October 7: Doctors have told Greinke that there were no signs of structural damage in his arm, per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle and others (via Twitter). That’s great news for the Astros, but there’s still no word on whether or not Greinke will be available to pitch in the divisional series.
If Greinke can’t go in a potential game 4, Cristian Javier could get the start, but Javier will also be available out of the bullpen today, per The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan (via Twitter). If they win today, after all, they can rest easy and not have to worry about Greinke’s readiness until the ALCS next week.
October 6: The Astros have a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-five ALDS matchup with the Athletics, though not without some uncertainty in their pitching rotation. Manager Dusty Baker told Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links) and other reporters that righty Jose Urquidy will start tomorrow’s Game 3, as Zack Greinke is “ailing some” due to arm soreness. No specifics were given about Greinke’s condition, though Baker said Greinke has been examined by doctors.
Greinke last pitched during Game 1 of the Astros’ wild card series with the Twins, tossing 79 pitches over four innings and allowing one earned run on two hits and three walks. While nothing to write home about, Greinke’s outing nonetheless represented his best work in over a month, as he posted a 5.73 ERA over his final seven starts and 37 2/3 innings of the regular season. This isn’t to say that Greinke’s current arm problem contributed to these struggles, however, as Rome noted that Greinke was on the roster for both the wild card round and the ALDS, and the right-hander was even throwing during Sunday’s team workout.
Pitching injuries have been a major story of Houston’s season, and the idea of the Astros being on the doorstep of the ALCS without either a healthy Greinke or without Justin Verlander (who made only one start before suffering the forearm injury that eventually led to Tommy John surgery) would have seemed inconceivable. The Astros posted only a 29-31 record during the season, yet solid work from starters like Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, Lance McCullers Jr., and Urquidy helped carry Houston into the postseason despite an inconsistent offense.
This work has continued into October. The Astros allowed just two runs during their two-game sweep of the Twins, and while McCullers didn’t pitch well in Game 1 against Oakland, the bats came alive in a 10-5 Houston victory. Today, Valdez was outstanding in seven innings of two-run ball, leading the Astros to a 5-2 win in Game 2.
While Urquidy obviously have Greinke’s track record, the second-year pitcher has already delivered in the playoffs. Urquidy started Game 2 against the Twins and allowed one run in 4 1/3 innings of work, and he most memorably threw five shutout innings starting Game 4 of last year’s World Series against the Nationals.
Still, it isn’t good news for the Astros that Greinke’s status for both this series and potentially the best of the postseason could be in question. The lack of off-days in these playoffs will test Houston’s pitching depth, but the Astros can earn themselves some extra time off if they can eliminate the A’s either tomorrow or in Thursday’s Game 4.
I really hope Houston gets eliminated, almost as much as I hope the Braves win. BTW, I wouldn’t be surprised if they traded for German this off-season. He’d fit right in.
Not going to happen in this round. A’s are not built for the postseason.
If the A’s weren’t built for the postseason they wouldn’t have ousted a powerful Chisox team in any possible way. Tomorrow is a new game…
The White Sox came in limping and are still raw. Future is bright but 2020 was a little early for them to be a serious contender. A’s offense is not good enough to win in October and neither is their ragtag pitching staff. I don’t want to hear about Chapmans injury. Yordan who is a better hitter is out for HOU.
they completely overmanaged that last game. i think in a 5 game series CHW would have won. A’s are not all they are cracked up to be.
And the A’s are the 2 seed! They weren’t just supposed to win they were supposed to do it easily
Everyone on the White Sox got hurt
White Sox lineup vs Astros lineup… cmon. Just cmon. Make your trash can jokes all you want, but… cmon.
I didn’t hear any trash cans did you?
But who needs trash cans when they’re all wearing buzzers now!
Ha
Doesn’t he fit the Yankees more?!!! Come on dude, take the blinders off and get a brain
Astros are scum.
bhambrave: I’m on the same book as you, just a different chapter. I’m hoping to see An Astros vs Braves World Series, with the Braves winning. I see the Astros as a team like some people see Barry Bonds: An excellent team (great player) who didn’t have to cheat but chose to do so. Just like Bonds, the talent was there BEFORE the cheating started.
Bingo. And just like Bonds they were only doing what a majority of the league was already doing.
If HOU doesn’t have at least Greinke, how in the world are they getting past NYY — even with NYY having their own rotation questions? Imagine Cole facing HOU with the World Series on the line.
Don’t count the Rays out just yet.
The braves beat the Dodgers, Uh No.
Greinke musta banged his arm on a trash can. Poor guy.
Incorrect. They use buzzers now.
My bad, he musta banged his arm in Correa’s vibrator.
Don’t be a grouch, Oscar.
It would be so 2020 to see the Astros win the WS.
The A’s are done. The playoffs should of reset the seeding Astros and Rays should be playing.
Wait… what? Now the seeding – with the Astros at the bottom of the bracket – isn’t fair?? That’s rich. Oh, a NYY fan. Now I get it.
I blame that cancerous Asterisk tour twitter account for this.
That would be the only good thing to happen this year.
I’m tired of these playoff failures, I guess it’s less painful than a game 5 choke jobs in the past lol. But it’s also uncompetitive just like the 2018 and 2019 wildcard games. Oh well, whenever they get eliminated I’ll just convince myself 2020 wasnt even a full, legit season , coping mechanisms lol. If only semien didn’t make that dumb error in game 1
It won’t matter they’re facing the A’s. They could start Dusty Baker on the mound and they’d win
Bang, bang, here we come!
Fellas, I know this won’t make some of you happy, but I was wondering: Is it possible to let go of this constant bashing of the Astros and just enjoy the playoffs? It’s not that they haven’t been bashed for almost a year on every baseball site and in just about every article written. Okay, so you’re not an Astros fan — maybe having a villian is good. But even if never-ending disdain is deserved, offering constant derogatory comments does not make you rise above them at all. At some point, forgive and move on. You can hate them — I hate the Yankees, I guess, but it’s healthy. I’m not going to personally attack them, even though they stole signs electronically a couple of years ago. We won’t even have to go there — but enjoy this baseball season. Hate the ‘Stros, even. But they’re not cheating now; so there’s nothing to complain about. Thanks for being fair.
We’re used to it, people want to hate the Astros and the Rockets so let them. People hate winners, that’s all there is to it.
The Rockets are certainly not winners. They are an above average stepping stone for real contenders path to the Finals.
No, people hate cheaters.
If you hate cheating you can put the Yankees at the top of the cheating list. Cano, Arod, Clemens, Pettitte, Giambi, Melky, Sheffield etc. Performance enhancing drugs (peds) are going to help you cheat more than trash cans or buzzers.
And those guys are playing now? Are you suggesting jumping back into a time machine?
Epic whataboutism bro
Can or no can, how do we know they are not cheating now?
If Altuve were cheating, he might be batting a bit more above .200.
Answer coach is: no.
Yes, the Astros cheated in 2017, but so did a lot of teams. And MLB knew it, and looked the other way, just like they did when roids were rampant in late 90s/early 2000.
It wasn’t good for baseball, if word leaked out that a lot of MLB teams were cheating. A jaded Mike Fiers went to the media, so MLB had no choice to then go after the Astros.
The Red Sox got their hands slapped by MLB. The Yankees have been protected by MLB, by not unsealing the report. The Dodgers were accused of cheating by the Brewers. And there are more accusations for other teams as well.
But it’s just best for baseball for pretty much everyone to just think the Astros were the main cheaters, and let them take the rap for it. Knowing your own team cheated, but have not been publicly labeled yet, I guess, for the time being, it makes most of you able to just the ridicule the Astros.
And let’s be honest, MLB and most of you are satisfied with Astros being known as the only cheater being the case. Let’s just keep chastising them, cuz it’s easy to do. Most of you all just like to b**** anyway in life, so for baseball, let it be against the Astros.
As they say, ignorance is bliss.
This. I am absolutely against PED users and want them to fail but I truly believe what the astros did was happening all over the league. So I really can’t get upset about it and obsess over it like so many on here. I’m not an astros fan but I really want them to win the WS to rub It in the faces of all the fools repeating the same tired few jokes on every astros post. Troll if you must but be original if you are going to
Yep. Cheating in baseball has been a pattern of behavior since the 1800’s. Nothing has changed except the methods. People get away with it. People are still getting away with it. Condemn the Astros, sure. Let’s stop pretending 29 other teams are not doing their part to gain an edge. Pure ignorance. Astros were caught while others have continued to slide under the radar. There will be a new revelation of another kind down the road committed by another organization.
Thank you. Nice to see other team’s fans say the same stuff Houston fans have been saying. I mean it’s common sense.
All the Astros bashing comments will stop once the Astros forfeit their ws title and altuve gives judge his mvp award
Should the Red Sox forfeit their 2018 trophy?
In 2017, Altuve hit better on the road than at home…
Maybe Judge shouldn’t get the award, even if Altuve gave it back. The report on the Yankees was sealed, not released for the public…. I’m sure if it exonerated the Yankees, MLB would have been happy to release it….
BTW – When Carlos Beltran came back to the Astros in 2017, He was on record saying the Astros were way behind their sign stealing… If you remember correctly, Beltran was at the Yankees beforehand…
I now some people have hard people in connecting the dots.
Why would they forfeit it when other teams were doing the same thing? They had a butt hurt players who went to the media, so they became the fall guys.
Yes, the Astros cheated in 2017, but so did a lot of teams. And MLB knew it, and looked the other way, just like they did when roids were rampant in late 90s/early 2000.
It wasn’t good for baseball, if word leaked out that a lot of MLB teams were cheating. A jaded Mike Fiers went to the media, so MLB had no choice to then go after the Astros.
The Red Sox got their hands slapped by MLB. The Yankees have been protected by MLB, by not unsealing the report. The Dodgers were accused of cheating by the Brewers. And there are more accusations for other teams as well.
But it’s just best for baseball for pretty much everyone to just think the Astros were the main cheaters, and let them take the rap for it. Knowing your own team cheated, but have not been publicly labeled yet, I guess, for the time being, it makes most of you able to just the ridicule the Astros.
And let’s be honest, MLB and most of you are satisfied with Astros being known as the only cheater being the case. Let’s just keep chastising them, cuz it’s easy to do. Most of you all just like to b**** anyway in life, so for baseball, let it be against the Astros.
As they say, ignorance is bliss.
You feel good now that’s out of your system…. doesn’t change a thing lol
Cheaters are cheaters.
Is it really a good thing (for them) if the Astros win today? That would be a sweep, but the Yankees and Rays will probably go 5 games, keeping them fresher than the Astros. The Stros’ would have to wait till next week to play another game, so is it worth it? Obviously it’s nice to sweep, but I wonder if that could play into the Yankees or Rays favor.
If affords them some extra rest for greinke. Although who knows how much a sore elbow can improve in a handful of days
Go Rays!