redline248 said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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Ag_07 said:

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The bottom line is that Pena shouldn't be batting anywhere but #2.

Same for Altuve and leading off

This isn't brain surgery.

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Or we put our best hitter there like the rest of baseball.

Judge, Trout, Turner, Franco, Bichette.

League wide the 2 hole has a 112 OPS+ Which is tied for highest with the 3 hole.

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So, Yordan. Who while he's out?

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Probably Tucker

I wonder if the Astros as a team really could be running on fumes. If so it sure doesn't bode well for the rest of the season.

It's a common notion that players from the old days, say the 1920s or 30s, couldn't compete with players now who are bigger, stronger and faster.

But imagine taking a player from today and transporting them back in time. Sixteen hour train rides, cheap hotels with no AC, cramped clubhouses with no AC, players washing their own uniforms, salaries requiring all but the superstars to get jobs during the off-season.

So basically what minor league players deal with? Yeah, I think minor leaguers today would kick Babe Ruth's ass.

Verlander is getting his ring in a pregame ceremony tonight.

Well good point, but do you think the Astro's problem is that the players are exhausted before we've even come to the ASG?

I don't think the players on field actions were in the same ballpark as stress put on the body. Why do you think pitchers could pitch all day long? They're not slinging it like guys of today.

Random topic before game time - Luis Arraez is up to .395 on the season. It's still early but I think it'd be awesome to see him hit .400

Is there someone in our medical department to blame for these Brantley & McCullers setbacks/revelations that they're essentially fully done or at the very least unready for at least half the season? Was the market really that hot for a Michael Brantley that might be out for this entire season to warrant $12MM/2 years?

all right, offense, defense, special teams...let's go

oh, space city jerseys

How many people throw sliders that hard? geez

Nice easy start. Of course it's not been about the arms.

It's been about the hitting. It's always been about the hitting.

sharp 1st for H.B.

Altuve. Lol

uh-oh, Scherzer may have his good slider tonight

What a play

Ciboag96 said:

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Altuve. Lol

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Glad to see Dusty giving him the day off got him back in a funk…

Ciboag96 said:

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Altuve. Lol

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I love Altuve but man he has an awful lot of uncompetitive at bats

Offense… back to the norm

7 pitches.

I don't know who made the institutional change to stop taking pitches but it's definitely changed.

7-pitch first inning

not ideal

Seems like it's been a while since we put much pressure on the opposing pitcher

HB with only 7 balls in 2 innings. Challenging hitters.

What the hell kind of bat does this McNeil guy have?

Well that was an ugly AB.

Nothing quite like having 0 patience at the plate against a guy who has gotten shelled his last two outings

Slider stacking bodies

Lots of swings at pitches no where near the zone

the heavy right-handed lineup is a gift to Scherzer

The Merle is nasty. Perhaps someone should go check his hands for something sticky.

Swinging strike out at a pitch that finishes 2 ft outside