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That Was Not Fun

 After the opening series of the season, I wrote a post titled "That Was Fun."  Welp, this series against the Tigers was the opposite--it was very much not fun.

And yesterday, the misery was exacerbated with the news that five Astros--Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, Robel Garcia, and Martin Maldonado--had been placed on the IL due to MLB's "health and safety protocols" created to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.  

Alexanders' Last Name?  Apparently Bregman

Lance McCullers then went out and pitched a stinker. The bats couldn't get a big hit with the bases loaded in the 8th and 9th innings. Dusty decided that since we didn't have COVID in the '90s, he'd fight the virus by sending out a lineup crafted in the '90s. As a result, Carlos Correa watched the game's final out from the on deck circle. And after the game, Dusty noted that McCullers was sick and was trying to gut out a performance.  

What a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day to be an Astros fan. 

Some thoughts on the state of the team right now.

  • The team had a magnificent first two series (one loss) and a terrible next two series (one win).  Put them together, they are just about even.  But the emotional roller coaster between the two weeks is pretty dire.
  • While after the game McCullers said he did not "really understand why we played tonight," James Click said before the game that he was in contact with MLB who said "they don't believe there is a health and safety reason not to play." MLB postponed the Nationals season opening series due to a COVID-19 outbreak on that team, which sidelined 11 players. So the five players the Astros were missing is well below this number. It is understandable why MLB did not want to postpone.
  • McCullers apparently decided he was Michael Jordan and wanted his own flu game. That didn't happen obviously. Cristian Javier pitched yesterday at the alternate site. There is an alternate universe where McCullers lets the team know about his illness early in the day and Javier comes to Houston to pitch.  Alas, we did not get that. 
  • It is important to note that the five guys who went on the IL yesterday went on the COVID IL, which is separate from the regular IL.  There is no minimum stay on the COVID IL, so each can return to the lineup once they clear MLB's protocols. So if most of the guys are out for contract tracing, they could out of lineup for just a short period of time.  Anyone who tested positive is on the IL for a minimum of 10 days.  And in further good news, Dusty Baker said in his post-game press conference that "all the guys involved at least had their first shots." The bad news, Dusty also said that none of the five were travelling with the team today to Seattle.
  • And an observation about baseball on the field. Last night was only the 3rd game this season the Astros have played that has been decided by 3 runs or less. Ryan Pressly, the Astros closer, has no saves on the season. Pressly has pitched well so far this season, but the team has basically not had any save situations for him to close out. 

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