Astros and the arbitration process: These are the deals that got done, those that didnโt and whatโs next
Hey guys itโs Ari Alexander, covering the Astros offseason and Iโm looking at ARBITRATION DAY! Friday the 13th was when most arbitration deals get done and the Astros knocked out six of their eight very quickly.
Javier, Astros romp 5-0 over Yanks, Cole, take 3-0 ALCS lead
Cristian Javier and Houstonโs bullpen combined on a three-hitter, Chas McCormick followed a dropped flyball with an early two-run homer and the Astros beat Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees 5-0 to take a 3-0 AL Championship Series lead.
Astros blow 4-run lead, rally in 9th to beat Angels 6-5
Even the mighty Houston Astros are not immune to occasional bouts of comprehensive ineptitude, as they demonstrated while blowing a four-run lead in the seventh inning Tuesday night with two errors, a hit batter with the bases loaded and a passed ball. The Astros still had plenty of time to recover against an opponent that's been largely inept for two full months now. Kyle Tucker delivered a tiebreaking RBI double in the ninth inning, and the Astros rallied for a 6-5 victory over the spiraling Los Angeles Angels.
news.yahoo.comAstros' Tucker tries to steal home amid PitchCom malfunction
Houstonโs Kyle Tucker was thrown out Thursday night when he tried to steal home while New York Yankees starter Luis Severino tinkered with his malfunctioning PitchCom device. Alex Bregman had just hit a two-run double to put Houston up 2-0 and Tucker was on third with two outs in the third inning. With Yuli Gurriel at-bat, a frustrated Severino took off his cap and held the PitchCom speaker to his ear, apparently unable to hear instructions from catcher Jose Trevino.
news.yahoo.comSiri, McCormick rally AL West-leading Astros past D-backs
Jose Siri and Chas McCormick hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning, rallying the AL West-leading Houston Astros over the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-6 on Sunday. Carlos Correa also homered as the Astros held their comfortable division lead over Oakland. Houston won for the fourth time in five games and cut Tampa Bayโs lead for the best record in the AL to 3 ยฝ games.
news.yahoo.comAstros rally late against former teammate, top Mariners 4-3
Jake Meyers had the last of three singles as part of Houstonโs eighth-inning rally against former teammate Joe Smith, scoring Kyle Tucker with the go-ahead run and sending the Astros over the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Monday night. Dylan Moore had a pinch-hit, two-run homer for Seattle in the sixth for a 3-2 lead.
news.yahoo.comFive Astros to Watch As Spring Training Approaches
^ Keep Houston Press Free Support Us LocalCommunityJournalismI Support Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free. Support UsAs long as this last year has felt, it's almost time for spring training again. As spring training approaches, here are a few names to watch early this season. It's more likely that Straw is a stopgap measure until the Astros can find a permanent replacement in center field. Tucker needs to continue to mature and turn into the "next" Springer for the Astros in the outfield.
houstonpress.comAstros Crush A's in Game Four, Advance to ALCS: Four Thoughts
It's incredible to think how hated the Astros are, but only peruse Twitter for a while and you can feel the hate. That was even more evident after the Game 4 win over the A's on Thursday. The Astros blasted Oakland 11-6, hitting four more home runs (both teams had a remarkable 23 in the four-game series) and moving on to the ALCS beginning Monday against the winner of the Rays-Yankees series. Yahoo Sports summed it up with the headline, "Like It or Not, Astros are Back in the ALCS." It was a bit of a surprise that Zack Greinke managed to play in this game.
houstonpress.comFour Astros Who Need to Have Big Seasons
But Correa is just two seasons from unrestricted free agency making him eligible for a sizable extension sooner rather than later. That is assuming he can justify that payday and this season would seem to be a critical one for his future and the future of this young Astros core. If Correa plays up to his potential this season and stays healthy, it could mean big things for the offense in 2020. As if Osuna needed any help overcoming all of that, former Astros VP Brandon Taubman had to go full a-hole in the clubhouse after the ALCS, taunting reporters about the Astros closer. The Astros are hoping to keep him under that again in the regular season, protecting the arm that has been injured previously.
houstonpress.comFour Astros Training Camp Storylines...Besides the Cheating
It's been a really, really long offseason despite the fact that the Astros played until literally the last day of the offseason. Obviously the news has been dominated by a series of scandals culminating with the commissioners' report that the Astros cheated. As spring training opened, it only seemed to get worse with players weighing in on the controversy and fans booing heartily. Plenty of questions linger around training camp like how new veteran manager Dusty Baker will handle all the off-the-field complications (he'll do fine on the field). In the long run, the Astros are betting Tucker is their guy, but will it be this season?
houstonpress.comFour In-House Solutions For The Astros To Replicate 2019
The questions will rain down on the Astros players and management like a monsoon. We also know that perhaps their most irreplaceable player from 2019, ace pitcher Gerrit Cole, is gone. Even worse, he left to go to the Astros' main competitor in the AL, the New York Yankees. Tucker was decidedly better in his second go round in the big leagues in 2019 than his first in 2018. Lance McCullers spent the entire 2019 season rehabbing his pitching elbow coming off of Tommy John surgery.
houstonpress.comAstros Trade Marisnick, Make Room for Tucker
The Astros on Thursday traded veteran outfielder Jake Marisnick to the Mets for a pair of prospects. The move was made to clear room in an already crowded outfield for youngsters Kyle Tucker and Myles Straw, who should make the big league roster in 2020. Ideally, the Astros would like to move Josh Reddick, but his $14 million contract makes that difficult without the Astros agreeing to absorb some of that salary, so Marisnick was dealt. The Mets are hoping Marisnick will perform better at the plate if he is given more opportunities. For the Astros, it reduces their glut of outfielders and adds a couple of prospects to their already deep minor league roster.
houstonpress.comHere's the Astros starting lineup for Game 3 of the ALCS
2019 Getty ImagesNEW YORK - The Astros made some changes to their lineup for Game 3 of the American League Championship Series. With Gerrit Cole on the mound, Houston shuffled the batting lineup. Yuli Gurriel and Yordan Alvarez flip-flopped in the five and six spot. Josh Reddick gets the start in right field and is batting eighth and Martin Maldonado is catching and hitting ninth. Here's what the lineup looks like as the 'Stros look to take the series lead over the Yankees.
Angels outlast Astros 4-3 in 12, preventing Houston clinch
Tucker then failed to handle Simmons' hot grounder to first, ending the Angels' fourth walkoff win of the season. Despite the loss, the Astros (104-55) are two games ahead of the Yankees (102-57), who didn't play, for the AL's best record. The Astros are only one game ahead of the Dodgers (103-56), who have clinched the NL's best record. Houston beat Los Angeles to win the 2017 World Series to claim its first championship, winning Game 7 on the road. The Astros homered in their 22nd straight game, but stranded 12 runners in the final six innings alone.
Reddick has 5 hits, Miley wins 14th as Astros sweep KC
Josh Reddick #22 of the Astros crosses home plate after his two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals. - Wade Miley bounced back from two disastrous starts with six strong innings and Josh Reddick's five hits included a two-run homer Sunday as the Houston Astros beat the Kansas City Royals 12-3, completing a three-game sweep. Abraham Toro and Reddick each drove in three runs, Kyle Tucker banged a two-run homer and Yuli Gurriel's solo shot was his 28th homer. Last Tuesday, the A's tagged him for seven runs in what became a 21-7 drubbing. Reddick pulled a two-run homer down the right-field line off reliever Eric Skoglund in the fifth inning for a 7-1 lead.
Greinke finally gets win over old club, Astros top Royals
Shortstop Alex Bregman #2 of the Houston Astros throws out Ryan McBroom #9 of the Kansas City Royals. - Zack Greinke finally beat his old club and Yordan lvarez belted a pinch-hit three-run homer as the Houston Astros beat the Kansas City Royals 6-1 on Saturday night. Alex Bregman hit his 36th homer and rookie Kyle Tucker was 4-for-4 for the AL West-leading Astros. This was the fifth start by Greinke against the Royals since they traded him after the 2010 season. Oddly, all five were at Kauffman Stadium and each was for a different team - the Brewers, Angels, Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Astros.
Brantley homers in 13th, Astros rally past Mariners 11-9
Brantley hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 13th inning to give Houston an 11-9 comeback victory over the Seattle Mariners. The win improved the Astros to 91-50, the best record in franchise history after 141 games, and 13-1 against the Mariners this year. Matt Wisler (3-4) walked Jake Marisnick leading off the 13th before Brantley launched a drive to right-center. But the Astros chipped away by scoring one in the second, two in the third and two in the sixth. The Astros trimmed the deficit to 7-1 in the second when Yordan Alvarez scored on a wild pitch by Gonzales.
George Springer to be evaluated in Houston after crashing into outfield wall
George Springer #4 of the Houston Astros leaves the field after being injured in the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on September 03, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. MILWAUKEE - Astros outfielder George Springer may be able to play Thursday after exiting Tuesday's game on a medical cart after hitting his head on the outfield wall at Miller Park. 2019 Getty Images George Springer hits the ground after making a catch in the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on September 03, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Astros medical personnel went out to assist Springer, who left the field on a cart a few minutes later. (He) made a great catch," Astros manager A.J.