| | | |
HOUSTON ( FIERS )
MINNESOTA ( PELFREY ) |
|
|
8un
| 4
Final
1 |
|
|
| | |
|
|
|  | |
|
| 967 | HOUSTON | -140 | Ov 8.5,+100 | -135 | Ov 8,-105 | | 968 | MINNESOTA | +130 | Un 8.5,-120 | +125 | Un 8,-115 |
|
|
|  |
|
| | | | | |
|
|
| All Games | 71-58 | +7.7 | 56-68 | 4.3 | 0.241 | 0.303 | 0.419 | 0.722 | 3.6 | 0.235 | 0.290 | 0.366 | 0.656 | | Road Games | 26-37 | -10.7 | 28-32 | 4.2 | 0.237 | 0.296 | 0.390 | 0.687 | 3.8 | 0.241 | 0.302 | 0.371 | 0.673 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 46-36 | +8.3 | 40-39 | 4.5 | 0.243 | 0.305 | 0.426 | 0.731 | 3.7 | 0.235 | 0.290 | 0.364 | 0.654 | | Past 7 Games | 5-2 | +3.8 | 2-5 | 4.3 | 0.239 | 0.294 | 0.432 | 0.725 | 1.4 | 0.165 | 0.217 | 0.222 | 0.439 | | Grass Games | 71-52 | +14.1 | 54-65 | 4.4 | 0.243 | 0.306 | 0.424 | 0.730 | 3.5 | 0.235 | 0.289 | 0.363 | 0.652 | | Night Games | 48-39 | +3.9 | 35-48 | 4.2 | 0.239 | 0.299 | 0.417 | 0.716 | 3.5 | 0.236 | 0.288 | 0.367 | 0.656 |
|
| |
|
|
| All Games | 4.3 | 0.241 | 0.303 | 129 | 4314 | 1039 | 209 | 18 | 174 | 0.419 | 524 | 387 | 1136 | 98 | 795 | 92 | 65 | 110 | 69 | | Road Games | 4.2 | 0.237 | 0.296 | 63 | 2209 | 524 | 105 | 7 | 73 | 0.390 | 249 | 186 | 557 | 53 | 420 | 39 | 34 | 51 | 38 | | Righty Starters | 4.5 | 0.243 | 0.305 | 82 | 2759 | 670 | 133 | 8 | 119 | 0.426 | 353 | 246 | 713 | 63 | 506 | 54 | 38 | 62 | 46 |
|
| |
|
| All Games | 2.56 | 1.023 | 365.6 | 118 | 104 | 266 | 32 | 108 | 367 | 24-20 | 31 | 16 | 66% | | Road Games | 3.18 | 1.183 | 164 | 66 | 58 | 127 | 12 | 67 | 151 | 10-11 | 13 | 9 | 59.1% |
|
|
| |
|
|
| All Games | 66-62 | +17.3 | 58-60 | 4.3 | 0.249 | 0.300 | 0.401 | 0.701 | 4.4 | 0.272 | 0.322 | 0.425 | 0.747 | | Home Games | 39-24 | +17.8 | 29-28 | 4.8 | 0.268 | 0.319 | 0.433 | 0.752 | 3.9 | 0.264 | 0.308 | 0.408 | 0.716 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 43-42 | +9.9 | 36-41 | 4.1 | 0.247 | 0.296 | 0.397 | 0.693 | 4.5 | 0.276 | 0.326 | 0.429 | 0.755 | | Past 7 Games | 6-1 | +7.6 | 3-4 | 4.9 | 0.245 | 0.293 | 0.419 | 0.712 | 3.3 | 0.252 | 0.319 | 0.374 | 0.693 | | Grass Games | 64-57 | +19.3 | 53-58 | 4.3 | 0.250 | 0.302 | 0.399 | 0.701 | 4.3 | 0.271 | 0.319 | 0.420 | 0.739 | | Night Games | 39-34 | +14.6 | 33-36 | 4.6 | 0.251 | 0.301 | 0.407 | 0.708 | 4.1 | 0.266 | 0.317 | 0.409 | 0.726 |
|
| |
|
|
| All Games | 4.3 | 0.249 | 0.300 | 128 | 4306 | 1071 | 220 | 35 | 122 | 0.401 | 529 | 318 | 989 | 56 | 750 | 118 | 65 | 119 | 66 | | Home Games | 4.8 | 0.268 | 0.319 | 63 | 2079 | 558 | 104 | 17 | 68 | 0.433 | 287 | 154 | 428 | 27 | 367 | 67 | 34 | 65 | 22 | | Righty Starters | 4.1 | 0.247 | 0.296 | 85 | 2835 | 699 | 149 | 26 | 75 | 0.397 | 334 | 198 | 687 | 43 | 486 | 74 | 40 | 76 | 41 |
|
| |
|
| All Games | 3.88 | 1.278 | 396.6 | 188 | 171 | 382 | 45 | 125 | 296 | 22-20 | 38 | 9 | 80.9% | | Home Games | 3.61 | 1.225 | 194.3 | 89 | 78 | 188 | 21 | 50 | 153 | 10-9 | 18 | 2 | 90% |
|
| | |
|
|
| 8/15/2015 | MCHUGH(R) | DETROIT | VERLANDER(R) | 2-4 | L | -145 | 7.5 un | U | 8 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 0 | | 8/16/2015 | FIERS(R) | DETROIT | BOYD(L) | 6-5 | W | -170 | 7.5 ov | O | 9 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 0 | | 8/17/2015 | KAZMIR(L) | TAMPA BAY | RAMIREZ(R) | 2-9 | L | -160 | 7.5 un | O | 7 | 9 | 1 | 15 | 10 | 2 | | 8/18/2015 | FELDMAN(R) | TAMPA BAY | ODORIZZI(R) | 3-2 | W | -115 | 8 un | U | 10 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 0 | | 8/19/2015 | KEUCHEL(L) | TAMPA BAY | KARNS(R) | 3-2 | W | -175 | 7.5 un | U | 11 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | | 8/20/2015 | MCHUGH(R) | TAMPA BAY | ARCHER(R) | 0-1 | L | -115 | 7 un | U | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0 | | 8/21/2015 | FIERS(R) | LA DODGERS | ANDERSON(L) | 3-0 | W | -125 | 8 un | U | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | | 8/22/2015 | KAZMIR(L) | LA DODGERS | GREINKE(R) | 3-1 | W | +115 | 7 un | U | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 1 | | 8/23/2015 | MCCULLERS(R) | LA DODGERS | KERSHAW(L) | 3-2 | W | +140 | 6.5 un | U | 10 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 0 | | 8/24/2015 | FELDMAN(R) | @ NY YANKEES | EOVALDI(R) | 0-1 | L | 155 | 8 ov | U | 5 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 1 | | 8/25/2015 | KEUCHEL(L) | @ NY YANKEES | NOVA(R) | 15-1 | W | -145 | 7.5 ev | O | 15 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | | 8/26/2015 | MCHUGH(R) | @ NY YANKEES | PINEDA(R) | 6-2 | W | 145 | 7.5 ov | O | 10 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 0 | | 8/28/2015 | KAZMIR(L) | @ MINNESOTA | GIBSON(R) | 0-3 | L | -120 | 7.5 un | U | 6 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | | 8/29/2015 | FIERS(R) | @ MINNESOTA | PELFREY(R) | | | 8/30/2015 | MCCULLERS(R) | @ MINNESOTA | SANTANA(R) | | | 8/31/2015 | FELDMAN(R) | SEATTLE | HERNANDEZ(R) | | | 9/1/2015 | KEUCHEL(L) | SEATTLE | ELIAS(L) | | | 9/2/2015 | MCHUGH(R) | SEATTLE | WALKER(R) | | | 9/4/2015 | KAZMIR(L) | MINNESOTA | PELFREY(R) | | | 9/5/2015 | | MINNESOTA | | |
|
|
| |
|
|
| 8/15/2015 | DUFFEY(R) | CLEVELAND | TOMLIN(R) | 4-1 | W | -115 | 9 un | U | 6 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 1 | | 8/16/2015 | MILONE(L) | CLEVELAND | CARRASCO(R) | 4-1 | W | +120 | 7.5 un | U | 9 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 0 | | 8/17/2015 | GIBSON(R) | @ NY YANKEES | MITCHELL(R) | 7-8 | L | 145 | 9 un | O | 16 | 9 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 1 | | 8/18/2015 | PELFREY(R) | @ NY YANKEES | SABATHIA(L) | 4-8 | L | 130 | 9.5 un | O | 7 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 7 | 0 | | 8/19/2015 | SANTANA(R) | @ NY YANKEES | EOVALDI(R) | 3-4 | L | 155 | 9 un | U | 5 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 0 | | 8/20/2015 | DUFFEY(R) | @ BALTIMORE | GONZALEZ(R) | 15-2 | W | 155 | 8.5 ov | O | 18 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 8 | 1 | | 8/21/2015 | MILONE(L) | @ BALTIMORE | CHEN(L) | 4-3 | W | 150 | 8.5 un | U | 11 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | | 8/22/2015 | GIBSON(R) | @ BALTIMORE | TILLMAN(R) | 3-2 | W | 140 | 8.5 un | U | 7 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 0 | | 8/23/2015 | PELFREY(R) | @ BALTIMORE | GAUSMAN(R) | 4-3 | W | 160 | 8.5 ov | U | 7 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 12 | 3 | | 8/25/2015 | SANTANA(R) | @ TAMPA BAY | KARNS(R) | 11-7 | W | 130 | 7 un | O | 12 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 12 | 0 | | 8/26/2015 | DUFFEY(R) | @ TAMPA BAY | ARCHER(R) | 5-3 | W | 170 | 7 un | O | 13 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 1 | | 8/27/2015 | MILONE(L) | @ TAMPA BAY | SMYLY(L) | 4-5 | L | 120 | 7.5 un | O | 9 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 1 | | 8/28/2015 | GIBSON(R) | HOUSTON | KAZMIR(L) | 3-0 | W | +110 | 7.5 un | U | 3 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 0 | | 8/29/2015 | PELFREY(R) | HOUSTON | FIERS(R) | | | 8/30/2015 | SANTANA(R) | HOUSTON | MCCULLERS(R) | | | 9/1/2015 | DUFFEY(R) | CHI WHITE SOX | SALE(L) | | | 9/2/2015 | MILONE(L) | CHI WHITE SOX | RODON(L) | | | 9/3/2015 | GIBSON(R) | CHI WHITE SOX | DANKS(L) | | | 9/4/2015 | PELFREY(R) | @ HOUSTON | KAZMIR(L) | | | 9/5/2015 | | @ HOUSTON | | |
|
| |  | HOUSTON: HOUSTON (AP) - The Houston Astros moved out of the major league basement last season.
Now the question is whether Jose Altuve and his teammates are ready to contend this year or if they still need a couple of seasons to complete their rebuild and get back to the postseason.
Owner Jim Crane is confident the time is now.
''This is our year,'' he said, adding that their goal is to make the playoffs.
The Astros made a 19-game improvement in 2014 to win 70 games and snap a streak of three straight 100-loss seasons. They beefed up a bullpen that struggled last year and added more pop to a lineup that was fourth in the majors with 163 homers in 2014 in an attempt to take another step in 2015.
''These guys are all professional baseball players and they all want to win,'' general manager Jeff Luhnow said. ''We're not going to set any limitations on them. It's up to them at this point. We've done our work for the offseason.''
The Astros blew 25 saves last season, a statistic that troubled Crane more than any other number associated with his team. His first order of business this offseason was to bring in players to get that number down this year.
To that end, Houston added relievers Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek. Gregerson appeared in 72 games for the Athletics last season and posted a 2.12 ERA and Neshek saw action in 71 games for St. Louis in 2014 with a 1.87 ERA.
A lineup that already had power aplenty with Chris Carter, whose 37 homers tied for second in the majors last season, and George Springer, who hit 20 in just 78 games, now has more sluggers with the addition of Evan Gattis and Colby Rasmus. Gattis has hit 43 homers combined in his first two major league seasons and Rasmus has hit at least 22 home runs in two of the last three years.
That power is what excites first-year manager A.J. Hinch most about his team.
''We have a chance to be a dangerous lineup,'' Hinch said with a smile.
Some things to know about the 2015 Astros:
EXPECTATIONS FOR ALTUVE: Altuve became the first Astros player to win a batting title by hitting .341 last season. He set a team record with 225 hits, was third in the majors with 47 doubles, had 59 RBIs and tied for second in the league with 56 stolen bases.
So what does Luhnow expect the 24-year-old second baseman to do for an encore?
''He's going to be a .300 career hitter, which are few and far between,'' Luhnow said. ''So there's going to be years like with most of these great hitters where they hit .340 and years that they hit .305. In my mind Altuve is an elite major league hitter and we're going to see it year in and year out.''
SPRINGER'S SECOND YEAR: Springer, the 11th overall pick in the 2011 draft, hit .231 with 20 homers and 51 RBIs in 78 games as a rookie. He injured his left quadriceps on July 20 and he didn't play again. The Astros are eager to see what the right fielder can do in a full season.
''He's got a ton of potential,'' Hinch said. ''He's a dynamic player. He can do a lot of different things in a lot of different ways. Everybody sort of sits up in their seats when he comes up to bat. I think there's a chance for him to have impact in all (areas) of the game, which is hard to come by.''
CAN ROTATION BE CONSISTENT?: Dallas Keuchel (12-9, 2.93 ERA) and Collin McHugh (11-9, 2.73) had breakout seasons in 2014, but can they perform at that level in a second year to lead the rotation? Keuchel posted ERAs of over 5.00 in both of his first two seasons before being chosen this year's opening day starter with his work last year, and McHugh had ERAs of 7.59 and 10.04 in his first two years before his success in 2014.
ANOTHER NEW SKIPPER: Counting interim managers, Hinch is the seventh manager the Astros have had since 2009. He was hired just after last season following the firing of Bo Porter, who was let go near the end of his second season.
This is the second time the 40-year-old Hinch has led a team after he managed Arizona from May 2009 until July 2010, when he was fired after 31-48 start. He was the vice president of professional scouting for San Diego from 2010 until August. | | MINNESOTA: MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Paul Molitor was hired as Minnesota's new manager, bringing Hall of Fame membership and renowned intelligence and intuition to a team seeking a fresh start.
The Twins brought back one of their most popular players ever, Torii Hunter, to help solidify an unsettled outfield, mentor a fledgling team and hit a few home runs. They have collected plenty of promising young hitters, either slated for the opening day lineup or waiting in the minor league wings.
None of that will matter much if the starting pitching continues to wobble the way it has the last four seasons.
Phil Hughes had by most measures a career year, his first away from the New York Yankees, but his ability to match that is low on the list of 2015 goals. Ricky Nolasco needs to rebound from a terrible first season with the Twins. Ervin Santana must show he's worth that $55 million, four-year contract. Kyle Gibson has to reduce the times (five of 31 starts in 2014) he goes three innings or less and gives up six runs or more. The fifth spot winner, Trevor May, Tommy Milone or Mike Pelfrey, needs to keep it.
''We'd put up a couple good starts and somebody would get hurt or we'd take a step backward,'' said Hughes, whose 2014 season has been one of the few true success stories of the rotation since it unraveled in 2011. ''Every good team I've been on, it seems like the rotation gets on a roll.''
New pitching coach Neil Allen will have more impact on the staff than Molitor, but after 13 years under manager Ron Gardenhire the clubhouse has been naturally buzzing with excitement about the new boss.
''He's one of the smartest baseball people I've ever been around,'' first baseman Joe Mauer said.
As for Hunter? His presence was desired for more energy and stronger camaraderie.
''If there's no tension between players and you're comfortable with everyone, you're going to play better,'' closer Glen Perkins said. ''So that's chemistry, I guess. I think we've held it together as much as we can, as much as we've struggled.''
Here are some key angles to know about the Twins in 2015:
MAUER IMPROVEMENT
Mauer, soon to turn 32, will make $23 million each of the next four years. Injuries have limited him to an average of 116 games from 2011-14. His batting average hit a career-low .277 last season, and he had a career-most 96 strikeouts despite time lost to an oblique muscle injury.
The Twins haven't lost faith in their franchise player, the homegrown guy who was the first overall draft pick in 2001. Playing for Molitor, whom he grew up admiring as an alumnus of the same St. Paul high school, ought to help.
''He's healthy. I think he's anxious to prove that last year was just an aberration,'' general manager Terry Ryan said.
LINEUP FLEXIBILITY
Molitor has been touting his options at the top and in the middle of the order, with a team that quietly scored the third-most runs in the majors after the All-Star break last year and added an accomplished hitter in Hunter.
One decision is whether to bat Mauer third, where he was most of his career until Gardenhire began to bat him second often over the last two seasons.
With Hunter, Kennys Vargas, Trevor Plouffe and Oswaldo Arcia, Molitor has power to play with in the heart of the order. The downsides are Arcia's inconsistency, leadoff man Danny Santana being the only player with a 2014 average above .290 and an unsettled situation in center field.
''It's a small sample, our track record from last year, but it's something you can use as a foundation to see potentially how your offense can work. We're going to have depth, I think, all the way down to the bottom,'' Molitor said.
BULLPEN SHUFFLE
The Twins could return as few as three relievers to their roles from last season: Perkins, Casey Fien and Brian Duensing. Blaine Boyer and Tim Stauffer, from San Diego, were signed. At least one of the losers in the fifth starter competition was headed for the seven-man bullpen. Rule 5 draft pick J.R. Graham, who must be returned to Atlanta if he's not on the 25-man roster, has been pushing for a spot, too.
Reliever use will be one area in which Molitor's strategy could differ from that of Gardenhire.
''I want to get them out of a one-inning mentality. Not that they all have it, or don't want to pitch more. But we've talked a lot about some of those guys, trying to get two innings out of them here, if we can,'' Molitor said. |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER AL PREVIEW (HOUSTON-MINNESOTA) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Astros-Twins Preview* ======================
By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer
Houston (71-57) at Minnesota (65-62), 7:10 p.m. EDT
Mike Fiers got a much-deserved week off after becoming the first Houston pitcher in almost 22 years to throw a no-hitter.
After allowing no earned runs in his previous two starts, Fiers returns to the hill looking to help the visiting Astros keep the Minnesota Twins from continuing their surge Saturday night.
Until his career-high 134-pitch, no-hit performance last Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Fiers (6-9, 3.63 ERA) had never recorded a complete game in 58 starts over five seasons. Though six Astros combined for a no-hitter in June 2003, Fiers is the first individual in club history to accomplish that feat since the late Darryl Kile on Sept. 8, 1993.
Acquired from Milwaukee along with All-Star Carlos Gomez on July 30, Fiers also is the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter after switching teams in the same season since Jim Bibby in 1973.
"I have always thought of myself as a big league pitcher, and I thought of myself as being one to this point," Fiers said. "It's a dream to throw a no-hitter."
More importantly for the AL West-leading Astros (71-58), Fiers is 1-0 with an 0.43 ERA in three starts since he allowed six runs, seven hits and walked three over five innings in relief at Texas in his Houston debut Aug. 3.
"He might be unheralded and he might be under the radar or he might not be a household name, but you talk around the league and he's got plenty of double-digit punchout games," manager A.J. Hinch told MLB's official website. "He's been very, very effective the last couple of years."
Fiers certainly has been while going 1-1 with a 1.96 ERA in three starts against Minnesota (66-62), two of which have come this season.
It's uncertain if he will face rookie third baseman Miguel Sano, who sat Friday with a sore hamstring.
"I think it's been a gradual thing as far as I know," Twins manager Paul Molitor said of Sano, who he hopes will be available to DH on Saturday. "I hope it's day to day."
Sano is batting .289 with 12 homers and 38 RBIs in 47 games.
Without Sano, Minnesota managed three hits Friday but still won for the seventh time in eight games, 3-0. Eduardo Nunez clubbed a two-run homer for the Twins, who are one-half game behind Texas for the AL's second wild-card spot.
Houston also could be without its own impressive rookie if shortstop Carlos Correa misses a third consecutive game with his own hamstring issue. With a four-game lead in the West, however, the Astros have somewhat of a luxury to rest one of their top players.
"At this juncture of the season, he's too important, these games are too important," Hinch said. "There's no reason to risk furthering a little bit of soreness."
Jose Altuve is in the Astros' lineup, and batting .352 in 25 games this month. He's a lifetime .365 hitter in 12 games against the Twins, who hand the ball to Mike Pelfrey (6-7, 3.69).
Facing Houston for the first time since 2013, the right-hander is 1-0 with a 2.91 ERA in his last six starts. However, he lasted 4 2-3 innings while yielding three runs and nine hits during Sunday's 4-3, 12-inning victory at Baltimore.
Pelfrey is 4-2 with a 1.97 ERA in 11 home starts.
|
| | Last Updated: 4/16/2024 4:22:47 PM EST. |
|
|
| |
|