Both plays were awesome. Valbuena seems to be playing himself into a nice contract. Some team will probably give him 4 years/$48M. Don't think it will be the Astros though.
To keep the gain in the standings from yesterday, we really need another win today withe Hamels pitching for Texas today. BTW, when was the last time Texas won? Spoiler Yup. When Hamels last pitched
his 2 starts before that were pretty awful. I'll hold out hope that other teams besides the Twins have him figured out
are curves balls really weapons of arm destruction? I've never pitched so I wouldn't know but every opposing team's broadcast, like clockwork, goe into lance's future health. Camilo pascual for example went 13 years without an injury and the curvy curves were basically his go to pitch.
I think it's about 25% genetic makeup/luck (bad, in this case) and 75% about the pitcher, arm angles, arm speed, velocity of the breaking pitch, strength and conditioning, ect. They talk a lot (especially yesterday) about "spin rate" and this can be created by arm angle and the speed and velocity of the breaking pitch. When people talk health concerns about Lance it's because the violent delivery he has with his breaking ball. That's why there was debate originally on weather he would be a starter or a closer. At this point, fate is in the hands of the baseball gods when it comes to his health.
Nolan got tons of press because of his big fastball, but the curve was his go to strikeout pitch He pitched until he was what, about 65?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Collin_McHugh">@Collin_McHugh</a> takes the mound for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Astros?src=hash">#Astros</a> in game two. First pitch at 6:10pm.<br>:<a href="https://twitter.com/ROOTSPORTSSW">@ROOTSPORTSSW</a><br>:<a href="https://twitter.com/SportsTalk790">@SportsTalk790</a> <a href="https://t.co/qOEURz8mfc">pic.twitter.com/qOEURz8mfc</a></p>— Houston Astros (@astros) <a href="https://twitter.com/astros/status/756956006777847808">July 23, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Castro was originally going to start... but hand bruised up after that foul tip he took in the 9th. Good to see Gattis back... he has to play, its his gnome night. Now, Marisnick against a right-hander? Rasmus in a total funk? Good thing Bregman is 2500 miles away still "learning".
Castro no go today. Rasmus has been struggling so he is out of the lineup though we are facing a righty.
Tucker starting two in a row. If Tucker can keep it up against righties, I wouldn't mind Tucker/Gattis platoon at DH.
And Craig Biggio... who only played some meaningless LCS games there in 2004. Heard another Luhnow interview... he went from saying "he's ready" last week to now saying there's a chance he could be up here "this year, but for sure next year..." That's 2013 Springer language. If they start extolling the values of the AAA playoffs (over possible real MLB playoffs), look out! A deal had too have fallen apart... or is on permanent hold till the deadline.
It will be interesting to see what happens. It'd be one thing to rush him on just hype alone, but not hitting well in AAA, but, if you're waiting on a time to call someone up when their hot, can't think of a better one. Every game is huge, and that bottom of the order just terrifies me right now.
