As we approach Jul 4th, the Astros have a big lead in the AL West, something I did not see happening this year, now there is a long way to go and admittedly the AL West is a weak division. But we just swept the Phillies and only allowed them 1 run in 3 games. Joe Espada is doing it with mirrors though, we have had a ton of injuries and frequently I don't recognize some of the names in the starting lineup or the pitchers. So I guess it's not surprising that the Astros have zero players on the AL All-Star team. That's OK as long as we keep winning. Next up is Chicago ...that will be a big test.
It's a bit strange seeing sports stars younger than I, like Dave Parker, leaving us. I liked those Pirate teams of the 70s with Roberto Clemente for a couple of seasons, Willie Stargell, Dave Parker, Bill Mazeroski, etc. I thought they had won a couple of World Series in that decade so I looked it up: 1971 with Clemente but not Parker, whose rookie year was 1973; 1979 with "Pops" Stargell and Parker. I think the '79 team was the "We are Family" team.
You never know where talent is going to come from, not every top pitcher (Paul Skenes) played at a top NCAA program won a Natl'l Championship, etc....just take Tarik Skubal...who knew. Skubal attended Kingman Academy of Learning in Kingman, Arizona. He played college baseball for the Seattle Redhawks of Seattle University, which was the only NCAA Division I school to offer him a scholarship.[1] Skubal missed most of the 2016 season and all of 2017 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Despite the injury, he was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 29th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft but did not sign, opting instead to return to Seattle.[2] Skubal had a combined 21–7 record as a starter for the Redhawks.[3] In 2018, he led the team with 106 strikeouts and 56 walks, pitching 80 innings in his final season in Seattle.[4] The Detroit Tigers selected Skubal in the ninth round, with the 255th overall selection, of the 2018 MLB draft,[5][6] and he signed with the team with a $350,000 signing bonus.
Talk about taking the crowd out! Dodger fans hate the Astros, especially Jose Altuve and they boo Altuve relentlessly. So last night, lead by Altuve and his 2 home runs this happened!! How sweet it was to watch! TheLos Angeles Dodgerssuffered their worst loss ever in Dodger Stadium, an 18-1 blowoutat the hands of theHouston Astroson Friday night in the series opener between division leaders. The 17-run loss marked the Dodgers' largest margin of defeat at home since the team moved to Dodger Stadium in 1962 and the franchise's worst home loss since July 3, 1947, when Brooklyn lost 19-2 to the New York Giants.
Talk about a let down? Sweep the Dodgers on the road, then come home to a struggling Cleveland team who had lost 10 in a row, and get sweeped. Guardians just killed our pitching for the most part and their pitchers all looked like all-stars.
Re: Terry's post above: Baseball is the only sport wherein on any given day, a lesser team can beat a much better team, as happened in Houston this week. It's part of the beauty of the game, unless of course your team is the one on the losing side. I've found this true with the Cubs. So far, they're having a great season, but they go to Minnesota and lose two in a row to the Twins. Ugh! Oh well. There's always tomorrow's game. Or....Wait 'til next year! I doubt the Cleveland series will, in the long run, harm the Astros' excellent season, but the Cubs? Always holding my breath.
Y'all are still in our heads. In the sixth inning Tuesday night with a runner on second and two outs, manager Voght had Cade Smith deliberately balked Dubon over to third to prevent any pitch stealing. The last time that a Cleveland pitcher deliberately balked a guy to third was when Bob Wickman did it in 2005 when he thought a guy was stealing pitches.
I thought that was very odd Stu, I mean doesn't everybody use that electronic pitch thing these days?
The All-Star game intros and pre-game stuff was just awful. Game will be good though, and I'm eager to see the Robo Ump in action!