Time to Get Carlos Beltran to throw out the first pitch, and sneak into the dugout for some hitting advice.
Imagine striking out 10 hitters for every 1 walk. What is he? Spend whatever it takes to keep this man.
Pretty wild the Astros surrendered 4 runs and short-rest JV served ALL of them. Cole likely closes it out, but 1) this is already a wack series due to the exertion of our starters and general perception of volnerability and 2) if we lose, I will ***** and moan about H-Town sports. I will also b**** and moan if we don't beat NYY, plus whomever in the WS. We'll see what time tells .....
I think the baseball gods are punishing me and teaching me a lesson. In 2017 I prayed to the gods and said please have the Astros win the World Series. I told care if they don't win anymore. Just give me one experience and I can live happy. Well last year happened and now this. I should go pray to the gods and beg them to allow me to take back my statement.
Good news: 1. We are at home 2. We won 60 games at home 3. We have Cole on the mound. Bad news: 1. We will face Glasnow, Snell, Morton the entire game. 2. Their dominant bullpen will be rested 3. Scoring runs will be very difficult Cole needs to pitch the game of his life and the bats need to wake up against the hardest pitching obstacle they will see in the playoffs. We need the bounces to go our way...and we need to hit the crap out of mistakes. Astros win 3-2 in a nail biter.
In hindsight, maybe they should have just done a bullpen game. The fact that Justin only gave up 4 runs is good. He was wild in the zone. He threw so many hit-able pitches. He kept missing with his fastball.
never a fan of three days rest but at the end of the day... Astros only scored 1 run. Verlander could have pitched 8 innings 2 run ball and we would have still lost. 1. awesome relay to home plate killed an inning. 2. Brantley hit an absolute blast to first with springer on and no outs, that usually is a double down the line.... ended up being a double play. Sometimes it’s just not your night.
Honestly if you'd told me the Astros pitchers would give up 4 runs the entire game, I would've gladly taken that. But when your entire offensive output is a Chirinos solo shot in the 8th, you ain't winning no matter who's on the mound. Obviously I'm nervous as hell going in Game 5(this is Houston sports after all), but the Astros absolutely should win tomorrow night: 1) Gerrit Cole hasn't lost a game since I think May and will be pitching on full rest. 2) The Astros were 60-21 at home this year. 3) Springer went 2-4 in Game 4 and finally got off the schneid. He could've been 3-4 had he run hard to first base on that 2nd at bat. 4) The Rays got every break imaginable. Bloop singles, perfect relay throws, hard hit balls right to Choi. I'm certainly not expecting a blowout, but there is no excuse to not put up at least 3-4 runs and eek out a win. If the offense continues to be inept and they lose, well then they were never gonna win the World Series anyway given the Yankees were awaiting them in the ALCS.
Be prepared to hear how the Rays have nothing to lose being the underdog so they will play loose and the Astros have the pressure of being the World Series favorite and will press and have poor at bats.
Or Urquidy could have started and given up 8 runs. The big difference being that Cole and Verlander would be available for Game 5 on full rest. Hinch has been burned by bad bullpen performance in the playoffs. Hoping yesterday''s game restores some faith. To be a hypocrite, hoping Cole throws a shutout in Game 5. Faith in pen is not meant to include Rondon (even though he's been better lately) and Miley.
Well technically that's true. No one will crap on the Rays if they lose this series. But they will definitely be feeling pressure. Especially if they don't get to Cole early.
Have to admit, was definitely worried about Verlander on short rest, since it was his first time ever, and seems like for most pitchers, the numbers say starting on short rest is a bad idea. Anyways, what's done is done, and I'm reasonably confident that Cole will take care of business. Now, here's my question, and I'm too lazy to actually do research on the topic, but would be interested to hear everyone's viewpoint. Who is better on short rest, Verlander or Cole? If the answer is Cole, then that would have been a good reason to make him the G1 starter over Verlander. Of course that may/may not tick off Verlander, since there is probably some ego involved.
I have no idea who's the better pitcher on short rest, but it's hard to argue with Hinch going with Verlander and then Cole to start the series. It worked out perfectly for the Astros in Games 1 and 2. And the more I think about it, the Astros really aren't that screwed going into the ALCS as a result of this series going 5(assuming obviously they actually win and advance). The only question mark is Game 1 with Greinke. But after that, they have Verlander in Game 2, Cole in Game 3, Hinch now knows he should probably go with Urquidy in Game 4 instead of one of the aces on short rest(and not even have Miley on the playoff roster), Greinke again in Game 5, and then if it gets to Games 6 and 7, Verlander and Cole are on the mound. I don't think anyone could ask for a better scenario than those two guys pitching at home on full rest to send the team to the World Series.