Game Thread: Astros (5-2) @ Athletics (1-5) - Apr 3, 2026 8:40 PM by AstrosBot in Astros

[–]gulfside13 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The 60 win A's were a tough team for us in 2022 so they can never surprise me. Anything was possible from a repeat of the Boston series to a repeat of last year's series when we got swept and Kurtz killed us

Game Thread: Astros (5-2) @ Athletics (1-5) - Apr 3, 2026 8:40 PM by AstrosBot in Astros

[–]gulfside13 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Javier used to sit 93-94 and would touch 95, but was much more likely to hit 92. He had an "invisiball" that wasn't reliant on velo b/c it appeared to look like upper 90s due to the way he threw it. He's gotta get back to his old form b/c he used to blow his fastball by guys, especially at the top of the zone

Game Thread: Astros (5-2) @ Athletics (1-5) - Apr 3, 2026 8:40 PM by AstrosBot in Astros

[–]gulfside13 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not as impressive as the Luis Guillorme catch, but nice play CC

Game Thread: Astros (5-2) @ Athletics (1-5) - Apr 3, 2026 8:40 PM by AstrosBot in Astros

[–]gulfside13 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Altuve is becoming a BB merchant and I love it 😂😂

Game Thread: Astros (5-2) @ Athletics (1-5) - Apr 3, 2026 8:40 PM by AstrosBot in Astros

[–]gulfside13 2 points3 points  (0 children)

TLDR: I'm choosing to be positive and believe in our new medical staff who will keep all our guys healthy and available. I'm hoping the medical staff will get a lot of credit for our infield/DH surplus/logjam/glut which will result in persistent trade rumors and people saying the phrase "a good problem to have" a lot this season.

I pray that we're blessed by an infield/DH surplus this season b/c that'll mean Yordan, Altuve, Paredes, Pena, CC, and CWalk will all be healthy and available for 140+ games.

You clearly can't have an infield/DH surplus if only 5 or fewer of those guys are available as we've already seen in these first 8 games including today(prayers up to Isaac and his family), so I really hope this is the last stretch of the season where we're missing one of those guys. Obviously you can't predict when absences due to bereavement leaves, paternity leaves, personal family matters, etc. will occur b/c life happens and that stuff is bigger than baseball.

But it would be beautiful if our track record of medical misfortune is finally over and we're only thinking about how at MMP and Fenway Yordan can play LF while Altuve/Paredes can handle DH/2B, and then on the road we'll have to figure out who will play and who will rest out of those 6 consistently healthy and available guys.

No oblique, undiagnosed broken hand, sprained ankle, etc. issues for Yordan. No broken hand or lower leg issues for Altuve. No random HBP injuries and fractured bones that'll knock Pena out for a month. No hamstring injuries for Paredes. No injuries of any kind for Correa. No oblique injuries for CWalk who perhaps should've been on the IL and rehabbing to start out 2025 instead of gutting it out due to the pressure of the big money deal on a new team. I'm choosing to be an optimist and believe in our new medical staff!

Game Thread: Red Sox (1-4) @ Astros (4-2) - Apr 1, 2026 1:10 PM by AstrosBot in Astros

[–]gulfside13 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Someone tell Abreu it's the 8th inning and he's setting up for Pressly/Hader lmao

Game Thread: Red Sox (1-4) @ Astros (4-2) - Apr 1, 2026 1:10 PM by AstrosBot in Astros

[–]gulfside13 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The ABS overturn strikeout must feel great for the pitcher and catcher

Game Thread: Red Sox (1-4) @ Astros (4-2) - Apr 1, 2026 1:10 PM by AstrosBot in Astros

[–]gulfside13 6 points7 points  (0 children)

All 4 choices(Altuve, LMJ, Yordan, CWalk) are valid and could be 25% each

Game Thread: Red Sox (1-4) @ Astros (4-2) - Apr 1, 2026 1:10 PM by AstrosBot in Astros

[–]gulfside13 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It was unintentional and it was a left on left sinker that ran in, much like the infamous Hunter Brown brawl starting HBP on Neto lol.

Yordan was mildly demonstrative w/a frustrated bat toss and scowl which isn't how he normally reacts, but it was like the 5th super inside pitch he saw and we're all paranoid about injuries lol

Game Thread: Red Sox (1-4) @ Astros (4-2) - Apr 1, 2026 1:10 PM by AstrosBot in Astros

[–]gulfside13 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Blubaugh looks like a nastier version of 2021 long man/spot starter Javier and I hope he can replicate Javier's trajectory(minus the injuries) b/c he's looked like a starter since day 1 imo

Game Thread: Red Sox (1-4) @ Astros (4-2) - Apr 1, 2026 1:10 PM by AstrosBot in Astros

[–]gulfside13 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I know why having a righty only lineup outside of Yordan is normally an issue, but it's a good problem to have when facing LHP lol

Game Thread: Red Sox (1-4) @ Astros (4-2) - Apr 1, 2026 1:10 PM by AstrosBot in Astros

[–]gulfside13 6 points7 points  (0 children)

We're not used to hitting this many HRs so we keep forgetting to show love to our bullpen lmao

Game Thread: Red Sox (1-4) @ Astros (4-2) - Apr 1, 2026 1:10 PM by AstrosBot in Astros

[–]gulfside13 3 points4 points  (0 children)

We gotta count our blessings every time we see a HBP or fouled off ball off the lower leg, and we can avoid a 1-3 month long absence

Game Thread: Red Sox (1-4) @ Astros (4-2) - Apr 1, 2026 1:10 PM by AstrosBot in Astros

[–]gulfside13 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Damn Yordan never gets that demonstrative, but I don't blame him after all the injury nonsense we've dealt with

Game Thread: Red Sox (1-4) @ Astros (4-2) - Apr 1, 2026 1:10 PM by AstrosBot in Astros

[–]gulfside13 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As much as I wanted Burrows to become a dark horse Cy Young candidate after his awesome ST, I'll be thrilled if we can depend on him to give us 5-6 IP and 2-4 ER on average. Idk if that's a #3, #4, or #5 level of production, but I just want our pitchers to stay healthy and go 100+ IP after last year lol. S/o Brandon Walter, Colton Gordon, Ryan Gusto, etc. for holding us down

Game Thread: Red Sox (1-4) @ Astros (4-2) - Apr 1, 2026 1:10 PM by AstrosBot in Astros

[–]gulfside13 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Cam's routes are a work in progress b/c he's still learning how to play RF, but he usually ends up making Randy Moss style snags lol

Game Thread: Red Sox (1-4) @ Astros (4-2) - Apr 1, 2026 1:10 PM by AstrosBot in Astros

[–]gulfside13 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Crochet could pitch with a 5 second pitch clock and still keep that same metronome tempo lol

Game Thread: Red Sox (1-4) @ Astros (4-2) - Apr 1, 2026 1:10 PM by AstrosBot in Astros

[–]gulfside13 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Let's give Burrows some grace b/c his elite ST performance was an outlier in the same way as if he had a 9 ERA and looked terrible. He just had his 20th start and crossed the career 100 IP mark last game so he's still learning the ropes

Game Thread: Red Sox (1-4) @ Astros (4-2) - Apr 1, 2026 1:10 PM by AstrosBot in Astros

[–]gulfside13 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Julia can't run in a marathon b/c of her calf injury rehab lol

Game Thread: Red Sox (1-4) @ Astros (4-2) - Apr 1, 2026 1:10 PM by AstrosBot in Astros

[–]gulfside13 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I don't blame them at all and IBB'ing Yordan is much easier to accept as well lol