ninth in the major leagues in number of hits and tied for #28 in runs scored. Clutch City has lost its clutch.

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  26. So it seems today that Diaz is going to get a start at first. And after having the day off on Thursday, then sitting on Friday and Saturday, Nephew is certainly not our full time DH. He’s really going to have a tough time earning more at bats. Our 5th starter is starting today. I feel pretty good about that.

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  27. Thoughts
    – I like seeing this https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-yordan-alvarez-hits-3-home-runs
    – I’m enjoying op’s non-baseball updates between Virginia basketball and The Merry Men of soccer.
    – Kudos to Texas Tech for moving one step closer to their first basketball championship – Go Raiders Monday night
    – And kudos to UT for the good experience they gained in winning the NIT, though my sons and I had fun speculating on what their opponent, Lipscomb, sounded like. A contact lens fluid. A dentist. A product you use to comb hair on your lip…
    – I continue to struggle with what the team is doing with Tyler White. Yes, he does not have an RBI (like other folks) but his .267 BA / .353 OBP is solid. If you don’t like the shape he showed up in – why didn’t you just unload him and go another direction?
    – Now let’s hope Diaz gets a hit after not batting for the last 6 games. Maybe they will put Tyler back out there after he has sat for 6 games?
    – Wade Miley looked like a better version of Keuchel last night and he
    is costing them $4.5 million this year. I wonder if he might be the next extension…
    – James, Devenski and Valdez all got into and out of trouble in their one inning of relief
    – The Astros took their first series with last night’s win – now it is time for the brooms to come out

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  28. Dan, at this point, I’m not sure the club is clear on what to do with White. While Jake looked more like his normal self at the plate last night (and he’s just one guy taking at bats from Tyler), I think he keeps a job even if he does not hit. So once we end up with 13 arms, then Nephew might still be the odd man out.

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  29. A friend has a cow that gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, three days ago. The cow would not feed the bull calf and left it. The friend could not take care of the bull, so he gave it to us.
    Yesterday the calf could not stand and we are feeding it solution with a tube down its throat. This morning it took some from a nipple bottle and the rest with the tube. A few minutes ago I went and rubbed it all over and it got up on its own and walked around for three minutes, before laying down again. I know its chances are not good, but it is looking a little better today than yesterday. He is a gorgeous little fellar and he will have a lot of loving from the family. Who knows? God knows. I think this is part of being good stewards of His creations. The reward on earth is a young bull who would not remember his struggles or his care, but seeing him standing out in the fields someday would truly be special.

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  30. I see that Forrest Whitley is now listed as the starting pitcher for Tuesday’s home opener in Round Rock. He will face Nashville.

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    • This is already a bizarre game 1-1/2 innings into it. Two balls off the roof that hurt the Astros – one that turns into a two run double – one that ends up being a dead ball. Missed grounders by Bregman and Correa. A’s lining into a bases loaded double play. A 3 run homer by a guy with no hits.
      As many runs as outs 5-4 after 1-1/2

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  33. Lordy!! This game has worn this old gal out! The A’s play us soo hard…always have always will! The guys on the radio said Hinch might move Peacock back to the bullpen, since they won’t need a 5th starter for this week and next. I still think Josh James would be more effective in the rotation.

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  35. Some game thoughts:
    *This was a game that was supposed to be played in Oakland. That’s how weird the entire game was.
    * Aledmys Diaz was a big part of that win. No matter how bad he has played up till now, he made up for it today.
    * Springer and Correa looked as bad as I have ever seen them at the plate today. They were awful. They each had a hit and both of those were accidents.
    *Hinch is the luckiest guy in baseball today because he managed a loss that his team turned into a win.
    * The home plate umpire was horrible, All. Day. Long. for both teams.
    * If Jose Altuve had followed the rule and let Brantley have the short fly ball to left in the first inning, Oakland would not have gotten two runs. Altuve’s insistence at calling fielders off balls in the outfield that he has no business calling for got the Astros in trouble right off the bat.
    *Peacock would either throw 90mph fastballs right down the middle or totally miss the plate with everything else. He should have been out of there after the fourth inning. He had nothing today except a lead, which he and Hinch managed to blow.

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  36. I had to laugh about how this game was over!! A walk…to walk it off!
    Glad it’s over….I am worn out!! Tony Kemp is my player of the game!

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  37. A few thoughts
    – Yes Springer and Correa sucked hitting today, but Correa made a great diving stab late plus he made a transcendent throw to cut down an A who I thought had a sure triple. Springer made a great slide to tie up the game
    – Weird how Diaz comes in with 0 hits and leaves with 4 RBIs (more than most of the club) and scores the winning run
    – The Astros came back against a couple of relievers who had not given up anything this season – Trivino and Treinan
    – I don’t think I’ve ever seen a guy get three infield hits that were carbon copies of each other , but Altuve hit them between SS and 3B each time
    – yes op this felt like those games the Astros won early in 2015 when they figured out they might be good

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  39. I’ll take a three game sweep anyway it happens. Today was not pretty. Yeah, some of our guys did dumb stuff again. But we survived it. So many things could have gone differently, on both sides of the field. Odd, but we scored 9 runs with Kemp, Stassi and Diaz, three guys who have not been hitting, in the line up. Peacock looked a like a totally different pitcher out there today. Dazed and confused. And then one of the best closers in the game could not throw strikes today. Kookie game.

    And now we’ve got the top of the rotation set for the Yankees. I don’t expect Velander to have a second bad start on a row.

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  40. *The Women’s NCAA Championship game was everything you could ask for. Great basketball.
    *Correa’s relay throw to nail the runner at third was highlight reel stuff.
    * Yordan Alvarez hit another homer for Round Rock today after hitting three yesterday. Today’s home run was the game winner in the tenth inning.
    * Lorenzo Quintana hit a three run homer himself for CC. it was the game winner in the 8th inning.
    * By the way, a reliever for the Hooks, named Colin McKee got the win today.
    He pitched the last three innings and gave up a groundout and struck out the other 8 batters. Thats it! 3 perfect innings with 8 Ks. Apparently McKee is used to striking out half the batters he faces and walking the other half. Will see how he looks the rest of the year.

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    • OP – anyone who did not see Cortes’s relay throw should check it out. Watching baseball all these years you have a feel for what has a chance of success and this one based on the distance from 3B for Correa and how close the runner was to 3B seemed impossible.
      Reddick did a good job digging the ball out of the corner but then airmailed the throw missing the cut off man. Correa got it and got rid of it insanely fast and on the money.
      Great play that saved a run in a one run game.

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  42. When I lived in Arkansas – early in the morning on TV they had the farm report. We need that too.

    Old pro – how is that little bull doing? We are pulling for him.

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  43. Sorry to post so much this morning. Dan, there’s a feature interview with Reid Ryan in this morning’s business section, just in case you missed.

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  44. We never had baby goats before and now we have four of the little ones running around.
    Yesterday, the baby bull made the decision to eat. Early in the morning he took half a bottle but we had to put the rest in with the tube.
    He made the move to drinking the whole bottle in the afternoon and drank another full one last night. He looks pretty good this morning and I think the great pyrenees puppies we had with him yesterday have given him some kinship.
    Everything depends on if the colostrum supplements we give him will work.
    He couldn’t even get up Saturday. Sunday he got up a lot and walked around. We’ll see how today goes.

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    • Does he have a name OP or do we need to have a naming contest?
      I was always partial to Ferdinand from the old Disney short – the bull that loved smelling the flowers…..

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      • Yes he has been named. I preface this by saying we are all diehard Astros fans up here.
        On the day the bull calf was born, my son was offered a job as a Special Ranger for the cattle raisers association in Texas and Oklahoma. It is a big deal for him and his family.
        They named the baby bull Ranger.
        My friend Mary, who recently passed, is probably dancing in heaven right now.
        I didn’t name him. I just give him some love.

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    • That’s a great report OP. We’ve got baby goats all around the village. Boy, when they lose track of mama for a few moments they sure can waaa like the strongest voiced human baby I’ve ever heard.

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