July 3, 2025 • 52 mins
Chris Gordy and Ross Villarreal broadcast from Pizza & Pints at Karbach Brewing discussing the Houston Astros latest wins in Colorado, and also the latest on Yordan Alvarez and his injury. The guys are also joined by MLB.com's Brian McTaggart talking all the latest on the Astros, and their recent run of success this season.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
Astros fans cheers, fucking Luckey.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to the Crawford Bucks caston Astros proudly pork for
you by Crawford Bach from Carbach Brewy.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
You're getting da bear.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Oh my goodness, the Crawford Bucks cast starts.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Now here we go.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Here's Chris, Gordy and Ross Via Real.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
The Astros in action in Colorado. They get the two
wins in two games. They have clinched the series. They
continue to rack up series wins, haven't lost the series
in over a month. They go for this sweep today
with Brandon Walter on the hill. They're minus two hundred
favorites in that one. But Gordy jord On setbacks. Everybody's
(00:57):
all upset. I'm seeing these, uh these pictures floating on
the internet of him getting on a plane coming back
to Houston. I don't know what to believe there, but
we'll see what happens with that. But the Astros just
keep winning ball games. They're fifty two to thirty four.
Unfortunately the Royals couldn't get it done for us last
night in Seattle, but seven games ahead of the Seattle Mariners.
(01:21):
I mean, with everything that's going on, they keep on winning.
They've won three in a row, They've won eight of
their last ten. Astros just keep on pulling up dubs.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
They do it. Look, I don't want to get overly excited.
It was the the Lowly Rockies who stink so horrible,
but sixteen hits. I mean that was basically as Cooper
Hummel and Shae Whitcombe and all these guys. Shae Whitcomb
hits his first big league.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Home run, Yeah, four hund and fifty feet.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
Cam Smith going getting three hits. I mean it was
basically the Space Cowboys are beating the Colorado Rockies. Now,
I will say Hunter Brown not his best outing of
the year, gives up a couple runs to the to
the Lowly Rockies, but but still continues to be awesome.
He's basically an automatic dub when he goes out there.
And credit Bennett Sussa too. On a night where you've
(02:11):
basically used Josh Hayter so much in the past week,
I want to say, WEX said something like, how many
saves is Hater having like the last week, it's like
five or six. Yeah, so it's something crazy. So anyway,
so Bennett Sussa comes in and he gets the job
done with a three run lead, but well ends up
being one of two run win but no Rocky stink
(02:36):
and you're able to a chance to go for a
sweep today.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Who's on the mound today?
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Walter?
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Okay, he's been. Look he's been a pleasant surprise. That's
a name that they basically picked up off the scrap heap,
and that dude's been awesome. Like I've been very impressed
with Bennett Sussa or with Brandon Walter. But you know, look,
win today because I just want to set up for
this weekend. Ross going the Dodger Stadium. It's it's a
tough place to play show. Hey, Tani, all those players
(03:05):
they got, Like I said it to Sean and uh
and Dan an hour ago. To me, my expectations for
that one is just don't get swept. I know how
great Basher has been playing, but it's it's Dodger Stadium.
In Dodger Stadium, July fourth weekend, there's gonna be a
ton of Dodger fans there. It's gonna be stupid boo
birds for Ald Tuvey and you know, Uh and later
(03:27):
and let's be Lance mccullors is going Friday. I mean,
I don't want to say I don't have confidence in them,
but I just it's one of those things where I
feel like, just win one of the three this weekend.
So that's why I feel like today's a must win.
Like today, I must win games, you know what I mean.
I'm not I'm not really said, but like if you
sweep the Rockies, Yeah, losing two out.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Of three at Dodger Stadium is more powerful.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
You don't feel a lot better.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Okay, I get you, but you know how I hate
that phrase, but yeah, you got McCall Was it mccullors.
Didn't he have a good start in Los Angeles? Like
after everything broke in twenty twenty? Was it or some
of the cardboard cutouts?
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Yeah? And uh okay was it then? I can't remember
because it.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Was it was it was when they were maybe it
was twenty one.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
The crowds came back.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Yeah, okay, and I think he was good, right. Didn't
he have a really good start there or something like that?
But I mean that was also.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Twenty was that at minute made with the cardboard cutouts
when Joe Kelly did the poudy face to Carlos Kore?
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Yeah, I'm thinking of maybe it was.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
But I was also a major injury and multiple setbacks
ago for Lance mcullor's junior, and he was not good
his last time out. But hopefully he can bounce back.
But then you've got Frommer on Saturday in Colton Gordon
on Sunday.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Yeah, August third, twenty twenty one, went at Dodger Stadium.
LANs mccullors went six and two third shutout innings with
nine strikeouts. Let's Gastros won that game three to nothing.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Okay, if you can just do that again, Okay, Like
I said, it's only was four years ago.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
So yeah, and Choeyo Tani was not a Dodger.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
So oh wow, Yeah he was a he was a
toiling with the angel.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
You just walk him when he could.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
I'd walk him, No, stack the bonds tree, dude, yeah,
walk him. So Freddie Freeman Mookie Bets can come up.
I don't know about all that, all right, So we
already got to get a break. That's how much fun
we're having here on The Matt Thomas Show with Ross.
Without Matt Thomas, Chris Gordy's here, we got to talk
about this weekend. Didn't even mention a couple of interesting
stats about why the Astros are where they are. There
(05:24):
are two big reasons. I'll give you those when we
come back. Phone lines are open if you want to
get in seven one three two one two five seven
ninety seven one three two, one two five seven ninety
We're with you from Pizza and Pints at Carbox Brewing.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Will be with you up until Astros on deck at
one o'clock. It's Chris Gordy.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
It's me Ross Vireo with the on Sports Talk seven
ninty your home for your Houston Astros Thomas Chris Gordy
here is here hanging out with me at Pizza and Pints.
It's effectively an extended edition of the Crawford Box cast,
which you can catch for free Gordy on the iHeart
radio app.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
That you can and we got plenty to get into
with the with the Houston Astros as get another win
man again. Hunter Brown improves to nine and three on
the season, goes six innings of two run ball, eight strikeouts,
one hundred and two pitches, Steven Okert with a clean inning,
kaylb Bord with a clean inning, Bennett Susso with it
(06:20):
gives up a run of the ninth, but no harder,
no foul. Astros went five to three last night, and
I mean, this is wild Ross. It's another Nastro's just
had a five game win streak that got snapped against
the Cups. Now they're on a three game win streak.
It feels like they've been on a lot of wind
streaks lately.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
It's it's nuts, yes, And as I mentioned going into
the break, two big reasons, of course, the bullpen. I mean,
it's just been great and we were so worried about
what's gonna what was it gonna be. Outside of Josh
Hater and Brian Abray, you and other guys have stepped up.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
You mentioned Bennett Susa getting.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Another save last night, and you had I mean even
Caleb Board, who hasn't been great. I mean he went
out there and had a one, two, three inning for you,
Steven okerd has been really good. You go up and
down the list of the relievers, and it's just been
one of the best bullpens in baseball. Another reason, how
about this.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
I heard.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Robert Ford I believe, or Steve Sparks mentioning it, or
maybe both of them on the broadcast last night.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
The Astros have won.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Ten out of ten of from ber Valdez's last ten starts,
and they have won seven in a row of Hunter
Brown's last seven starts, So seven in a row they've
won when Hunter Brown started ten in a row with
from Ervaldez. If you go back to May seventh, when
those two guys start, they are.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Eighteen and two.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Those guys have been bringing it, and I know, you know,
there's been a lot of question marks with those other
guys and the Colton Gordons and the Ryan Gusto's and
all that type of stuff. But eighteen and two in
the last twenty starts combined of from ber Valdez and
Hunter Brown, It's like, where would they be without those guys?
Where would they be without the bullpen? They certainly wouldn't
be anywhere close to they are. They're eighteen games above
(08:06):
five hundred now, seven games ahead of the Seattle.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
It's just crazy. I mean, it's it's it's nuts. So
that they're doing what they're doing again. You you're playing
the Colorado Rockies that just want.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
To yes, yes, yes, I mean.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
To sweep the Phillies. The way you did with dominant
pitching was incredible. To take two out of three against
a really good CUPS team was great. I mean, it's
wild ross when you look at the standings and see
they're just a game and a half back at Detroit,
who I believe split a double header yesterday for best
record in the American League. I'm just telling you right now,
(08:43):
when today, if they can take two out of three
against the Dodgers, that would be crazy.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
I think I think.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
They're gonna take two out of three against the Guardians
and two out of three against the Rangers. I think
there's a chance we're talking to the Astros in first
place in the American League go to the All Star BREAKO.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
You're getting with it now. I'm just saying I feel
like at some point, and.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
You know, people get mad at me when I'm not
one hundred percent blind Homer, but I just have to
tell you how I feel. I mean, at some point,
I mean, I guess we should just keep on enjoying
this ride while it's here. They did get sixteen hits yesterday,
but I mean, when you're going with I'm a walker
turning things around. He's got five hits in two games,
(09:28):
by the way, gut feeling hit already in two games
of the series. Jonathan Allen, I want to congratulate you.
You said Christian Walker was gonna have five hits in
the Colorado seas He's already got five hits that he
can go over today, and that's a dub for you.
I want to give you your props on that. So,
I mean it also is against Colorado pitching. So we'll
see what happens about Christian Walker turning the corner. But
(09:50):
I mean, Cooper Hummel Shay witham Mauricio du Bond in
this lineup. Diaz and Walker haven't been great all season long.
Thankful Esock Paradis continues to be good. But I mean,
you're going with Esock Paratus and Jake Myers as your leadoff.
What if I plopped you to like it a like
February first, and I would have been like, hey, Gordy,
(10:14):
right about the All Star break, it'll be Paradus, Myers,
al Tuove Cam Smith as the top four of the
Astros lineup, and you'd be like, oh my god, how
many injuries did they have and how many games.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Under five hundred are they?
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Yeah, and here they are right now and they're holding
the glue together for sure, but I'm a little worried
about how long they can keep this up. I'll feel
a lot better if it's only gonna be a couple
of weeks for Jeremy Panha, which I mean sounds like
they're optimistic. And it is fortuitous in a way that
his rib injury, which is normally just a few weeks
(10:49):
for people about a month at the most, is gonna
happen with you. You get a little bit of a
buffer with that week of the All Star break, so that's.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Good and you can hold on till he comes back.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
But I'm really getting wary of this, uh, this Jordan
Alvarez situation and what's gonna happen then?
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Well, I said it was Sean and Dan earlier.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
I almost feel like he's on a side out of
mind right now, like I'm gonna I'm gonna play the
remaining whatever this season as if he's not coming back. Now,
that's a little bit on Dana Brown coming up with
the approaching dead trade deadline to think that way as well,
to think what if if Jordon doesn't come back. Look,
they've already said they're in the market for a left
(11:29):
handed bat, so if you can get a left handed
bat will low pop. I mean I might almost. I'm
almost willing to give up an extra prospect.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Just to say.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
And then again, if Jordon does come back, it makes
this line up that much more dangerous. So again, like
that's how I kind of look at it. I'm almost like,
because here's the other thing. Ross we saw a month
of Jordan. He didn't look like Jordon. He was you know,
they they said he was playing for and he wasn't good.
So I almostly good. If I'm Joe Spot and if
(12:01):
I'm Dana Brown, I can't bring back yord On until
I know one hundred percent that he's ready to go.
Like he's got to be one hundred I don't want
I don't want seventy five percent on.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Yeah, but they've already said they already said that they
weren't gonna let him swing a bat until he was
one hundred percent. And then he started swinging a bat
and he had a setback. Man, It's it's crazy.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
Yeah, I just again, I'm I got him. This team
is good enough that like we can win without him.
I mean, you'd love to have him, don't get me wrong,
but I gotta I gotta. I gotta move on without
you mentally, just like we gotta. We gotta prepare this
team to win down the stretch.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
I'm not expecting him at all. I mean I don't need.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Yeah, day to day, you're seeing the lineup posted. I mean,
you're kind of numb to it at this point. We've
seen it for two months. Yeah, I don't ever see
the line up posed to be like, oh man, you
know we're done. Still out now you hurts again, hopefully.
Just what do you feel like a month? Yeah, I
don't know, but I'm gonna say I looked at a
couple of rib injuries. We talked about it on the show.
I think when it happened, or maybe it was two
Monday or Tuesday. It seems like about a month for everybody.
(13:02):
Last year, Cody Bellinger came back after two weeks, but
then he talked about how sore he was.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
When he was swinging. But Penya was saying he wasn't
sore when he was swinging. He was more sore when
he was throwing.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
So that'll be interesting and also we wonder you bring
it for a little bit. Yeah, I would think. I
think that's a good idea because what he's what you're
saying in what he said is that he was swinging,
he was okay. And also think about re injury as
a shortstop. I mean, who who on the baseball field
dives around more than a shortstop?
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Maybe a center fielder.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
I mean it's about the same and maybe more violent
diving around for a centerfielder. But the shortstop's got to
be diving around all over there. You're trying to cover
a lot of ground. I mean, there's a reason it's
the most premium defensive position on the field along with
center field because you're diving around. So I would be
kind of worried that he would get in some kind
of re injury there. So yeah, maybe a couple of
weeks he can dh That spot is obviously open, and
(13:55):
that has given a lot of flexibility to Joe. A
spotty you don't want yord On out, but he's been
able to put a bunch of different guys there. You
had Shay Wickham there last night because he's used to
hitting in the altitude in the PCL and he can
do that in Colorado, and then he did it last
night with that four hundred and fifty foot bomb.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
So hopefully a couple of weeks, maybe.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Some dhing and then Jeremy Painey can get back out
there at shortstop. Thankfully, Right now you have you have
Mauricio Dubon taking over that shortstop spot. But after that,
I mean, heaven forbid something happen to him. I don't
even know who'd be at shortstop. They put Jack Zach
short there for a couple innings last night.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
I mean, if something happened with through Bond and he
would be out for a little bit of time, I
think you would.
Speaker 5 (14:40):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
I think Bryce Matthews would have to get the call
up back in.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
He's in the top one hundred MLB pipeline just announced.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
He's going to be playing in the Futures Game coming up.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
He's in the Futures Game.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
He was there Minor Leaguer of the Month and he's
number ninety eight in the top one hundred prospects list.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
Oh, I gotta mention that too, and if we get
a chance, it might be worth replaying Wlex And I
had Cam's Smith on yesterday on the A team and he,
I mean, the kid is just light years ahead of
where we thought he would be. But I brought it
up to him I said, Cam, in another year, they
just announced the futures roster. I said, in another universe,
you're in the Astros organization and you're getting named to
(15:17):
the futures game. Yeah, and we're talking about and excited
about the future of Cam Smith one day being an Astro. Instead,
this dude makes the opening day roster. Yes, and what
batted three hundred basically this past month.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Yeah, he's I mean even his overall numbers right now.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
He's batting clean up a rookie, a guy a year ago.
The College World Series just wrapped up. A year ago,
he was playing for Florida State in the College World Series,
and now he's batting clean up for the Houston Astros,
who als leading Houston Astros second best record in the
American League.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Houston Astros. It's just crazy to me.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
You know, people talk about like applying for jobs they're
not qualified for and then they just learn on the job. Now,
hors Camp Smith was qualified, but I.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Mean he was.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
It was it was a rush job, and it took
him a little while and he he was a little
bit slow to start the first I don't know month,
but man, he's he has been spectacular this last month
of the season, like you said, and the numbers are great,
and the numbers bear it out. He's been great in
right field from the get go. We were wondering how
he was going to be there kids a phenom, and
as you said, you were talking to him, and I
(16:23):
heard some of that interview as well, and I've heard
him talking to the media. He just sounds wise beyond
his years. That's part of the reason the Astros did
get him up to the major leagues because they knew
he'd be able to take the lumps and take it mentally,
as it's a mental battle just as much as as
a physical battle, especially for position players and especially for
someone learning a new position. And then the cat and
(16:44):
mouse game of the of going up against the best
pitchers on the planet.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
Great.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
Did you hear Joe spot To say he doesn't have
bat at bats? Yeah, Like that's what's so crazy is
last night, Uh, his third hit, it was like this
pitch he goes up and gets and hits it so
hard at the shortstop that he can't even handle it
and go it bounces in the center field like he
just man, he puts up good at bats.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Yeah, he Uh, let's see. Oh, man, it just popped away.
I had the last last.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Twenty games, he's been hitting three seventy two with one
thousand ops with four home runs. So he's got seven
home runs on the season, but four of them have
come in the last twenty games.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
He is really starting to.
Speaker 4 (17:25):
When we come back. Uh, there was a moment last night.
I was very scared for you me.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Yes, oh okay, I think I know where you're going
with this. We'll talk about it when we come back.
Look at Chris Gordy with the professional radio teas. He
is here, Matt Thomas is not. We are at Pizza
and Pints. It opens up at eleven o'clock. We should
have some tickets to give away if you want to come,
say hello. But even if we don't, we got hot pizza,
they got cold beer as well. We're here at Carbock
(17:51):
Brewing and Pizza and Pints. You want to get in
the phone lines, you can seven to one to three,
two one two, five seven ninety. I say, reason number
one the Astros are where they are is the bullpen.
Reason number two is Hunter Brown and from er Valdez,
what say you?
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Congratulations to the.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
Al Pitcher of the Month for June that would be
Hunter Brown, well deserved. Of course, he has been fantastic
And it would kind of touch on this briefly, Gordy
when we were recapping the game last night, Astros win
five to three, fifty two and thirty four on the season. Now,
but to me, there was a game I'd have to
(18:33):
pull up the game logs last year. I'm not exactly
sure where it was where he was struggling. Now last night,
it was his curveball that it was just unfortunately not
spinning in the altitude.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
He talked about it.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
He was asked directly, why do you think the curveball
wasn't effective, and he just flat out said.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
It was the altitude.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
And so what happened was he just started throwing a
bunch of gas and he threw his hardest pitch that
he's thrown all year now in his career, and he's
been he's talked about trying to hit triple digits, but
ninety nine point eight miles per hour on a fastball.
And it happened in a start in the middle of
last year when he was turning things around where he
(19:12):
didn't have his best stuff and he's still put in
a quality start. It was like six innings a shutout
or one run ball or something. And then the last
night against Colorado, again we do have to keep throwing
in the qualifier, like you say, it was the Colorado Rockies.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
But to be.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Effective at altitude, you gotta ditch the curve ball.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
You gotta figure something out.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
That's a stuff where you don't have it because you're
gonna go out there twenty five thirty times a year
and you're not gonna have your best stuff twenty five
thirty times. So Hunter Brown still able to be effected
the six innings, two runs given up, eight strikeouts, a
quality start, having to ditch some of his breaking stuff
and still getting it done.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
That is the mark of an ace.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
It is. And yeah, it's funny with the qualifier in there.
That's like a few weeks where Let's of Colors had
what the twelve strikeouts and I kept saying, it's Oakland,
A's okay, like sacrament but also it was good, but
you know, you got to say who it was against.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
But yeah, but the A's have a well, okay, their
team ops is like top ten, but that's also because
the ball flies out in Sacramento.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
But yeah, but go ahead, Brent Rooker has been very good.
But no, it's again. It was a great night for
for Hunter. Brown gets his ninth win. Crazy to think
he could have ten wins going into the All Star break.
I mean a twenty win was the last aster's twenty win.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Uh pitcher, Uh okay, I'm gonna try to do this
without looking up the last twenty game winner. I did
when in nineteen when Cole and and Verlander finished one
to two.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
Did I think Verlander just got there and Cole didn't.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Yeah, we'll have to look it up.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
But regardless, Uh, pitching's been all been been outstanding.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
But I was scared for you at one point last night.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
I'm sorry the other way around.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Verlander got there and cold it and I think, let
me looktchall go ahead.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
Sorry, when Jake Myers took one two, I mean he
turned his back and it almost like I was like,
please only hit him in the ribs. Please don't let
this be the same exact thing that happened to Je Pavia.
It was like, luckily he stayed in the game and
was able to, you know, play well, so but it.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Was a little scary there. Yeah, it was scary. He
stayed in the game. We'll see if we hear anything.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
As far as a follow up, because sometimes guys do
stay in games. You've got the adrenaline, there's not as
much swelling. You give it a day and maybe some
swelling will pop up. It also is a day game,
so it's a quick turnaround, So that's certainly something I
would say that I'm keeping an eye on for the
lineup today as far as I mean, we know a
lot of the guys that are already going to be out,
(21:51):
but with Jake Myers getting hit yesterday, I'll be curious
to see and we should know within the next couple
of hours here when the lineup should be posted. If
Jake Myers is going to be in that lineup because
he was hit by that pitch, did stay in the game,
but who knows.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
Swelling could go up. And it's almost like the way
that things.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Have been going with the Astros at this point, I'm
almost expecting another injury. It seems like it's happening every
day at this point. Dude, you're dropping life like flies.
It's ridiculous.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
Yeah, yeah, twenty nineteen was what we were thinking of
justin Verland with twenty one wins. Garrett Cole with twenty
so they both both did twenty win and they both
I mean if there was any year where you should
have two cy youngs, I mean they both.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Deserved it that year.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Yeah, they finished one too.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
It was pretty silly, but I mean that's how And yeah,
Wade Miley who went fourteen and six that season, Zach
Greenki who went eight and one. Brad Peacock got you
seven wins that year. Like, I mean, that pitching staff
was outstanding. And that's what's crazy to think it's this
staff when you look at twenty you know, the twenty
twenty five staff Hunter Brown fromber are so good. But
(22:59):
to have these other dudes stepping it. I mean, Brandon
freaking Walter and Colton Gordon, it's it's amazing they're getting it.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
They're getting by.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Yeah, Brandon Walter, Walter's numbers have been good. Uh, Gustos
took a little bit of a backseat. I think Colton
Gordon now he struggled a little bit and it was
Colorado and he was having some issues as well. And
everybody does his eras around like four fifty ishull of
four thirty seven or something like that. Yeah, let me
see four thirty seven, so they'll see then that's that's
(23:30):
kind of where that's kind of where I get worried, Gordy, like,
is the other shoe gonna drop? With all this stuff
that keeps happening, and how how how are they gonna
keep this toget?
Speaker 4 (23:39):
Well, we saw it a little bit that Cub series
or I mean mccullar's got blown up.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Yeah, I'm worried about that.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
There was well, but but in all honesty though, what
was the channeler room tweet? He was dreadful against the eight,
the Reds and the Cubs. Yeah, but all the other
games he's pitched, he had a two fifty nine era
like he's been good. Yeah, he's been good, Like you
can't left those two blow ups overshadowed all the goodies brought.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
He's still been getting a ton of swing and miss. Also,
two all three of the home runs that were hit
in that game were not a home run.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
In fifteen or more ballparks. I think it was thirteen.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
It was like one that was like a true Crawford box,
like literally like out of one ballpark, and it was
it was dyiking, And then one was the the Kyle
Tucker one was out of like seven ballparks, I think.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
So if you wanna go half glass, half.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
Full, even if the glass is only like forty percent full,
I'm gonna do that. I mean, I've been on mculler's
island this whole season. I ain't hopping off right now.
We'll see what happens though. Should be an electric atmosphere
at Dodger Stadium tomorrow.
Speaker 4 (24:43):
And Colton Gordon, you know, last time out on Tuesday
was his first, his first kind of hiccup of a start.
It was the first start he couldn't get through five
elvis like last one, two, three, four, five, six, seven starts.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Yeah, no, he came one out, shy.
Speaker 4 (25:00):
That's pretty crazy that you had seven straight starts that
Colton Gordon gave you five innings of basically two run ball,
and this one was four runs in four and two third.
But even that you still won the game. So, like,
that's what's crazy about it is bullpen. It was bull
It was a game where Colton Gordon didn't have his
best and you still got the win.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
Yeah, that's that's where the bullpen has been factoring, and
they have been excellent all year long. Besides that one,
we can get it against Tampa Bay, and a lot
of that was Forrest Whitley giving up a ton of
runs and now he's off the team, and I think
he's off the Rays now too, So bullpen excellent. And
then of course Hunter Brown and Farber Valdez had been huge.
They've won eighteen of the last twenty starts by those two,
(25:41):
ten of Frombers, eight out of ten of Hunter Brown.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
At Carbock Growing, it opens in ten minutes, recording wood.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Fired pizza, cold Bruskis if you're into that kind of thing,
really good Bruskies as well. Of course always the ice
cold and refreshing Crawford is a fine choice.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
Yeah, and uh, by the way, very quick.
Speaker 4 (26:05):
They've got like the screens up here where you can
do like the self order, so you can come in,
tap in your order, pay and boom they'll have it
to your super quick. So if you just want to
come do a pick up, if you don't want to
eat here, you want to grab and go.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
Super easy to do that over here at a Pizza
and Pintes.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
So we also have some giveaways.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
We got some koozies, we've got some backpacks, we got
a Sports Talk seven and eighty T shirt.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
Got what are these tech We got some Texans.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Like yeahlers, we got some battle red tumblers, some Astros
cups across the cup.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
Uh huh.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
So yeah, some good stuff out here.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Yeah, make sure you come by and you say hi.
And what are we gonna hear about those.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
Astros tickets they were giving away?
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Oh wait, well, we're waiting till we have We're waiting
to hear back. Okay, I don't want to make any
false promises.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
Oh, we're supposed to have some uh tickets.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
At some point we'll be giving away some Astros tickets.
Here on the program, we are at pizza and Pints
until one forty pm. We're going to Astros on deck
mode at one o'clock. You got the Astros in the
Rockies at two ten, Astros going for a sweep. They
continue to play well. The bullpen continues to do their thing.
(27:12):
And we mentioned Bennett's so Susa picking up. I mean
we he was like good at the end of what
twenty three when he had showed up and kind of
came out of nowhere for the Astros, and then and
then he was hurt and then he was hurt. He
had I think it was thoracic outlet surgery, whatever that is.
And then he's been back in this year twenty six games,
(27:34):
two to zero, three saves, one point nine to five
e RA and point eighty seven whip. You think Dusty
Baker's like, Okay, now you got all these lefties?
Speaker 4 (27:44):
What's the deal?
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Okert hater Susa? Who else I'm missing? Brian King?
Speaker 2 (27:51):
It's like, all it's all lefties all the time out
of the bullpen. And he was like, can you just
please give me give me one lefty?
Speaker 4 (27:58):
Please?
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Who is this guy?
Speaker 2 (27:59):
He loved Brooks Raley. Yeah, one lefty besides Brooks Railey.
Were like, oh my god, here comes Brooks Raleigh. Because
Dusty was old school and he would just go platoon lefty,
righty no matter what.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
And I mean it was Brooks Raley season and we
weren't usually too happy about it.
Speaker 4 (28:16):
Well, and and I want to be fair too for
all the people that were a year ago at this time,
We're going, I bet you wish you had Dusty. Now
we gotta give we gotta give Joe a spot of
his credit. Esta has been awesome as a manager.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Yeah, where's uh, where's fire?
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Joe?
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Spot of guy?
Speaker 2 (28:32):
I haven't seen How's How's fire? Joe spotted guy going
and that was to give us a call seven one ninety.
Speaker 4 (28:37):
That wasn't exclusive to Dusty. That was I mean, there
were there were people who when Dusty struggled.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
Yeah, you should have kept now you should have only
let Hinch be suspended for a year and kept.
Speaker 4 (28:50):
Him well as he has the best record in the
American leag It's true, you know, j.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
Hench is very good, But I mean, I'm gonna I'm
gonna steak in insistant until I hit the grave.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
Especially when it comes to baseball, it's the players. Joe A.
Spotta can go to Bennett's SUSA and he's been.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Great and he can find the right pockets of the
lineup for him, but he's also got to go out
there and perform. And people were calling for a spot
as firing earlier in the season. Right there, he keeps
going to Louise Contreres. It's like he didn't have any
other options in the bullpen. A bunch of people were hurt,
not ready to start the season.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
I mean, it is what it is. So I like
Joe Spotta.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
I think his number one job is to keep the
guys motivated to play, keep it light and then put
them in positions to succeed. He's done that, but from
there it's like you just got to let them go
out there and spread their wings and fly, all right,
And they've been doing that and they've been really good,
and Joe Spott is doing a good job.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
But I mean it's down to the players in this
bullpen as well.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
Do we want to talk about Matthew Oaklam.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Matthew Oklam o quenn oh oh quam. Yes.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
I was gonna bring that up at the start of
next hour, so he yes, we will. Uh, we'll talk
about that in a couple of minutes. Uh what Gordy
is referencing, I was talking about it earlier.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
Internet rumors, believe them or not.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
That's what we are going to have to try and
figure out, because yes, this is something that was sent
to me. It was sent to a lot of people
around Houston, and now even other listeners are getting in
on the act. So we will break that down when
we come back. But that is going to do it
for our number one of the Matt Thomas Show with
(30:39):
Ross Without Matt Thomas, he is out volleyball dadding harder
than anyone has volleyball Dad in Dallas.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Chris Gordy is here with me. We are at Pizza
and Pints. They open up in a couple of minutes.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
If you guys want to come by and say hello,
phone lines are open at seven to one three two
one two five seven ninety seven one three two one
two five seven ninety The Astros Internet rumor that is
taking the Astros Twitter sphere by storm to broadcast live
from a Pizza and Pints Carbrock Brewing. The doors opening up.
(31:13):
If you want to come by and say hello, you
could do that. As I said, Matt Thomas is out,
Chris Cordy is with me, and I gotta be honest.
I was like in Friday holiday mode, so I didn't
tease this properly, but we have, of course the regular
Thursday guest, Brian McTaggart of astros dot com, MLB dot com,
our weekly Thursday guest here at eleven o'clock. Brian appreciate
(31:35):
the time as always. Let's go ahead and start with
the picture of the month. We were talking about this earlier.
To me, one of the big marks of an ACE
is you don't have your best stuff. You gotta ditch
a pitch and figure things out. That's what Hunter Brown
did yesterday with the curveball in Denver. He is a
bona fide ace.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
Yeah, I don't think there's any doubt.
Speaker 5 (31:56):
I mean, he came into that start leading the major
leagues and era Phony Savage, which is pretty incredible. But yeah,
he admitted after the game, you know, his curve ball
wasn't performing like it should have been just because of
the altitude, so he sort of had to change things
a little bit on the fly through the change up
a little bit more.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
But you know, he was solid.
Speaker 5 (32:17):
I mean, he was a ninety something pitch I think
ninety one pitches. After the fifth inning, they went back out,
got them through six, which is really important because they
were without a couple of their key bullpen guys, and
picked up his first win since June first.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
So it looks like to me he's probably headed the
All Star Game as well. He should be.
Speaker 4 (32:36):
What's crazy to me, Brian, it's how this team is
able to do this night in a night out that
even when some of their pitchers don't have their best stuff.
You know, we saw it from Colton Gordon the other night.
It was first start and I think seven starts where
he wasn't able to go full five and gave up
four and runs he yet the askers still find a
way to win.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
It's it's crazy.
Speaker 4 (32:55):
I mean, obviously, when you have the two front end
starters in Fromber and Hunter doing their things is awesome.
But I'm just I'm wild about what they're getting out
of these other guys. And we're gonna get to see
Brandon Walter go today. But I mean, that's that's the
guy we had. His name wasn't even on the radar
a few months ago, and it's like he's come out
of nowhere and been great for him. It's it's pretty
shocking how they're they're getting this thing done right.
Speaker 5 (33:19):
It is. I mean, and then you know they call
up Jason Alexander h another guy no one knows anything
about it.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
He pitches really well.
Speaker 5 (33:26):
You know, uh, you know, big props for their pitching
coaches for getting these guys ready. I mean, every one
of these guys when they pitted the no name guys,
you know, I say no name and not the household
name guys. When they pitched even like you said, even
when they're they're not great, they're they're keeping the team
in the game, and you know, give them five innings
and hand the ball over to that bullpen and you
know it's shut down time.
Speaker 1 (33:46):
So can they keep this up here over the final
uh three months? You know, who knows.
Speaker 5 (33:51):
But the good news for the Astros is they should
be getting a lot of you know, they're at least
some of their starters back healthy and uh, you know,
guys like Saraghetti will be back. You know, Javier seems
like he's trending towards coming back, and all of a
sudden you got starting pitching depth. So that'll be a
good problem to have if they can get there.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
Brian McTaggart with us here on Sports Talk seven nine,
and of course, Brian, the big story overall this week
has been the yord On Alvarez saga, and it seems
to unfortunately keep popping up with the Astros and they're
handling of things and the medical staff and all that
type of stuff. Of course, we know a lot of
the fans are upset and all that, but just your perspective,
I mean, it does seem to me like a lot
(34:32):
of this is some bad luck. But at what point
do you say, is this just too much to be
a coincidence. Just what do you think about the way
that things have been handled with the Astros and some
of these injuries and then the latest with the jord
On Alvarez.
Speaker 5 (34:47):
Yeah, well, there's been a lot of pitching injuries around
the league. I mean, Astros, I think our third with
the most il days. So there's a couple of teams
ahead of them in that regard to Dodgers or one
of them. So have a bunch of pitchers on the
io not ideal, but you know, some other teams are
going through the same thing. The Alvarett situation, yeah, has
got to be frustrating because that's twice now that they
(35:09):
were close and then he had a setback.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
You know, I will say it's not like they were
pushing him when they didn't think he was ready. By everything,
they by everything that.
Speaker 5 (35:18):
You know, all the information they had, especially the last
time they thought that he was close, and you know,
Dana Brown said Monday they were thinking about flying him
to LA this weekend, and then he came in you know,
Tuesday after taking some swings and the hand was sore again.
I mean, I think we'll probably get an update on
Alvarez today in Denver. I mean I'm in the press
(35:39):
box right now at Curse Field, so it'll be in
the clubhouse here in a few minutes. So hopefully within
the next hour, maybe Joe Spot or Dana Browner is
here can give us an update to see what's next
for him. But it certainly appears like the Astros might
be without Alvarez for a little while. But hey, they've
been without him for two months and they just keep
on trucking. So the the bigger thing I think in
(36:01):
the short term is getting Penya back and putting him
back at the top of the lineup because they really
miss him as well.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
It's uh, it's crazy too bright with the injury to
Jeremy Pina. I mean, we keep looking and saying, how
many more injuries can they overcome? And you know, Jake
Myers gets hit on the side last night. I think
we all kind of breathe a little bit, you know,
paused a little bit, going oh my god, not another one.
But luckily he stayed in the game. But I mean
it does if you're Dana brown I mean, he's been
(36:31):
preaching for the last couple of weeks. You know, we're
looking at a left handed bat, left handed bet, left
handed bet. I just almost wonder the approach if yourdon
is going to be out a significant amount of time,
which it just feels that way, I mean, does that
maybe escalate them a little bit more here at the
deadline to say, you know what, we have to get
a bat regardless.
Speaker 5 (36:50):
Yeah, Dane, we asked Dana about that the other day
and he said the go down injury really doesn't change
their thoughts to the trade deadline. They He's been on
record saying they need a left handed bat. The urgency
is there and it still is. So I think it's
pretty safe to say they're going to get some kind
of bat to add to this lineup. The left handed bat.
They're not going to replace Jordan Albarez for sure, but
(37:11):
they definitely I think they're nineteenth and runs per game,
so they definitely could use just another, you know, another
capable bat in there, especially one that can bat from
the left side, because even though they they've called up
some guys here they can hit left handed in the
last couple of weeks, guys like Hubble, but they're still
very much right handed when it comes to the core
(37:31):
guys in the lineup. So they will add a left
handed bat it to the deadline, I'm pretty sure.
Speaker 1 (37:36):
What do you feel about the pitching side.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
I think it's kind of a tough situation because you've
got all these guys who are coming back or look
like they're on track to come back, but then it's
kind of an unknown thing as far as setbacks or
new injuries popping up, and the deadline now being four
weeks away from today.
Speaker 5 (37:55):
Yeah, I think if they don't have any more injuries
to their pitchers and they feel confident, they're gonna get
rig Getty back, and I think he would be the
first one to come back. And he's still only throwing bullpens,
but you know, he's completely healthy.
Speaker 4 (38:07):
He's just on it.
Speaker 5 (38:08):
He's just building up right now like he's at spring training,
so he will be back. I think Javier's pretty far
down the road as well. I mean, I have to
take a little bit of that with a little bit
of caution because some of these guys have suffered setbacks.
But if they can get ri Getty and another one
of these other rehabbing pitchers back at the end of
July early August, really no need to go get a
(38:29):
starting pitcher. I mean the starting pitcher is gonna cost you,
you know what, three prospects last year at KAKUCI, so
the price on those is pretty high. And they have
six on my als and for them are deep in
rehabs in Florida. So I don't think the urgency is
there for starting pitching. I think offense is definitely where
they need to bolster the lineup well.
Speaker 4 (38:50):
And I almost wonder too though, Brian, like if you're
getting a bat or you're getting an arm, I almost
think you want to go rental as opposed to a
guy who would have multiple years of team controlled because
all these injured guys are gonna be back next year.
Presumably you know, the Tommy Young guys won't be back
at the start of the season. But like I just
when you get back fully healthy. I mean, you know,
(39:11):
in a perfect world, you don't have any open positions
position wise and all that kind of stuff. So unless
it's like a pure upgrade where it's a guy, are
we got three more years of control or whatever, I
almost think it'd be easier to go rental and and
easier to part with maybe a middle tier prospect for
our guy who's a rental.
Speaker 5 (39:29):
Yeah, I think You're absolutely right. I mean, I don't
think think they're gonna get anybody. I think they're gonna
trade for a bat who they're you know, they're gonna
plug into the lineup for the.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
Next three or four years.
Speaker 5 (39:37):
It's gonna be a guy who can you know, hit
six or seventh, or you know, someone's getting a day off,
can hit second, you know, just give you another bat
from the left side. It's gonna be have to be
somebody with some positional versatility, just with the way this
roster's set up, and like you said, some guys are
coming back off injury. Maybe someone that can play second
in outfield or or maybe first an outfield.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
But uh yeah, I mean I certainly agree with you.
Speaker 5 (40:03):
I think it'll be someone, you know, like a you know,
a Trey Man SEENI who's only here for a couple
of months and you know, you hope to catch lightning
in a bottle.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
Brian McTaggart Astros dot com, MLB dot Com with us
here on Sports Talk seven ninety jose L two a
passing Jeff Bagwell last night on the Astros All Time
hit List.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
You've obviously been there covering his career. I mean just
we just did you love on jose L Twove? What
it's been like?
Speaker 2 (40:30):
And I think, to me personally, uh, the the hand
eye coordination impresses me the most about him.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
What about you? And what is it's been like following him?
And just an all time astros?
Speaker 3 (40:42):
Great?
Speaker 5 (40:44):
Yeah, he's got the best back to ball skills that
I that I've seen just daily close up. I mean,
you know, I didn't get a chance to see in
person anyway Wade Bogs or Tony Gwinn, but just seeing
how twove every day, his back to ball skills are
just super elite. And the thing that stands up for
me also is just how clutch it is. I mean,
look at his postseason numbers. Uh, they speak for themselves.
(41:04):
But even last night, like the hit to pass bagwell, uh,
first pitch to run single up the middle. I mean
that you know that that hit won the game. I
mean that that's a huge hit in the grand scheme
of things, and and that's just what he does. And
I know that his numbers have declined a little bit,
but I think the question now becomes can he get
to three thousand hits? I mean I think he has
(41:26):
a really good shot. I was able to top the
Bagwell during the game yesterday, and and I thought it
was it was funny after the game all too, they
said Bagwell text him all the time about his swing
and if he if he takes a bad swing, Bagwell
text him says, what the heck was that? So, uh,
there's not very there's not very many people that can
criticize Jose Altube, but Bagwell is one of them. And
(41:47):
you know, he's now passed him on the hits list,
So he's got some work to do to get to Bigio.
But uh, I would not doubt that he's gonna get
to three thousand and and and pass Bigeo here in
the next four or five years.
Speaker 3 (41:59):
Tucker to Brian McCay and Brian no Wan to overlooked
today's game.
Speaker 4 (42:02):
Obviously, the Astros go for a sweep against the Rockies
today this afternoon. You'll hear that right here on seven ninety.
But looking a little bit ahead to this weekend, going
out to Dodger Stadium July fourth weekend, it's gonna be
a heck of a series. I'm sure you'll have a
lot of celebrities out there and that sort of thing,
but a big star for Lance mccullor's coming this Fridays.
He wants to balance back from that outing against the Cubs.
(42:23):
But what's crazy, Brian. The last two times Lance mccullors
has pitched at out there at Dodger Stadium. Last time
was August third, twenty twenty one, in a regular season
game where he went six and two third shutout innings.
Astra Was won that game three to nothing. And then
I believe the time before that was Game seven of
the World Series in twenty seventeen. So it's a place
(42:43):
mccullus has had success. But you know, you just look
at that daunting Dodger lineup and say, God, it's gonna
be a tough test.
Speaker 5 (42:51):
Yeah, very tough test. And you know Lance's is coming off,
you know, a start that wasn't great, you know, his
first start off the IL. So but you know, Lance's
a competitor, and I guarantee you he's probably gonna be
froth them at the mouth for this chance to go
out there and pitch it at Dodger Stadium. Yeah, he
did start Game seven and twenty seventeen, didn't pitch deep
in that game.
Speaker 1 (43:09):
Also had an RBI in that game. If people don't remember.
It was kind of a It was kind of a
crazy game.
Speaker 5 (43:14):
But yeah, I mean, if they can go to Dodger
Stadium and win that series, then Dan, I mean, I
think they got a chance maybe to get the number
one seed in the American League. I mean, even if
they go to Dodger Stadium and don't win the series,
not the end of the world. The Dodgers are really good.
They're really good at home. Astros was shorthanded. It's gonna
be a really tough series for sure. But they do
(43:35):
have from Barvaldez though on in one of those games,
and they've won what ten consecutive starts he's pitched, So
if they can win his start and scratch out another
win somewhere and come home after a good road trip
in good shape. Here a week out from the All
Star break.
Speaker 2 (43:50):
Brian McTaggart astros dot Com with us here on Sports
Talk seven. Honey, we appreciate the time as always, Brian.
Speaker 1 (43:55):
Let the folks know what you got up at the website.
Speaker 3 (43:59):
Yeah, I cool stuff up there.
Speaker 5 (44:02):
Like I said, taught to Bagwell last night. Have a
story on Bagwell and al two by sort of talking
about each other as they pass as al two Bay
passes him on the hits list.
Speaker 3 (44:11):
A A. A.
Speaker 5 (44:11):
Redditt Ama yesterday asked me anything and I had to
transcribe to that on the website as well, So check
that out.
Speaker 2 (44:18):
Okay, what was the craziest question you got or answered
the craziest question you answered?
Speaker 1 (44:23):
How about both? The craziest question you got in the
craziest one you answered? Uh.
Speaker 5 (44:28):
Somebody asked me about my how I got started in journalism.
I didn't answer because I don't think anybody cares. And
other than that, they were all pretty straightforward. Someone asked
my favorite Astros player to cover of all time, and
I said Lance Berk.
Speaker 4 (44:41):
Of course.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
So oh, okay, all right, well, thank you, Brian. Will
check that out at astros dot compresiate and.
Speaker 3 (44:46):
Get the Astros Beat emails sent right to your email.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
Newsletter, Baby's It's great.
Speaker 5 (44:51):
Newsletter came out yesterday or the day but I can't remember,
But another one is coming out Saturday. That's gonna I
did an interview with Bryce Matthews talking about his program
and the Futures game coming up, so that'll be in
your inbox Saturday.
Speaker 2 (45:03):
Wow, you're you're officially the hardest working Beat reporter on
the ASTROS beat.
Speaker 5 (45:08):
All right, I'll take it out of the three, and
I'm one of three.
Speaker 1 (45:13):
Thanks bright, We'll touch.
Speaker 2 (45:17):
Appreciate it. Brian mcdaggery great stuff with him as always,
and we have a lengthy update. We're gonna have to
parse through a lot here. Gordy On, yord On Alvarez
and his hand. We are out at the Pizza and
Pints at Carbock Brewing. Appreciate a couple of you guys
come out, Carlos, Steve, others have come by. Appreciate all
(45:39):
of them. We've got some good prizes for it. If
you want to come by, say hello, we're here at
Pizza and Pints.
Speaker 1 (45:44):
Uh Steven.
Speaker 2 (45:45):
We will get to you in just a moment, but
we have to get to this. Yord On update put
out by the Astros. All right, let's get this started. Cordy,
yord On Alvarez and the ASTROS received some encouraging news
from a hand specialist that examined Alvarez's sore right hand
on Wednesday. As part of the examination, additional imaging was
(46:06):
done on his right hand, which revealed that the main
cause of his current pain is due to inflammation.
Speaker 1 (46:14):
I think that's good. Doesn't sound like a populigament, doesn't
sound like a fracture or anything like that. All right,
I continue on. The specialists also indicated that at this.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
Point in the recovery process, the small fracture that had
been sustained is now a non factor in the discomfort
that Alvarez is currently experiencing. So they're saying, no fracture
or the fracture is not what's causing him pain.
Speaker 3 (46:41):
So the fractures healed.
Speaker 1 (46:43):
That's what it sounds like they're trying to say without Also.
Speaker 3 (46:46):
We were a few weeks ago it was forty percent
and then it was sixty percent.
Speaker 1 (46:50):
Wouldn't they have said the fracture is fully healed in
this statement as well. They didn't say that.
Speaker 2 (46:54):
They tried to apply it without saying it, which is
giving me pause.
Speaker 3 (46:58):
The small fracture that had been is now a non factor.
Speaker 2 (47:02):
A non factor in the discomfort. That doesn't mean a
non factor in his recovery process, right, well, it might.
Speaker 4 (47:08):
Be like ninety five.
Speaker 1 (47:09):
I'm just saying there being a little dodgy. We've seen
this before.
Speaker 3 (47:14):
When saying it's a non factor.
Speaker 2 (47:16):
It's a non factor in the discomfort. They're saying it's
not the fracture that's hurt, which is healing properly. He's
hurt somewhere else, which I don't know, all right. As
a result of the examination, Alvarez received two injections in
his hand on Wednesday and will refrain from any activity
involving in his hand in the upcoming days. This was
(47:36):
not the first time that Alvarez had received injections in
his hands while on the injured list. All RIGHT specialists
also reviewed the multiple sets of imaging that had been
done previously on Alvarez's hand and concurred with the findings
of the ASTROS medical staffs and other hand specialists.
Speaker 1 (47:55):
So that's a little f you to some people. Why
they on these great doctors. They put at it on purpose,
of course.
Speaker 2 (48:01):
All RIGHT specialists also determined that the imaging done on
Wednesday were fueled that Alvarez's hand made noticeable progress when
compared to imaging done over the past several weeks. Prior
to Wednesday's MRI, the most recent imaging on Alvarez's hand
had indicated that the inflammation had been reduced. Alvarez began
to ramp up his baseball activity last week and was
able to take batting practice on the field Weld Saturday
(48:22):
with positive results. However, on Tuesday morning, he reported to
the medical staff the pain in his hand return, which
resulted in Wednesday's visit to the additional hand specialists. So
the key part of this is they're calling it encouraging.
They're saying that it's inflammation and not due to a fracture,
and certainly not due to some guy on the Internet
posting a picture of jord On and saying he's going to.
Speaker 1 (48:45):
Be out six weeks with a popped ligament.
Speaker 4 (48:47):
Well, Arman on Twitter said, you know, the Astors gave
Jordan a good talking to about talking to random dudes
on airplanes about your injury.
Speaker 2 (48:56):
Whether that's true or don though, I'm calling bs on
the whole thing. Still, I'm sorry Matthew that Jordan would
go and say, oh, my ligament popped them out in
six weeks.
Speaker 1 (49:06):
Don't believe it. I didn't believe it. I was more skeptical.
Speaker 2 (49:10):
And now after this they're not mentioning anything about a ligament.
Doesn't mention a timetable. Now it could turn out to
be true.
Speaker 1 (49:16):
The Astros have.
Speaker 2 (49:16):
Been dodgy with injuries stuff before. I understand, but this
sounds I'm gonna say it sounds pretty good. They use
the word encouraging. I'm gonna go with that, and they're
saying it's not the fracture of the turning them.
Speaker 3 (49:29):
We're gonna be I.
Speaker 1 (49:32):
What do you think?
Speaker 4 (49:34):
Yeah, I mean again, this is the official statement from
the team, and they are acting very positive about this.
If it were true that there was a ligament pop
or anything like that, I feel like they would have
alluded to that in this. Yeah. So, I mean it
starts with the astros and Jordon Alvarez received some encouraging
news from a hand specialist.
Speaker 1 (49:55):
Yeah on Wednesday.
Speaker 2 (49:58):
Okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna take them at their word
on that, and we're just gonna go from him.
Speaker 4 (50:05):
So what do you read it through that? Okay, so
they think as part of the examination on Wednesday, additional
imaging was done on his right hand, which revealed the
main cause of his current pain is due to inflammation,
and they indicated the small fracture and have been sustained
is now a non factor and a discomfort. So the
fractures healed, so he's just keep having what's causing inflammation?
Speaker 1 (50:28):
Then soreness, bruising. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (50:31):
I mean, this is just we also say that they've
said before that inflammation makes it harder to get good,
reliable imaging.
Speaker 4 (50:39):
Right.
Speaker 3 (50:40):
I just feel like this is we're in circles here.
Speaker 1 (50:43):
He doesn't say no fracture. I don't know, because remember.
Speaker 4 (50:45):
Even a few weeks back, when he was starting to
swing and all this, they were like, yeah, the problem
is it's just like he's he feels good, and then
he swings, and then the next day that it's the
inflammation pops up and he can't and he's got discomfort
in there. It's like, well, this is just gonna keep
lasting all season, like it's gonna be a circular thing here.
Speaker 2 (51:05):
Well, we'll see, we'll get the updates when we come
with him. I'm not gonna believe that that Jordan told
some stranger he popped the ligament in his hand.
Speaker 4 (51:11):
So and I feel like they would have put that
that news would have been in here if that were true.
Speaker 1 (51:19):
I agree, all right, Well.
Speaker 3 (51:21):
But they're basically saying that they determine.
Speaker 4 (51:23):
The imaging done on Wednesday revealed his hand has made
noticeable progress when compared to the imaging from a few
weeks ago.
Speaker 3 (51:30):
Okay, great, Then what's the setback? Why is there a setback?
Speaker 4 (51:35):
If this new imaging is like, oh no, he's actually
doing great, what's the setback?
Speaker 1 (51:39):
It's a setback.
Speaker 2 (51:40):
Is that he's hurt and that he's feeling discoming, he's discomforted, yeah.
Speaker 3 (51:45):
They said.
Speaker 4 (51:45):
On Tuesday, Alvaz reported the Astros the pain in his
hand had returned, which resulted in the next you know,
him seeing a handsbushos on Wednesday. But I just I
feel like I don't understand here, Like, okay, so he's
having pain, Yes, that's the setback. They said they're gonna
shut him down for they said a couple of days, right,
(52:06):
and
Speaker 1 (52:06):
So he's getting in he's got inflammation, a couple of
days he's shut down,
Astros fans cheers, fucking Luckey.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to the Crawford Bucks caston Astros proudly pork for
you by Crawford Bach from Carbach Brewy.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
You're getting da bear.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Oh my goodness, the Crawford Bucks cast starts.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Now here we go.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Here's Chris, Gordy and Ross Via Real.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
The Astros in action in Colorado. They get the two
wins in two games. They have clinched the series. They
continue to rack up series wins, haven't lost the series
in over a month. They go for this sweep today
with Brandon Walter on the hill. They're minus two hundred
favorites in that one. But Gordy jord On setbacks. Everybody's
(00:57):
all upset. I'm seeing these, uh these pictures floating on
the internet of him getting on a plane coming back
to Houston. I don't know what to believe there, but
we'll see what happens with that. But the Astros just
keep winning ball games. They're fifty two to thirty four.
Unfortunately the Royals couldn't get it done for us last
night in Seattle, but seven games ahead of the Seattle Mariners.
(01:21):
I mean, with everything that's going on, they keep on winning.
They've won three in a row, They've won eight of
their last ten. Astros just keep on pulling up dubs.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
They do it. Look, I don't want to get overly excited.
It was the the Lowly Rockies who stink so horrible,
but sixteen hits. I mean that was basically as Cooper
Hummel and Shae Whitcombe and all these guys. Shae Whitcomb
hits his first big league.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Home run, Yeah, four hund and fifty feet.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
Cam Smith going getting three hits. I mean it was
basically the Space Cowboys are beating the Colorado Rockies. Now,
I will say Hunter Brown not his best outing of
the year, gives up a couple runs to the to
the Lowly Rockies, but but still continues to be awesome.
He's basically an automatic dub when he goes out there.
And credit Bennett Sussa too. On a night where you've
(02:11):
basically used Josh Hayter so much in the past week,
I want to say, WEX said something like, how many
saves is Hater having like the last week, it's like
five or six. Yeah, so it's something crazy. So anyway,
so Bennett Sussa comes in and he gets the job
done with a three run lead, but well ends up
being one of two run win but no Rocky stink
(02:36):
and you're able to a chance to go for a
sweep today.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Who's on the mound today?
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Walter?
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Okay, he's been. Look he's been a pleasant surprise. That's
a name that they basically picked up off the scrap heap,
and that dude's been awesome. Like I've been very impressed
with Bennett Sussa or with Brandon Walter. But you know, look,
win today because I just want to set up for
this weekend. Ross going the Dodger Stadium. It's it's a
tough place to play show. Hey, Tani, all those players
(03:05):
they got, Like I said it to Sean and uh
and Dan an hour ago. To me, my expectations for
that one is just don't get swept. I know how
great Basher has been playing, but it's it's Dodger Stadium.
In Dodger Stadium, July fourth weekend, there's gonna be a
ton of Dodger fans there. It's gonna be stupid boo
birds for Ald Tuvey and you know, Uh and later
(03:27):
and let's be Lance mccullors is going Friday. I mean,
I don't want to say I don't have confidence in them,
but I just it's one of those things where I
feel like, just win one of the three this weekend.
So that's why I feel like today's a must win.
Like today, I must win games, you know what I mean.
I'm not I'm not really said, but like if you
sweep the Rockies, Yeah, losing two out.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Of three at Dodger Stadium is more powerful.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
You don't feel a lot better.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Okay, I get you, but you know how I hate
that phrase, but yeah, you got McCall Was it mccullors.
Didn't he have a good start in Los Angeles? Like
after everything broke in twenty twenty? Was it or some
of the cardboard cutouts?
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Yeah? And uh okay was it then? I can't remember
because it.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Was it was it was when they were maybe it
was twenty one.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
The crowds came back.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Yeah, okay, and I think he was good, right. Didn't
he have a really good start there or something like that?
But I mean that was also.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Twenty was that at minute made with the cardboard cutouts
when Joe Kelly did the poudy face to Carlos Kore?
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Yeah, I'm thinking of maybe it was.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
But I was also a major injury and multiple setbacks
ago for Lance mcullor's junior, and he was not good
his last time out. But hopefully he can bounce back.
But then you've got Frommer on Saturday in Colton Gordon
on Sunday.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Yeah, August third, twenty twenty one, went at Dodger Stadium.
LANs mccullors went six and two third shutout innings with
nine strikeouts. Let's Gastros won that game three to nothing.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Okay, if you can just do that again, Okay, Like
I said, it's only was four years ago.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
So yeah, and Choeyo Tani was not a Dodger.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
So oh wow, Yeah he was a he was a
toiling with the angel.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
You just walk him when he could.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
I'd walk him, No, stack the bonds tree, dude, yeah,
walk him. So Freddie Freeman Mookie Bets can come up.
I don't know about all that, all right, So we
already got to get a break. That's how much fun
we're having here on The Matt Thomas Show with Ross.
Without Matt Thomas, Chris Gordy's here, we got to talk
about this weekend. Didn't even mention a couple of interesting
stats about why the Astros are where they are. There
(05:24):
are two big reasons. I'll give you those when we
come back. Phone lines are open if you want to
get in seven one three two one two five seven
ninety seven one three two, one two five seven ninety
We're with you from Pizza and Pints at Carbox Brewing.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Will be with you up until Astros on deck at
one o'clock. It's Chris Gordy.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
It's me Ross Vireo with the on Sports Talk seven
ninty your home for your Houston Astros Thomas Chris Gordy
here is here hanging out with me at Pizza and Pints.
It's effectively an extended edition of the Crawford Box cast,
which you can catch for free Gordy on the iHeart
radio app.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
That you can and we got plenty to get into
with the with the Houston Astros as get another win
man again. Hunter Brown improves to nine and three on
the season, goes six innings of two run ball, eight strikeouts,
one hundred and two pitches, Steven Okert with a clean inning,
kaylb Bord with a clean inning, Bennett Susso with it
(06:20):
gives up a run of the ninth, but no harder,
no foul. Astros went five to three last night, and
I mean, this is wild Ross. It's another Nastro's just
had a five game win streak that got snapped against
the Cups. Now they're on a three game win streak.
It feels like they've been on a lot of wind
streaks lately.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
It's it's nuts, yes, And as I mentioned going into
the break, two big reasons, of course, the bullpen. I mean,
it's just been great and we were so worried about
what's gonna what was it gonna be. Outside of Josh
Hater and Brian Abray, you and other guys have stepped up.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
You mentioned Bennett Susa getting.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Another save last night, and you had I mean even
Caleb Board, who hasn't been great. I mean he went
out there and had a one, two, three inning for you,
Steven okerd has been really good. You go up and
down the list of the relievers, and it's just been
one of the best bullpens in baseball. Another reason, how
about this.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
I heard.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Robert Ford I believe, or Steve Sparks mentioning it, or
maybe both of them on the broadcast last night.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
The Astros have won.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Ten out of ten of from ber Valdez's last ten starts,
and they have won seven in a row of Hunter
Brown's last seven starts, So seven in a row they've
won when Hunter Brown started ten in a row with
from Ervaldez. If you go back to May seventh, when
those two guys start, they are.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Eighteen and two.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Those guys have been bringing it, and I know, you know,
there's been a lot of question marks with those other
guys and the Colton Gordons and the Ryan Gusto's and
all that type of stuff. But eighteen and two in
the last twenty starts combined of from ber Valdez and
Hunter Brown, It's like, where would they be without those guys?
Where would they be without the bullpen? They certainly wouldn't
be anywhere close to they are. They're eighteen games above
(08:06):
five hundred now, seven games ahead of the Seattle.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
It's just crazy. I mean, it's it's it's nuts. So
that they're doing what they're doing again. You you're playing
the Colorado Rockies that just want.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
To yes, yes, yes, I mean.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
To sweep the Phillies. The way you did with dominant
pitching was incredible. To take two out of three against
a really good CUPS team was great. I mean, it's
wild ross when you look at the standings and see
they're just a game and a half back at Detroit,
who I believe split a double header yesterday for best
record in the American League. I'm just telling you right now,
(08:43):
when today, if they can take two out of three
against the Dodgers, that would be crazy.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
I think I think.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
They're gonna take two out of three against the Guardians
and two out of three against the Rangers. I think
there's a chance we're talking to the Astros in first
place in the American League go to the All Star BREAKO.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
You're getting with it now. I'm just saying I feel
like at some point, and.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
You know, people get mad at me when I'm not
one hundred percent blind Homer, but I just have to
tell you how I feel. I mean, at some point,
I mean, I guess we should just keep on enjoying
this ride while it's here. They did get sixteen hits yesterday,
but I mean, when you're going with I'm a walker
turning things around. He's got five hits in two games,
(09:28):
by the way, gut feeling hit already in two games
of the series. Jonathan Allen, I want to congratulate you.
You said Christian Walker was gonna have five hits in
the Colorado seas He's already got five hits that he
can go over today, and that's a dub for you.
I want to give you your props on that. So,
I mean it also is against Colorado pitching. So we'll
see what happens about Christian Walker turning the corner. But
(09:50):
I mean, Cooper Hummel Shay witham Mauricio du Bond in
this lineup. Diaz and Walker haven't been great all season long.
Thankful Esock Paradis continues to be good. But I mean,
you're going with Esock Paratus and Jake Myers as your leadoff.
What if I plopped you to like it a like
February first, and I would have been like, hey, Gordy,
(10:14):
right about the All Star break, it'll be Paradus, Myers,
al Tuove Cam Smith as the top four of the
Astros lineup, and you'd be like, oh my god, how
many injuries did they have and how many games.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Under five hundred are they?
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Yeah, and here they are right now and they're holding
the glue together for sure, but I'm a little worried
about how long they can keep this up. I'll feel
a lot better if it's only gonna be a couple
of weeks for Jeremy Panha, which I mean sounds like
they're optimistic. And it is fortuitous in a way that
his rib injury, which is normally just a few weeks
(10:49):
for people about a month at the most, is gonna
happen with you. You get a little bit of a
buffer with that week of the All Star break, so that's.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Good and you can hold on till he comes back.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
But I'm really getting wary of this, uh, this Jordan
Alvarez situation and what's gonna happen then?
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Well, I said it was Sean and Dan earlier.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
I almost feel like he's on a side out of
mind right now, like I'm gonna I'm gonna play the
remaining whatever this season as if he's not coming back. Now,
that's a little bit on Dana Brown coming up with
the approaching dead trade deadline to think that way as well,
to think what if if Jordon doesn't come back. Look,
they've already said they're in the market for a left
(11:29):
handed bat, so if you can get a left handed
bat will low pop. I mean I might almost. I'm
almost willing to give up an extra prospect.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Just to say.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
And then again, if Jordon does come back, it makes
this line up that much more dangerous. So again, like
that's how I kind of look at it. I'm almost like,
because here's the other thing. Ross we saw a month
of Jordan. He didn't look like Jordon. He was you know,
they they said he was playing for and he wasn't good.
So I almostly good. If I'm Joe Spot and if
(12:01):
I'm Dana Brown, I can't bring back yord On until
I know one hundred percent that he's ready to go.
Like he's got to be one hundred I don't want
I don't want seventy five percent on.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Yeah, but they've already said they already said that they
weren't gonna let him swing a bat until he was
one hundred percent. And then he started swinging a bat
and he had a setback. Man, It's it's crazy.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
Yeah, I just again, I'm I got him. This team
is good enough that like we can win without him.
I mean, you'd love to have him, don't get me wrong,
but I gotta I gotta. I gotta move on without
you mentally, just like we gotta. We gotta prepare this
team to win down the stretch.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
I'm not expecting him at all. I mean I don't need.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Yeah, day to day, you're seeing the lineup posted. I mean,
you're kind of numb to it at this point. We've
seen it for two months. Yeah, I don't ever see
the line up posed to be like, oh man, you
know we're done. Still out now you hurts again, hopefully.
Just what do you feel like a month? Yeah, I
don't know, but I'm gonna say I looked at a
couple of rib injuries. We talked about it on the show.
I think when it happened, or maybe it was two
Monday or Tuesday. It seems like about a month for everybody.
(13:02):
Last year, Cody Bellinger came back after two weeks, but
then he talked about how sore he was.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
When he was swinging. But Penya was saying he wasn't
sore when he was swinging. He was more sore when
he was throwing.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
So that'll be interesting and also we wonder you bring
it for a little bit. Yeah, I would think. I
think that's a good idea because what he's what you're
saying in what he said is that he was swinging,
he was okay. And also think about re injury as
a shortstop. I mean, who who on the baseball field
dives around more than a shortstop?
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Maybe a center fielder.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
I mean it's about the same and maybe more violent
diving around for a centerfielder. But the shortstop's got to
be diving around all over there. You're trying to cover
a lot of ground. I mean, there's a reason it's
the most premium defensive position on the field along with
center field because you're diving around. So I would be
kind of worried that he would get in some kind
of re injury there. So yeah, maybe a couple of
weeks he can dh That spot is obviously open, and
(13:55):
that has given a lot of flexibility to Joe. A
spotty you don't want yord On out, but he's been
able to put a bunch of different guys there. You
had Shay Wickham there last night because he's used to
hitting in the altitude in the PCL and he can
do that in Colorado, and then he did it last
night with that four hundred and fifty foot bomb.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
So hopefully a couple of weeks, maybe.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Some dhing and then Jeremy Painey can get back out
there at shortstop. Thankfully, Right now you have you have
Mauricio Dubon taking over that shortstop spot. But after that,
I mean, heaven forbid something happen to him. I don't
even know who'd be at shortstop. They put Jack Zach
short there for a couple innings last night.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
I mean, if something happened with through Bond and he
would be out for a little bit of time, I
think you would.
Speaker 5 (14:40):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
I think Bryce Matthews would have to get the call
up back in.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
He's in the top one hundred MLB pipeline just announced.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
He's going to be playing in the Futures Game coming up.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
He's in the Futures Game.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
He was there Minor Leaguer of the Month and he's
number ninety eight in the top one hundred prospects list.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
Oh, I gotta mention that too, and if we get
a chance, it might be worth replaying Wlex And I
had Cam's Smith on yesterday on the A team and he,
I mean, the kid is just light years ahead of
where we thought he would be. But I brought it
up to him I said, Cam, in another year, they
just announced the futures roster. I said, in another universe,
you're in the Astros organization and you're getting named to
(15:17):
the futures game. Yeah, and we're talking about and excited
about the future of Cam Smith one day being an Astro. Instead,
this dude makes the opening day roster. Yes, and what
batted three hundred basically this past month.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Yeah, he's I mean even his overall numbers right now.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
He's batting clean up a rookie, a guy a year ago.
The College World Series just wrapped up. A year ago,
he was playing for Florida State in the College World Series,
and now he's batting clean up for the Houston Astros,
who als leading Houston Astros second best record in the
American League.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Houston Astros. It's just crazy to me.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
You know, people talk about like applying for jobs they're
not qualified for and then they just learn on the job. Now,
hors Camp Smith was qualified, but I.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Mean he was.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
It was it was a rush job, and it took
him a little while and he he was a little
bit slow to start the first I don't know month,
but man, he's he has been spectacular this last month
of the season, like you said, and the numbers are great,
and the numbers bear it out. He's been great in
right field from the get go. We were wondering how
he was going to be there kids a phenom, and
as you said, you were talking to him, and I
(16:23):
heard some of that interview as well, and I've heard
him talking to the media. He just sounds wise beyond
his years. That's part of the reason the Astros did
get him up to the major leagues because they knew
he'd be able to take the lumps and take it mentally,
as it's a mental battle just as much as as
a physical battle, especially for position players and especially for
someone learning a new position. And then the cat and
(16:44):
mouse game of the of going up against the best
pitchers on the planet.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
Great.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
Did you hear Joe spot To say he doesn't have
bat at bats? Yeah, Like that's what's so crazy is
last night, Uh, his third hit, it was like this
pitch he goes up and gets and hits it so
hard at the shortstop that he can't even handle it
and go it bounces in the center field like he
just man, he puts up good at bats.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Yeah, he Uh, let's see. Oh, man, it just popped away.
I had the last last.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Twenty games, he's been hitting three seventy two with one
thousand ops with four home runs. So he's got seven
home runs on the season, but four of them have
come in the last twenty games.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
He is really starting to.
Speaker 4 (17:25):
When we come back. Uh, there was a moment last night.
I was very scared for you me.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Yes, oh okay, I think I know where you're going
with this. We'll talk about it when we come back.
Look at Chris Gordy with the professional radio teas. He
is here, Matt Thomas is not. We are at Pizza
and Pints. It opens up at eleven o'clock. We should
have some tickets to give away if you want to come,
say hello. But even if we don't, we got hot pizza,
they got cold beer as well. We're here at Carbock
(17:51):
Brewing and Pizza and Pints. You want to get in
the phone lines, you can seven to one to three,
two one two, five seven ninety. I say, reason number
one the Astros are where they are is the bullpen.
Reason number two is Hunter Brown and from er Valdez,
what say you?
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Congratulations to the.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
Al Pitcher of the Month for June that would be
Hunter Brown, well deserved. Of course, he has been fantastic
And it would kind of touch on this briefly, Gordy
when we were recapping the game last night, Astros win
five to three, fifty two and thirty four on the season. Now,
but to me, there was a game I'd have to
(18:33):
pull up the game logs last year. I'm not exactly
sure where it was where he was struggling. Now last night,
it was his curveball that it was just unfortunately not
spinning in the altitude.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
He talked about it.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
He was asked directly, why do you think the curveball
wasn't effective, and he just flat out said.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
It was the altitude.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
And so what happened was he just started throwing a
bunch of gas and he threw his hardest pitch that
he's thrown all year now in his career, and he's
been he's talked about trying to hit triple digits, but
ninety nine point eight miles per hour on a fastball.
And it happened in a start in the middle of
last year when he was turning things around where he
(19:12):
didn't have his best stuff and he's still put in
a quality start. It was like six innings a shutout
or one run ball or something. And then the last
night against Colorado, again we do have to keep throwing
in the qualifier, like you say, it was the Colorado Rockies.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
But to be.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Effective at altitude, you gotta ditch the curve ball.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
You gotta figure something out.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
That's a stuff where you don't have it because you're
gonna go out there twenty five thirty times a year
and you're not gonna have your best stuff twenty five
thirty times. So Hunter Brown still able to be effected
the six innings, two runs given up, eight strikeouts, a
quality start, having to ditch some of his breaking stuff
and still getting it done.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
That is the mark of an ace.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
It is. And yeah, it's funny with the qualifier in there.
That's like a few weeks where Let's of Colors had
what the twelve strikeouts and I kept saying, it's Oakland,
A's okay, like sacrament but also it was good, but
you know, you got to say who it was against.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
But yeah, but the A's have a well, okay, their
team ops is like top ten, but that's also because
the ball flies out in Sacramento.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
But yeah, but go ahead, Brent Rooker has been very good.
But no, it's again. It was a great night for
for Hunter. Brown gets his ninth win. Crazy to think
he could have ten wins going into the All Star break.
I mean a twenty win was the last aster's twenty win.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Uh pitcher, Uh okay, I'm gonna try to do this
without looking up the last twenty game winner. I did
when in nineteen when Cole and and Verlander finished one
to two.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
Did I think Verlander just got there and Cole didn't.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Yeah, we'll have to look it up.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
But regardless, Uh, pitching's been all been been outstanding.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
But I was scared for you at one point last night.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
I'm sorry the other way around.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Verlander got there and cold it and I think, let
me looktchall go ahead.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
Sorry, when Jake Myers took one two, I mean he
turned his back and it almost like I was like,
please only hit him in the ribs. Please don't let
this be the same exact thing that happened to Je Pavia.
It was like, luckily he stayed in the game and
was able to, you know, play well, so but it.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Was a little scary there. Yeah, it was scary. He
stayed in the game. We'll see if we hear anything.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
As far as a follow up, because sometimes guys do
stay in games. You've got the adrenaline, there's not as
much swelling. You give it a day and maybe some
swelling will pop up. It also is a day game,
so it's a quick turnaround, So that's certainly something I
would say that I'm keeping an eye on for the
lineup today as far as I mean, we know a
lot of the guys that are already going to be out,
(21:51):
but with Jake Myers getting hit yesterday, I'll be curious
to see and we should know within the next couple
of hours here when the lineup should be posted. If
Jake Myers is going to be in that lineup because
he was hit by that pitch, did stay in the game,
but who knows.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
Swelling could go up. And it's almost like the way
that things.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Have been going with the Astros at this point, I'm
almost expecting another injury. It seems like it's happening every
day at this point. Dude, you're dropping life like flies.
It's ridiculous.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
Yeah, yeah, twenty nineteen was what we were thinking of
justin Verland with twenty one wins. Garrett Cole with twenty
so they both both did twenty win and they both
I mean if there was any year where you should
have two cy youngs, I mean they both.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Deserved it that year.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Yeah, they finished one too.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
It was pretty silly, but I mean that's how And yeah,
Wade Miley who went fourteen and six that season, Zach
Greenki who went eight and one. Brad Peacock got you
seven wins that year. Like, I mean, that pitching staff
was outstanding. And that's what's crazy to think it's this
staff when you look at twenty you know, the twenty
twenty five staff Hunter Brown fromber are so good. But
(22:59):
to have these other dudes stepping it. I mean, Brandon
freaking Walter and Colton Gordon, it's it's amazing they're getting it.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
They're getting by.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Yeah, Brandon Walter, Walter's numbers have been good. Uh, Gustos
took a little bit of a backseat. I think Colton
Gordon now he struggled a little bit and it was
Colorado and he was having some issues as well. And
everybody does his eras around like four fifty ishull of
four thirty seven or something like that. Yeah, let me
see four thirty seven, so they'll see then that's that's
(23:30):
kind of where that's kind of where I get worried, Gordy, like,
is the other shoe gonna drop? With all this stuff
that keeps happening, and how how how are they gonna
keep this toget?
Speaker 4 (23:39):
Well, we saw it a little bit that Cub series
or I mean mccullar's got blown up.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Yeah, I'm worried about that.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
There was well, but but in all honesty though, what
was the channeler room tweet? He was dreadful against the eight,
the Reds and the Cubs. Yeah, but all the other
games he's pitched, he had a two fifty nine era
like he's been good. Yeah, he's been good, Like you
can't left those two blow ups overshadowed all the goodies brought.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
He's still been getting a ton of swing and miss. Also,
two all three of the home runs that were hit
in that game were not a home run.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
In fifteen or more ballparks. I think it was thirteen.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
It was like one that was like a true Crawford box,
like literally like out of one ballpark, and it was
it was dyiking, And then one was the the Kyle
Tucker one was out of like seven ballparks, I think.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
So if you wanna go half glass, half.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
Full, even if the glass is only like forty percent full,
I'm gonna do that. I mean, I've been on mculler's
island this whole season. I ain't hopping off right now.
We'll see what happens though. Should be an electric atmosphere
at Dodger Stadium tomorrow.
Speaker 4 (24:43):
And Colton Gordon, you know, last time out on Tuesday
was his first, his first kind of hiccup of a start.
It was the first start he couldn't get through five
elvis like last one, two, three, four, five, six, seven starts.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Yeah, no, he came one out, shy.
Speaker 4 (25:00):
That's pretty crazy that you had seven straight starts that
Colton Gordon gave you five innings of basically two run ball,
and this one was four runs in four and two third.
But even that you still won the game. So, like,
that's what's crazy about it is bullpen. It was bull
It was a game where Colton Gordon didn't have his
best and you still got the win.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
Yeah, that's that's where the bullpen has been factoring, and
they have been excellent all year long. Besides that one,
we can get it against Tampa Bay, and a lot
of that was Forrest Whitley giving up a ton of
runs and now he's off the team, and I think
he's off the Rays now too, So bullpen excellent. And
then of course Hunter Brown and Farber Valdez had been huge.
They've won eighteen of the last twenty starts by those two,
(25:41):
ten of Frombers, eight out of ten of Hunter Brown.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
At Carbock Growing, it opens in ten minutes, recording wood.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Fired pizza, cold Bruskis if you're into that kind of thing,
really good Bruskies as well. Of course always the ice
cold and refreshing Crawford is a fine choice.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
Yeah, and uh, by the way, very quick.
Speaker 4 (26:05):
They've got like the screens up here where you can
do like the self order, so you can come in,
tap in your order, pay and boom they'll have it
to your super quick. So if you just want to
come do a pick up, if you don't want to
eat here, you want to grab and go.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
Super easy to do that over here at a Pizza
and Pintes.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
So we also have some giveaways.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
We got some koozies, we've got some backpacks, we got
a Sports Talk seven and eighty T shirt.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
Got what are these tech We got some Texans.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Like yeahlers, we got some battle red tumblers, some Astros
cups across the cup.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
Uh huh.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
So yeah, some good stuff out here.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Yeah, make sure you come by and you say hi.
And what are we gonna hear about those.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
Astros tickets they were giving away?
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Oh wait, well, we're waiting till we have We're waiting
to hear back. Okay, I don't want to make any
false promises.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
Oh, we're supposed to have some uh tickets.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
At some point we'll be giving away some Astros tickets.
Here on the program, we are at pizza and Pints
until one forty pm. We're going to Astros on deck
mode at one o'clock. You got the Astros in the
Rockies at two ten, Astros going for a sweep. They
continue to play well. The bullpen continues to do their thing.
(27:12):
And we mentioned Bennett's so Susa picking up. I mean
we he was like good at the end of what
twenty three when he had showed up and kind of
came out of nowhere for the Astros, and then and
then he was hurt and then he was hurt. He
had I think it was thoracic outlet surgery, whatever that is.
And then he's been back in this year twenty six games,
(27:34):
two to zero, three saves, one point nine to five
e RA and point eighty seven whip. You think Dusty
Baker's like, Okay, now you got all these lefties?
Speaker 4 (27:44):
What's the deal?
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Okert hater Susa? Who else I'm missing? Brian King?
Speaker 2 (27:51):
It's like, all it's all lefties all the time out
of the bullpen. And he was like, can you just
please give me give me one lefty?
Speaker 4 (27:58):
Please?
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Who is this guy?
Speaker 2 (27:59):
He loved Brooks Raley. Yeah, one lefty besides Brooks Railey.
Were like, oh my god, here comes Brooks Raleigh. Because
Dusty was old school and he would just go platoon lefty,
righty no matter what.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
And I mean it was Brooks Raley season and we
weren't usually too happy about it.
Speaker 4 (28:16):
Well, and and I want to be fair too for
all the people that were a year ago at this time,
We're going, I bet you wish you had Dusty. Now
we gotta give we gotta give Joe a spot of
his credit. Esta has been awesome as a manager.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Yeah, where's uh, where's fire?
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Joe?
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Spot of guy?
Speaker 2 (28:32):
I haven't seen How's How's fire? Joe spotted guy going
and that was to give us a call seven one ninety.
Speaker 4 (28:37):
That wasn't exclusive to Dusty. That was I mean, there
were there were people who when Dusty struggled.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
Yeah, you should have kept now you should have only
let Hinch be suspended for a year and kept.
Speaker 4 (28:50):
Him well as he has the best record in the
American leag It's true, you know, j.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
Hench is very good, But I mean, I'm gonna I'm
gonna steak in insistant until I hit the grave.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
Especially when it comes to baseball, it's the players. Joe A.
Spotta can go to Bennett's SUSA and he's been.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Great and he can find the right pockets of the
lineup for him, but he's also got to go out
there and perform. And people were calling for a spot
as firing earlier in the season. Right there, he keeps
going to Louise Contreres. It's like he didn't have any
other options in the bullpen. A bunch of people were hurt,
not ready to start the season.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
I mean, it is what it is. So I like
Joe Spotta.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
I think his number one job is to keep the
guys motivated to play, keep it light and then put
them in positions to succeed. He's done that, but from
there it's like you just got to let them go
out there and spread their wings and fly, all right,
And they've been doing that and they've been really good,
and Joe Spott is doing a good job.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
But I mean it's down to the players in this
bullpen as well.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
Do we want to talk about Matthew Oaklam.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Matthew Oklam o quenn oh oh quam. Yes.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
I was gonna bring that up at the start of
next hour, so he yes, we will. Uh, we'll talk
about that in a couple of minutes. Uh what Gordy
is referencing, I was talking about it earlier.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
Internet rumors, believe them or not.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
That's what we are going to have to try and
figure out, because yes, this is something that was sent
to me. It was sent to a lot of people
around Houston, and now even other listeners are getting in
on the act. So we will break that down when
we come back. But that is going to do it
for our number one of the Matt Thomas Show with
(30:39):
Ross Without Matt Thomas, he is out volleyball dadding harder
than anyone has volleyball Dad in Dallas.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Chris Gordy is here with me. We are at Pizza
and Pints. They open up in a couple of minutes.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
If you guys want to come by and say hello,
phone lines are open at seven to one three two
one two five seven ninety seven one three two one
two five seven ninety The Astros Internet rumor that is
taking the Astros Twitter sphere by storm to broadcast live
from a Pizza and Pints Carbrock Brewing. The doors opening up.
(31:13):
If you want to come by and say hello, you
could do that. As I said, Matt Thomas is out,
Chris Cordy is with me, and I gotta be honest.
I was like in Friday holiday mode, so I didn't
tease this properly, but we have, of course the regular
Thursday guest, Brian McTaggart of astros dot com, MLB dot com,
our weekly Thursday guest here at eleven o'clock. Brian appreciate
(31:35):
the time as always. Let's go ahead and start with
the picture of the month. We were talking about this earlier.
To me, one of the big marks of an ACE
is you don't have your best stuff. You gotta ditch
a pitch and figure things out. That's what Hunter Brown
did yesterday with the curveball in Denver. He is a
bona fide ace.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
Yeah, I don't think there's any doubt.
Speaker 5 (31:56):
I mean, he came into that start leading the major
leagues and era Phony Savage, which is pretty incredible. But yeah,
he admitted after the game, you know, his curve ball
wasn't performing like it should have been just because of
the altitude, so he sort of had to change things
a little bit on the fly through the change up
a little bit more.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
But you know, he was solid.
Speaker 5 (32:17):
I mean, he was a ninety something pitch I think
ninety one pitches. After the fifth inning, they went back out,
got them through six, which is really important because they
were without a couple of their key bullpen guys, and
picked up his first win since June first.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
So it looks like to me he's probably headed the
All Star Game as well. He should be.
Speaker 4 (32:36):
What's crazy to me, Brian, it's how this team is
able to do this night in a night out that
even when some of their pitchers don't have their best stuff.
You know, we saw it from Colton Gordon the other night.
It was first start and I think seven starts where
he wasn't able to go full five and gave up
four and runs he yet the askers still find a
way to win.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
It's it's crazy.
Speaker 4 (32:55):
I mean, obviously, when you have the two front end
starters in Fromber and Hunter doing their things is awesome.
But I'm just I'm wild about what they're getting out
of these other guys. And we're gonna get to see
Brandon Walter go today. But I mean, that's that's the
guy we had. His name wasn't even on the radar
a few months ago, and it's like he's come out
of nowhere and been great for him. It's it's pretty
shocking how they're they're getting this thing done right.
Speaker 5 (33:19):
It is. I mean, and then you know they call
up Jason Alexander h another guy no one knows anything
about it.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
He pitches really well.
Speaker 5 (33:26):
You know, uh, you know, big props for their pitching
coaches for getting these guys ready. I mean, every one
of these guys when they pitted the no name guys,
you know, I say no name and not the household
name guys. When they pitched even like you said, even
when they're they're not great, they're they're keeping the team
in the game, and you know, give them five innings
and hand the ball over to that bullpen and you
know it's shut down time.
Speaker 1 (33:46):
So can they keep this up here over the final
uh three months? You know, who knows.
Speaker 5 (33:51):
But the good news for the Astros is they should
be getting a lot of you know, they're at least
some of their starters back healthy and uh, you know,
guys like Saraghetti will be back. You know, Javier seems
like he's trending towards coming back, and all of a
sudden you got starting pitching depth. So that'll be a
good problem to have if they can get there.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
Brian McTaggart with us here on Sports Talk seven nine,
and of course, Brian, the big story overall this week
has been the yord On Alvarez saga, and it seems
to unfortunately keep popping up with the Astros and they're
handling of things and the medical staff and all that
type of stuff. Of course, we know a lot of
the fans are upset and all that, but just your perspective,
I mean, it does seem to me like a lot
(34:32):
of this is some bad luck. But at what point
do you say, is this just too much to be
a coincidence. Just what do you think about the way
that things have been handled with the Astros and some
of these injuries and then the latest with the jord
On Alvarez.
Speaker 5 (34:47):
Yeah, well, there's been a lot of pitching injuries around
the league. I mean, Astros, I think our third with
the most il days. So there's a couple of teams
ahead of them in that regard to Dodgers or one
of them. So have a bunch of pitchers on the
io not ideal, but you know, some other teams are
going through the same thing. The Alvarett situation, yeah, has
got to be frustrating because that's twice now that they
(35:09):
were close and then he had a setback.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
You know, I will say it's not like they were
pushing him when they didn't think he was ready. By everything,
they by everything that.
Speaker 5 (35:18):
You know, all the information they had, especially the last
time they thought that he was close, and you know,
Dana Brown said Monday they were thinking about flying him
to LA this weekend, and then he came in you know,
Tuesday after taking some swings and the hand was sore again.
I mean, I think we'll probably get an update on
Alvarez today in Denver. I mean I'm in the press
(35:39):
box right now at Curse Field, so it'll be in
the clubhouse here in a few minutes. So hopefully within
the next hour, maybe Joe Spot or Dana Browner is
here can give us an update to see what's next
for him. But it certainly appears like the Astros might
be without Alvarez for a little while. But hey, they've
been without him for two months and they just keep
on trucking. So the the bigger thing I think in
(36:01):
the short term is getting Penya back and putting him
back at the top of the lineup because they really
miss him as well.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
It's uh, it's crazy too bright with the injury to
Jeremy Pina. I mean, we keep looking and saying, how
many more injuries can they overcome? And you know, Jake
Myers gets hit on the side last night. I think
we all kind of breathe a little bit, you know,
paused a little bit, going oh my god, not another one.
But luckily he stayed in the game. But I mean
it does if you're Dana brown I mean, he's been
(36:31):
preaching for the last couple of weeks. You know, we're
looking at a left handed bat, left handed bet, left
handed bet. I just almost wonder the approach if yourdon
is going to be out a significant amount of time,
which it just feels that way, I mean, does that
maybe escalate them a little bit more here at the
deadline to say, you know what, we have to get
a bat regardless.
Speaker 5 (36:50):
Yeah, Dane, we asked Dana about that the other day
and he said the go down injury really doesn't change
their thoughts to the trade deadline. They He's been on
record saying they need a left handed bat. The urgency
is there and it still is. So I think it's
pretty safe to say they're going to get some kind
of bat to add to this lineup. The left handed bat.
They're not going to replace Jordan Albarez for sure, but
(37:11):
they definitely I think they're nineteenth and runs per game,
so they definitely could use just another, you know, another
capable bat in there, especially one that can bat from
the left side, because even though they they've called up
some guys here they can hit left handed in the
last couple of weeks, guys like Hubble, but they're still
very much right handed when it comes to the core
(37:31):
guys in the lineup. So they will add a left
handed bat it to the deadline, I'm pretty sure.
Speaker 1 (37:36):
What do you feel about the pitching side.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
I think it's kind of a tough situation because you've
got all these guys who are coming back or look
like they're on track to come back, but then it's
kind of an unknown thing as far as setbacks or
new injuries popping up, and the deadline now being four
weeks away from today.
Speaker 5 (37:55):
Yeah, I think if they don't have any more injuries
to their pitchers and they feel confident, they're gonna get
rig Getty back, and I think he would be the
first one to come back. And he's still only throwing bullpens,
but you know, he's completely healthy.
Speaker 4 (38:07):
He's just on it.
Speaker 5 (38:08):
He's just building up right now like he's at spring training,
so he will be back. I think Javier's pretty far
down the road as well. I mean, I have to
take a little bit of that with a little bit
of caution because some of these guys have suffered setbacks.
But if they can get ri Getty and another one
of these other rehabbing pitchers back at the end of
July early August, really no need to go get a
(38:29):
starting pitcher. I mean the starting pitcher is gonna cost you,
you know what, three prospects last year at KAKUCI, so
the price on those is pretty high. And they have
six on my als and for them are deep in
rehabs in Florida. So I don't think the urgency is
there for starting pitching. I think offense is definitely where
they need to bolster the lineup well.
Speaker 4 (38:50):
And I almost wonder too though, Brian, like if you're
getting a bat or you're getting an arm, I almost
think you want to go rental as opposed to a
guy who would have multiple years of team controlled because
all these injured guys are gonna be back next year.
Presumably you know, the Tommy Young guys won't be back
at the start of the season. But like I just
when you get back fully healthy. I mean, you know,
(39:11):
in a perfect world, you don't have any open positions
position wise and all that kind of stuff. So unless
it's like a pure upgrade where it's a guy, are
we got three more years of control or whatever, I
almost think it'd be easier to go rental and and
easier to part with maybe a middle tier prospect for
our guy who's a rental.
Speaker 5 (39:29):
Yeah, I think You're absolutely right. I mean, I don't
think think they're gonna get anybody. I think they're gonna
trade for a bat who they're you know, they're gonna
plug into the lineup for the.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
Next three or four years.
Speaker 5 (39:37):
It's gonna be a guy who can you know, hit
six or seventh, or you know, someone's getting a day off,
can hit second, you know, just give you another bat
from the left side. It's gonna be have to be
somebody with some positional versatility, just with the way this
roster's set up, and like you said, some guys are
coming back off injury. Maybe someone that can play second
in outfield or or maybe first an outfield.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
But uh yeah, I mean I certainly agree with you.
Speaker 5 (40:03):
I think it'll be someone, you know, like a you know,
a Trey Man SEENI who's only here for a couple
of months and you know, you hope to catch lightning
in a bottle.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
Brian McTaggart Astros dot com, MLB dot Com with us
here on Sports Talk seven ninety jose L two a
passing Jeff Bagwell last night on the Astros All Time
hit List.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
You've obviously been there covering his career. I mean just
we just did you love on jose L Twove? What
it's been like?
Speaker 2 (40:30):
And I think, to me personally, uh, the the hand
eye coordination impresses me the most about him.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
What about you? And what is it's been like following him?
And just an all time astros?
Speaker 3 (40:42):
Great?
Speaker 5 (40:44):
Yeah, he's got the best back to ball skills that
I that I've seen just daily close up. I mean,
you know, I didn't get a chance to see in
person anyway Wade Bogs or Tony Gwinn, but just seeing
how twove every day, his back to ball skills are
just super elite. And the thing that stands up for
me also is just how clutch it is. I mean,
look at his postseason numbers. Uh, they speak for themselves.
(41:04):
But even last night, like the hit to pass bagwell, uh,
first pitch to run single up the middle. I mean
that you know that that hit won the game. I
mean that that's a huge hit in the grand scheme
of things, and and that's just what he does. And
I know that his numbers have declined a little bit,
but I think the question now becomes can he get
to three thousand hits? I mean I think he has
(41:26):
a really good shot. I was able to top the
Bagwell during the game yesterday, and and I thought it
was it was funny after the game all too, they
said Bagwell text him all the time about his swing
and if he if he takes a bad swing, Bagwell
text him says, what the heck was that? So, uh,
there's not very there's not very many people that can
criticize Jose Altube, but Bagwell is one of them. And
(41:47):
you know, he's now passed him on the hits list,
So he's got some work to do to get to Bigio.
But uh, I would not doubt that he's gonna get
to three thousand and and and pass Bigeo here in
the next four or five years.
Speaker 3 (41:59):
Tucker to Brian McCay and Brian no Wan to overlooked
today's game.
Speaker 4 (42:02):
Obviously, the Astros go for a sweep against the Rockies
today this afternoon. You'll hear that right here on seven ninety.
But looking a little bit ahead to this weekend, going
out to Dodger Stadium July fourth weekend, it's gonna be
a heck of a series. I'm sure you'll have a
lot of celebrities out there and that sort of thing,
but a big star for Lance mccullor's coming this Fridays.
He wants to balance back from that outing against the Cubs.
(42:23):
But what's crazy, Brian. The last two times Lance mccullors
has pitched at out there at Dodger Stadium. Last time
was August third, twenty twenty one, in a regular season
game where he went six and two third shutout innings.
Astra Was won that game three to nothing. And then
I believe the time before that was Game seven of
the World Series in twenty seventeen. So it's a place
(42:43):
mccullus has had success. But you know, you just look
at that daunting Dodger lineup and say, God, it's gonna
be a tough test.
Speaker 5 (42:51):
Yeah, very tough test. And you know Lance's is coming off,
you know, a start that wasn't great, you know, his
first start off the IL. So but you know, Lance's
a competitor, and I guarantee you he's probably gonna be
froth them at the mouth for this chance to go
out there and pitch it at Dodger Stadium. Yeah, he
did start Game seven and twenty seventeen, didn't pitch deep
in that game.
Speaker 1 (43:09):
Also had an RBI in that game. If people don't remember.
It was kind of a It was kind of a
crazy game.
Speaker 5 (43:14):
But yeah, I mean, if they can go to Dodger
Stadium and win that series, then Dan, I mean, I
think they got a chance maybe to get the number
one seed in the American League. I mean, even if
they go to Dodger Stadium and don't win the series,
not the end of the world. The Dodgers are really good.
They're really good at home. Astros was shorthanded. It's gonna
be a really tough series for sure. But they do
(43:35):
have from Barvaldez though on in one of those games,
and they've won what ten consecutive starts he's pitched, So
if they can win his start and scratch out another
win somewhere and come home after a good road trip
in good shape. Here a week out from the All
Star break.
Speaker 2 (43:50):
Brian McTaggart astros dot Com with us here on Sports
Talk seven. Honey, we appreciate the time as always, Brian.
Speaker 1 (43:55):
Let the folks know what you got up at the website.
Speaker 3 (43:59):
Yeah, I cool stuff up there.
Speaker 5 (44:02):
Like I said, taught to Bagwell last night. Have a
story on Bagwell and al two by sort of talking
about each other as they pass as al two Bay
passes him on the hits list.
Speaker 3 (44:11):
A A. A.
Speaker 5 (44:11):
Redditt Ama yesterday asked me anything and I had to
transcribe to that on the website as well, So check
that out.
Speaker 2 (44:18):
Okay, what was the craziest question you got or answered
the craziest question you answered?
Speaker 1 (44:23):
How about both? The craziest question you got in the
craziest one you answered? Uh.
Speaker 5 (44:28):
Somebody asked me about my how I got started in journalism.
I didn't answer because I don't think anybody cares. And
other than that, they were all pretty straightforward. Someone asked
my favorite Astros player to cover of all time, and
I said Lance Berk.
Speaker 4 (44:41):
Of course.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
So oh, okay, all right, well, thank you, Brian. Will
check that out at astros dot compresiate and.
Speaker 3 (44:46):
Get the Astros Beat emails sent right to your email.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
Newsletter, Baby's It's great.
Speaker 5 (44:51):
Newsletter came out yesterday or the day but I can't remember,
But another one is coming out Saturday. That's gonna I
did an interview with Bryce Matthews talking about his program
and the Futures game coming up, so that'll be in
your inbox Saturday.
Speaker 2 (45:03):
Wow, you're you're officially the hardest working Beat reporter on
the ASTROS beat.
Speaker 5 (45:08):
All right, I'll take it out of the three, and
I'm one of three.
Speaker 1 (45:13):
Thanks bright, We'll touch.
Speaker 2 (45:17):
Appreciate it. Brian mcdaggery great stuff with him as always,
and we have a lengthy update. We're gonna have to
parse through a lot here. Gordy On, yord On Alvarez
and his hand. We are out at the Pizza and
Pints at Carbock Brewing. Appreciate a couple of you guys
come out, Carlos, Steve, others have come by. Appreciate all
(45:39):
of them. We've got some good prizes for it. If
you want to come by, say hello, we're here at
Pizza and Pints.
Speaker 1 (45:44):
Uh Steven.
Speaker 2 (45:45):
We will get to you in just a moment, but
we have to get to this. Yord On update put
out by the Astros. All right, let's get this started. Cordy,
yord On Alvarez and the ASTROS received some encouraging news
from a hand specialist that examined Alvarez's sore right hand
on Wednesday. As part of the examination, additional imaging was
(46:06):
done on his right hand, which revealed that the main
cause of his current pain is due to inflammation.
Speaker 1 (46:14):
I think that's good. Doesn't sound like a populigament, doesn't
sound like a fracture or anything like that. All right,
I continue on. The specialists also indicated that at this.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
Point in the recovery process, the small fracture that had
been sustained is now a non factor in the discomfort
that Alvarez is currently experiencing. So they're saying, no fracture
or the fracture is not what's causing him pain.
Speaker 3 (46:41):
So the fractures healed.
Speaker 1 (46:43):
That's what it sounds like they're trying to say without Also.
Speaker 3 (46:46):
We were a few weeks ago it was forty percent
and then it was sixty percent.
Speaker 1 (46:50):
Wouldn't they have said the fracture is fully healed in
this statement as well. They didn't say that.
Speaker 2 (46:54):
They tried to apply it without saying it, which is
giving me pause.
Speaker 3 (46:58):
The small fracture that had been is now a non factor.
Speaker 2 (47:02):
A non factor in the discomfort. That doesn't mean a
non factor in his recovery process, right, well, it might.
Speaker 4 (47:08):
Be like ninety five.
Speaker 1 (47:09):
I'm just saying there being a little dodgy. We've seen
this before.
Speaker 3 (47:14):
When saying it's a non factor.
Speaker 2 (47:16):
It's a non factor in the discomfort. They're saying it's
not the fracture that's hurt, which is healing properly. He's
hurt somewhere else, which I don't know, all right. As
a result of the examination, Alvarez received two injections in
his hand on Wednesday and will refrain from any activity
involving in his hand in the upcoming days. This was
(47:36):
not the first time that Alvarez had received injections in
his hands while on the injured list. All RIGHT specialists
also reviewed the multiple sets of imaging that had been
done previously on Alvarez's hand and concurred with the findings
of the ASTROS medical staffs and other hand specialists.
Speaker 1 (47:55):
So that's a little f you to some people. Why
they on these great doctors. They put at it on purpose,
of course.
Speaker 2 (48:01):
All RIGHT specialists also determined that the imaging done on
Wednesday were fueled that Alvarez's hand made noticeable progress when
compared to imaging done over the past several weeks. Prior
to Wednesday's MRI, the most recent imaging on Alvarez's hand
had indicated that the inflammation had been reduced. Alvarez began
to ramp up his baseball activity last week and was
able to take batting practice on the field Weld Saturday
(48:22):
with positive results. However, on Tuesday morning, he reported to
the medical staff the pain in his hand return, which
resulted in Wednesday's visit to the additional hand specialists. So
the key part of this is they're calling it encouraging.
They're saying that it's inflammation and not due to a fracture,
and certainly not due to some guy on the Internet
posting a picture of jord On and saying he's going to.
Speaker 1 (48:45):
Be out six weeks with a popped ligament.
Speaker 4 (48:47):
Well, Arman on Twitter said, you know, the Astors gave
Jordan a good talking to about talking to random dudes
on airplanes about your injury.
Speaker 2 (48:56):
Whether that's true or don though, I'm calling bs on
the whole thing. Still, I'm sorry Matthew that Jordan would
go and say, oh, my ligament popped them out in
six weeks.
Speaker 1 (49:06):
Don't believe it. I didn't believe it. I was more skeptical.
Speaker 2 (49:10):
And now after this they're not mentioning anything about a ligament.
Doesn't mention a timetable. Now it could turn out to
be true.
Speaker 1 (49:16):
The Astros have.
Speaker 2 (49:16):
Been dodgy with injuries stuff before. I understand, but this
sounds I'm gonna say it sounds pretty good. They use
the word encouraging. I'm gonna go with that, and they're
saying it's not the fracture of the turning them.
Speaker 3 (49:29):
We're gonna be I.
Speaker 1 (49:32):
What do you think?
Speaker 4 (49:34):
Yeah, I mean again, this is the official statement from
the team, and they are acting very positive about this.
If it were true that there was a ligament pop
or anything like that, I feel like they would have
alluded to that in this. Yeah. So, I mean it
starts with the astros and Jordon Alvarez received some encouraging
news from a hand specialist.
Speaker 1 (49:55):
Yeah on Wednesday.
Speaker 2 (49:58):
Okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna take them at their word
on that, and we're just gonna go from him.
Speaker 4 (50:05):
So what do you read it through that? Okay, so
they think as part of the examination on Wednesday, additional
imaging was done on his right hand, which revealed the
main cause of his current pain is due to inflammation,
and they indicated the small fracture and have been sustained
is now a non factor and a discomfort. So the
fractures healed, so he's just keep having what's causing inflammation?
Speaker 1 (50:28):
Then soreness, bruising. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (50:31):
I mean, this is just we also say that they've
said before that inflammation makes it harder to get good,
reliable imaging.
Speaker 4 (50:39):
Right.
Speaker 3 (50:40):
I just feel like this is we're in circles here.
Speaker 1 (50:43):
He doesn't say no fracture. I don't know, because remember.
Speaker 4 (50:45):
Even a few weeks back, when he was starting to
swing and all this, they were like, yeah, the problem
is it's just like he's he feels good, and then
he swings, and then the next day that it's the
inflammation pops up and he can't and he's got discomfort
in there. It's like, well, this is just gonna keep
lasting all season, like it's gonna be a circular thing here.
Speaker 2 (51:05):
Well, we'll see, we'll get the updates when we come
with him. I'm not gonna believe that that Jordan told
some stranger he popped the ligament in his hand.
Speaker 4 (51:11):
So and I feel like they would have put that
that news would have been in here if that were true.
Speaker 1 (51:19):
I agree, all right, Well.
Speaker 3 (51:21):
But they're basically saying that they determine.
Speaker 4 (51:23):
The imaging done on Wednesday revealed his hand has made
noticeable progress when compared to the imaging from a few
weeks ago.
Speaker 3 (51:30):
Okay, great, Then what's the setback? Why is there a setback?
Speaker 4 (51:35):
If this new imaging is like, oh no, he's actually
doing great, what's the setback?
Speaker 1 (51:39):
It's a setback.
Speaker 2 (51:40):
Is that he's hurt and that he's feeling discoming, he's discomforted, yeah.
Speaker 3 (51:45):
They said.
Speaker 4 (51:45):
On Tuesday, Alvaz reported the Astros the pain in his
hand had returned, which resulted in the next you know,
him seeing a handsbushos on Wednesday. But I just I
feel like I don't understand here, Like, okay, so he's
having pain, Yes, that's the setback. They said they're gonna
shut him down for they said a couple of days, right,
(52:06):
and
Speaker 1 (52:06):
So he's getting in he's got inflammation, a couple of
days he's shut down,
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