What is the story about?
Astros
4, Rangers 1
- What a stupid game.
- The Astros get six baserunners all game. They have just five hits…but four of them are home runs.
- The Rangers get six hits and eight walks, and even an HBP, but manage to score just one run.
- Jacob deGrom generated an impressive 17 swings and misses on 94 pitches against the Astros. However, 11 of those 17 came on his slider, with two coming on his changeup and one on his curveball.
- deGrom threw his fastball 35 times, with the Astros swinging at it 21 times and whiffing just three times. The Astros put deGrom’s fastball in play 10 times — 9 of the 10 qualified as “hard hit,” including all five of the Astros’ hits.
- The Rangers were 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position, stranding 13 runners in the game.
- The Astros? The Astros did not have a single plate appearance in the game with a runner in scoring position. They stranded one runner.
- The top of the second inning was the tell, the indicator that things weren’t going to go the Rangers’ way. The Rangers loaded the bases against Kai-Wei Teng on an Evan Carter walk, an Alejandro Osuna single, and a Danny Jansen hit by pitch. With two outs, Teng threw a terrible pitch that got past Christian Vazquez. Carter broke for home, and he’s fast, so you figure that the Rangers just cut the lead to 2-1.
- But the ball caromed off the wall perfectly, and Carter was out at the plate.
- At that point, what choice is there but to declare that baseball is bullshit and rail at the fates? That we are being mocked by the universe?
- Just one hit on Friday, followed by this? Getting a Silver Boot in our ass at the stadium formerly known as the Juice Box?
- The A’s and Mariners both lost, so the Rangers are still tied for second with Seattle in the A.L. West, and still just two games back of the A’s for first.
- But look here…I am not going to accept the Sacramento A’s winning the division. You hear me? That is not allowed.
- A team in a minor league stadium that is trying to move to Las Vegas does not get to win the West. You hear me, Texas Rangers?
- You have a much higher payroll and a fancy stadium with a roof. You are not going to sit there and let the A’s win the division.
- Why, oh why, must this team taunt me so? Why must it make me pull my hair and gnash my teeth?
- Get it together, Texas Rangers. Score some damn runs. Put double digit games on your vision board. Offer Jobu some rum.
- Do something, dammit!
- Jacob deGrom’s fastball maxed out at 98.8 mph, averaging 96.8 mph. Cal Quantrill’s sinker topped out at 95.2 mph.
- Joc Pederson had a 104.4 mph single. Brandon Nimmo had a 102.8 mph fly out. Josh Jung had a 100.6 mph fly out. Ezequiel Duran had a 100.4 mph ground out.
- Let’s try to avoid being swept. Being swept would definitely put me in a mood.
