Everything about tonight's game was beautiful (other than the wtf rundown double play?). Now we can top it off by whipping Sale for the sweep.
Does not matter, as a runner you just need to look at the runner in front of you and see what they are doing before advancing.
The Aeros also had four championship banners in Toyota Center. Two from the the WHA days, two from the IHL/AHL days. They were consistently in the playoffs in the latter era. I look forward to the day the NHL Aeros debut in Houston. People that love live sports should as well. Nothing is better live than hockey, IMO.
There are two NHL teams in Florida, one in NC, one in Tennessee, one in Texas, one in Arizona, one in L.A., one in Vegas. That's more than there are Canadian teams remaining. Hockey is already everywhere. It's pretty crazy that it's not in the fourth biggest city in the country here. Perhaps the problem is that the Astros are so scorching hot that they'd melt the ice in Toyota Center from across downtown. Go Astros.
Nah. Where that ball was hit, if you're at third, you tag and go for it. You've got to take any reasonable chance you can get to tack another run on the board against these good teams. And when the guy at the plate does the next best thing he can do besides get a clean hit, you've got to reward that. That was a much longer throw to make than the one Brantley scored on last night. Jake, being a generally pretty smart baserunner, is going to make the presumption that the guy at third is going to tag on that fly ball (and that the famously aggressive third base coach is going to send him.) He can make it to third while the ball is being thrown home but only if he busts it. He likely couldn't make it to third if the throw was going straight there, and he can't lollygag over there either in case the ball is cut before home and thrown to third. So, he's going full force or not at all. Also, the runner at third is going to only be in his field of vision briefly, because he's concentrating on running to third. And what he would have seen was Stassi break full bore towards home. By the time Stassi stops and Jake notices this, he's in total no man's land. I agree with Buck; Stassi hung Jake out to dry.
I think it makes sense. Miley's been a rock, and Peacock was shakier in his last start than he was two starts ago. He's still working some kinks out. You're going up against Sale, who just struck out 17 guys in a game. Yeah, Sale's had an enigmatic season, but that's all the more reason to go with some extra pitching firepower and stability, because it's really anybody's guess how tomorrow's game is going to go. Don't let up; play for that sweep, guys.
Miley needs to hold the fort down until we get Sale out of the game. Hopefully sooner then later. Sale is back on his game after Red Sox decided not to pitch him during Spring Training. Some pitchers need it... Josh James an example as well. Work sale’s count and get him out of the game. If he had last nights strike zone, we are in trouble.
What a weird game with lots of questionable plays and calls. Luckily we won. Can't believe James was in the game in such a big spot, but love that he came through.
Not regarding this play, but Jake does not play like a generally pretty smart baserunner as he seems throttled most of the time. Could be the Astros mentality of being ultra conservative on getting extra bases regarding 2nd and 3rd bases while Pettis is a windmill Don Quixote couldn't stop regarding home.
We have no proof of whether or not Pettis sent Stassi, unless there is an interview stating so. With the league’s leading hitter on deck, a slow runner on third and a gold glove outfielder catching a relatively shallow fly ball and a 7-3 lead, it would not make sense to send him (but Pettis oftentimes doesn’t make sense). Here is Pettis stoically standing. Again, we don’t know what he told Stassi to do, but I don’t think it can be assumed he told him to go. And Jake did make a mistake by NOT going back to second once they threw home. He gave Stassi no base to retreat to, just in case he avoided the run down. Jake should stay there with less than two outs, but not when the tag will be the third out.
First time Astros notch multiple 10-game winning streaks same season since 1969. 3rd team in MLB history with multiple 10-game streaks before June ('41 Cardinals and '55 Dodgers).
