Houston Astros 2019 thread............

Astros won last night and for the first time ever will finish the season with the best record in baseball!!!

And are also ensured home-field advantage throughout the postseason because of going 55-20 against divisional foes (better than LAD's record vs. NL West) in the event of a tiebreaker.

 

Updated WAR Leaderboards, from Baseball Ref:

1. Mike Trout - 8.3
2. Alex Bregman - 8.2​

Bregman's 8.2 WAR is the 2nd-highest in Astros franchise history, behind only Craig Biggio's 1997 season (9.4 WAR)

 

We are not exactly MLB's fav team -- too bad
(check out the start time)

 

BUT- that was PACIFIC time...at least we get to watch as we are getting ready for work...and then waste the morning streaming in the office LOL!

 

Final BR WAR

Bregman: 8.4
Trout: 8.3 ​

Final FG WAR:

Trout: 8.6
Bregman: 8.4​

 

Biggio had a 9.4? Sheesh!

 

For those interested, there were more good seats released for Games 1, 2 and 3 (if needed) on the home games. From the location and the fact that they were groups of most two and four seats at the Field Box level, I am guessing this was inventory held back for prospective 2020 season ticket purchases.

I got one for Game 2 that is Club Level right behind home plate. Since most of the people I would have gone with had other plans, I could deal with a single seat.

Still debating about whether to take Friday afternoon off to go to Game 1...I'm more inclined to wait for the later games like ALCS and WS...

 

They forgot to copy the “come early and stay late” part

 

I’m going to Tampa for games 3 and 4. Go ‘Stros.

 

This decade -- 7 IP, 0 R, 1 H or fewer in postseason start

2010 - Roy Halladay's no-hitter vs Reds

2012 -- Bronson Arroyo vs Giants

Today -- Justin Verlander vs Rays

 

Both of my teams wear orange. #orangelife

 

#orangeteamgood

 

Hoping we can see them head to Tampa up 2-0...Cole needs to ensure the bullpen has no chance to screw it up.

 

The Rays have historically hit .268/.316/.431 as a team against Gerrit Cole

But just .205/.247/.325 since we got him.

 

Here is that last BS strike call on Bregs in the 6th

 

The home plate umpire seems to have two different strike zones tonight

 

That's mad respect. Bregman hasnt even gone into the stands to punch a man.

 

Mad Max Respect

 

It was weird how he tightening it up for them in the 9th

Whew
Osuna

 

I think this is the pitch Longhorn great Burt Hooton used to throw

 

That was definitely the consensus in Section 218 last night...we were basically over the plate...the Fox booth was just over my shoulder and so we were getting whiplash from the call and then quickly turning to see the monitor in the booth (which lagged the live action by a matter of seconds).

Unrelated...when they do Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the 7th inning stretch, the spanish broadcast guys (also just over my shoulder) toss out bags of peanuts and Cracker Jacks. But, no...getting a free snack does NOT make up for paying $15 for a beer.

 

What will the price of beer be if they re-sign Cole?

 

I was pissed at AJ for using Osuna in the 8th and then sending him back out in the 9th. If you are going to do that, send him to the bullpen to throw while Astros are batting. He was clearly not the same guy when he came back in the 9th. He should have been pulled after 2 batters. My only gripe with AJ, and this has been going on as long as he has been here, is his bullpen management sucks. He pulls guys when they are on fire, and he leaves guys in too long that don't have it. I guess I should be glad he went and got Osuna before he had given up the lead, which is the norm for AJ. Still, I was confident my man Will Harris would get us out of it, and he did. He's about the only guy in the bullpen I can trust anymore.

 

We did set a franchise record for Ws...so there's that...