Considering the expanding DL, that was a fantastic road trip. 6-2 against 3 teams that were over (or started at) .500 without the players we're missing is just impressive. Now, come home and end all hope for the Mariners.
And thank you Tyler White for stepping up. I have to admit I was not expecting it. Winning 6 or 8 on the road against 3 pretty good teams with half of our starters on the disabled list makes AJ Hinch look like a genius.
What a difference from last year around this time. Every time we trotted out the likes of Martes, Paulino, Guduan, Jankowski to pitch, my heart was in my mouth. Yet we got through just fine. This year starting pitching and bullpen are stellar. Offense has us nervous every at bat. But we'll be fine. Luhnow and his FO has built a great team.
Usually, when you lose these types of games, fans will blame the manager, so all credit to Hinch and the team for pulling out these wins.
Hinch isn’t always the best tactician but he is super elite at chemistry and knowing how to run a clubhouse. If anyone can make the Osuna situation acceptable in the clubhouse it will be Hinch.
If the Astros get "completely" well; watch out. They could march right through the playoffs. The bullpen is looking elite. When was the last time we could even think that?
Because AJ/Luhnow don't give a crap about the save stat or the stupid closer title. They will play matchups with their high leverage guys.
We only got the 2 run HR, but we had a ton of traffic. 12 baserunners, and 5 XBH so it wasn't as if the offense was totally dead. Just gotta keep hanging on until we get the troops back. Tyler White is an MLB hitter.
Like clockwork when he was here with us. His problems may be both mechanical and mental. Still let's not wish him ill. He may need some time off from baseball.
Giles just gave up 5 runs in extra innings in his debut in Toronto. Congrats Blue Jays, he's your problem now.
He trusts his players. He gives them confidence by giving space for errors and slumps. What does he say often: "Baseball is hard. You fail more times than you succeed" (referring to hitting). One thing I like about Hinch and Luhnow is they factor in adversity. They like players who can recover from adversity. Say, Breggie couldn't hit when he first got here. But he eventually found his way. They look at whether the player can adjust to a slump or can a pitcher recover after giving up a run or a blown save. I even think the FO has a measure for resiliency and grit.
