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SF Giants Press Clips

Saturday, August 12, 2017

San Francisco Chronicle

Giants’ Hunter Strickland, National’s Bryce Harper over past bad blood

John Shea

WASHINGTON — Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he wouldn’t hesitate using reliever Hunter

Strickland against Bryce Harper this weekend.

Strickland said it wouldn’t be an issue facing Harper for the first time since their May 29 brawl

in San Francisco.

“I’ve got a job to do against whatever hitter’s in the box,” Strickland said Friday.

Strickland served a six-game suspension for throwing at Harper in the last series between the

teams, and Harper served three games for charging the mound. The incident came three years

after Harper screamed at Strickland after hitting a home run in the 2014 NL Division Series.

“I think everybody’s past it,” Strickland said. “We did the consequences and moved forward.

Both teams are here to play ball.”

Nationals manager Dusty Baker was asked about possible carryover.

“That’s a long time, but it was a long time between the (2014) playoffs and the last time (in

May), so who knows?” Baker said. “It’s kind of on (Strickland). Bryce, he’s not pitching. There’s

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nothing we can do to him. He probably won’t get an at-bat. So what are you going to do? You

just play.”

Strickland drilled Harper with a first-pitch fastball, and Harper ran toward Strickland and threw

his helmet. They exchanged haymakers, each connecting. Both got ejected.

As the combatants faced off, Giants teammates Michael Morse and Jeff Samardzija rushed to

the scene and accidentally knocked heads, and Morse has had continuing concussion symptoms

as a result.

Morse hasn’t played since and will visit the Giants’ clubhouse in Miami on Tuesday and get

checked out by the medical department. It’s likely he won’t play again.

Melancon’s return: Reliever Mark Melancon (pronator strain) is expected to be activated from

the disabled list Saturday, but he won’t immediately return to the closer’s role.

Bochy plans to use Melancon, who hasn’t pitched since June 27, in a lower-leverage situation at

first.

In Melancon’s absence, the closer’s role has belonged to Sam Dyson, who was acquired from

the Rangers and debuted with the Giants June 11.

In 23 games, Dyson has a 2.22 ERA with eight saves in nine opportunities.

San Francisco Chronicle

Giants’ opener postponed, double-header Sunday

John Shea

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Nationals kept their fans wondering and waiting. And wondering and

waiting. Meantime, Giants players and coaches packed up and exited Nationals Park.

Finally, more than a half hour after word got to the Giants’ clubhouse that Friday night’s game

was rained out, the Nationals made the announcement to fans who had stuck around hoping

they were going to watch baseball.

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The game will be made up as part of a Sunday split double-header, the opener starting at 10:05

a.m. and the nightcap at 4:05 p.m.

Chris Stratton, who was supposed to pitch Friday, will start Saturday night. Jeff Samardzija and

Matt Moore will pitch the double-header.

Teams can add a 26th player for the second game of double-headers, and it’s possible the

Giants activate reliever Mark Melancon, who was scheduled to come off the disabled list

anyway.

Friday’s rain started about 4 p.m., shortly before the scheduled first pitch, and the teams were

informed more than 2 hours later that no game would be played.

The Nationals took a PR hit when failing to immediately tell fans, many of whom booed when

the announcement finally was made.

San Francisco Chronicle

Giants’ Strickland on possibly facing Harper again: ‘Both teams are here to play ball”

John Shea

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Before Friday’s opener of the Giants-Nationals series, Bruce Bochy said

he wouldn’t hesitate using reliever Hunter Strickland against Bryce Harper.

Strickland said it wouldn’t be an issue facing Harper for the first time since their May 29 brawl

in San Francisco.

“I’ve got a job to do against whatever hitter’s in the box,” Strickland said Friday.

Strickland served a six-game suspension for throwing at Harper in the last series between the

teams, and Harper served three games for charging the mound. The incident came three years

after Harper screamed at Strickland after hitting a home run in the 2014 Division Series.

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“I think everybody’s passed it,” Strickland said. “We did the consequences and moved forward.

Both teams are here to play ball.”

Nationals manager Dusty Baker was asked about possible carryover.

“That’s a long time, but it was a long time between the (2014) playoffs and the last time (in

May), so who knows?” Baker said. “It’s kind of on (Strickland). Bryce, he’s not pitching. There’s

nothing we can do to him. He probably won’t get an at-bat. So what are you going to do? You

just play.”

After Harper’s Game 1 homer off Strickland in the NLDS, Strickland said he wouldn’t be afraid to

throw Harper another fastball. Harper homered again off Strickland in Game 4, admired it and

yelled at Strickland while rounding the bases.

The next time they faced, May 29, Strickland drilled him with a first-pitch fastball. Harper ran

toward Strickland and threw his helmet. They exchanged haymakers, each connecting. Both got

ejected.

As the combatants faced off, Giants teammates Michael Morse and Jeff Samardzija rushed to

the scene and accidentally knocked heads, and Morse has had continuing concussion symptoms

as a result.

Morse hasn’t played since and will visit the Giants’ clubhouse in Miami on Tuesday and get

checked out by the medical department. It’s likely he won’t play again.

Harper is hitting .327 with 29 homers and 87 RBIs. Strickland has a 2.09 ERA while striking out

42 and walking 25 in 43 innings.

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San Jose Mercury News

Nationals leave fans in dark; finally reschedule Friday’s game against Giants as a Sunday split

doubleheader

Andrew Baggarly

WASHINGTON – Denard Span walked out of Nationals Park, wearing his street clothes and a

look of wonderment.

“They haven’t said anything to you guys yet?” he said to reporters.

Turns out the White House isn’t the only institution here having internal communication issues.

More than a half-hour after the first Giants players began to leave the premises, the

Washington Nationals were still letting their fans fidget in the damp concourse.

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With one big league team actually in the stadium, the Nationals finally announced the obvious:

Friday’s series opener was postponed because of rain, and will be made up as part of a split

doubleheader on Sunday.

Even as Giants manager Bruce Bochy talked to reporters summoned to his office, announcer

Jon Miller was sending him texts asking if the game would be played.

The announcement likely was delayed while club officials debated whether to reschedule a

doubleheader for Saturday, when the forecast is just as dicey, or on Sunday.

The first pitch for Game 1 Sunday will be moved up from 10:35 a.m. to 10:05 a.m. PDT so that

the Nationals can clear the stadium and keep their gate receipts. The second game is scheduled

for 4:05 p.m. PDT.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he planned to keep his rotation in order. So Chris Stratton

would start on Saturday, with Jeff Samardzija and Matt Moore in Sunday’s doubleheader.

The Giants and Nationals can add a 26th man to the roster on Sunday, but only for the second

game.

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San Jose Mercury News

Giants Notes

Andrew Baggarly

WASHINGTON – The Giants plan to activate right-hander Mark Melancon from the disabled list

on Saturday, but it sure sounds as if the $62 million closer’s elbow discomfort remains an

ongoing battle.

Asked if Melancon were finally past the pronator strain in his elbow that has put him on the DL

twice this season, or if he merely improved to the point where he can pitch, Giants manager

Bruce Bochy chose the latter description.

“He feels like he’s pitchable,” Bochy said. “In our bullpen, he can contribute and help out. That’s

what he wants to do.”

Melancon, 32, hasn’t pitched since June 27 and has a 4.35 ERA in 22 appearances. He has blown

four of 15 save opportunities, including one on opening day at Arizona.

Meanwhile, right-hander Sam Dyson has a 2.22 ERA in 23 appearances, is 8 for 9 in save

chances and there would appear to be no reason – aside from a nod to Melancon’s hefty

contract – to remove him from the closer role.

Bochy has said Melancon would be the closer eventually. But to begin, the manager would

prefer to use Melancon in a lower leverage situation or two.

“Still, if it’s a close game, I’ll use him,” Bochy said.

—

Second baseman Miguel Gomez was feeling better three days after he injured his knee while

running down the first base line. “I asked him if he could outrun me,” Bochy said.

—

Johnny Cueto (strained flexor muscle in forearm) began playing very light catch – his first time

picking up a baseball since he left his rehab start at Single-A San Jose because of elbow

discomfort.

Cueto said he was grateful that he felt no pain, but he has a long way to go as he builds up

intensity and then gets back on a mound.

—

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This should be an interesting series for the Giants, who are playing some of their best baseball

of the season. (Not a high bar, sure.) They are 6-3 in August and took series wins over the Cubs

and Diamondbacks, a pair of quality clubs.

They also have slept in their own beds for 20 of their last 23 games (counting the two games at

Oakland). So we’ll see if they can play better than they 19-38 road record thus far while taking

on a team that is coasting into October.

The series is winnable because the Giants face only one solid starter, Max Scherzer, on

Saturday. It’s Edwin Jackson today and A.J. Cole on Sunday. (Of course, the Giants don’t start

either of their best two here – Madison Bumgarner and Ty Blach.)

It’s a routine day off for Buster Posey, who gets a full, 48-hour breather to recharge. There’s a

stray thunderstorm or two in the Friday night forecast, but they should get this game in.

San Jose Mercury News

As Giants play Nationals again, Michael Morse is still paying the price for Strickland-Harper

fight

Andrew Baggarly

WASHINGTON – More than two months after Hunter Strickland hit Bryce Harper with a pitch

and set off a mano a mano brawl in front of the mound, Giants manager Bruce Bochy bristled a

bit when asked if he had talked to his right-handed reliever.

“It’s behind us,” said Bochy, as the Giants took batting practice prior to their series opener at

Nationals Park. “I had forgotten about it till you brought it up.”

There is one person who hasn’t forgotten about it. It is hard to forget the last moment of your

major league career.

Michael Morse sustained a concussion when he tried to separate Harper and Strickland, and

ended up knocking heads with Giants pitcher Jeff Samardzija.

Morse was diagnosed with the concussion the day after the May 29 fight, and placed on the

disabled list. That is where he remains, out of sight and out of mind after going back to his

family in the Miami area.

Bochy said he tried to call Morse earlier this week, and he heard from the training staff that the

former World Series hero would visit the team at Marlins Park on Tuesday.

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There has been no discussion of putting Morse on the active roster as a September call-up,

Bochy said. It appears his career is over at this point.

The collision with Samardzija ended a second act that probably wouldn’t have lasted much

longer, anyway. The Giants conceded the season in the following weeks, and as great a story as

Morse was when he came out of retirement to bash the ball in spring training, he wouldn’t

have served much purpose on a team that is looking to the future with younger players.

Still, for a player who was hugely popular in both Washington and San Francisco, it is a sad and

unfortunate way for things to end. Awkward, too.

In the aftermath of the fight, Harper thanked Morse, a former teammate, for preventing him

from getting sucker punched.

“I’m kind of thankful that Mikey Mo and Samardzija collided, because Samardzija saw blood a

little bit, I thought,” Harper said at the time. “I’m very thankful for Mikey Mo.”

Was Morse coming to the defense of a former teammate instead of supporting his current

mates? Was he ostracized as a result?

It’s hard to make that claim when so many other Giants wanted nothing to do with Strickland’s

assault to avenge a three-year-old grudge that dated back to the 2014 NL Division Series.

Catcher Buster Posey stood behind the plate and watched as Harper charged the mound and

sidearm-chucked his helmet. Giants infielders kept their distance, too.

Samardzija was the first to reach the two combatants – and he appeared to have a clenched fist

guided at Harper’s jaw before he and Morse knocked heads in a swirl of waving, brown hair.

There probably won’t be any escalation of tensions in this three-game series at Nationals Park.

The Giants and Nats played two games after the Harper-Strickland fight without incident, even

though Samardzija started one of them. Both Strickland and Harper served their suspensions.

Most likely, it’ll be business as usual – and while it could get interesting if Strickland faces

Harper, I’d wager that Bochy won’t let that happen. His pitcher went rogue on him once

already. Managers do not like to have their authority challenged.

For Morse, though, the consequences of that fight continue to linger.

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MLB.com

Friday’s game vs. Nats ppd.; twin bill Sunday

Kyle Melnick

WASHINGTON -- The Giants' rotation will remain intact as they play a split doubleheader vs. the

Nationals on Sunday after Friday night's game was postponed due to inclement weather.

Chris Stratton will start Saturday night, while Jeff Samardzija will take the mound for the first

game Sunday and Matt Moore for the second. Game 1 of the doubleheader will begin at 10:05

a.m. PT and Game 2 at 4:05 p.m. PT.

Full Game Coverage

Due to the schedule change, Stratton won't be on four days' rest by his next scheduled start

Wednesday vs. the Marlins. Outside of the rotation, Matt Cain is the only healthy Giants player

who's started at least one game. The right-hander could potentially make a spot start, but he

lost his job in the rotation to Stratton last week. Johnny Cueto is still working back from the

mild right flexor strain he sustained Aug. 1.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Buster Posey, who had a scheduled off-day Friday, will likely

receive another game off this series.

The Nationals delayed the start of Friday's game about 20 minutes before the scheduled first

pitch at 4:05 p.m. PT. The Nationals asked fans to take cover under the concourse as

thunderstorms struck.

MLB.com

Morse likely out for season with concussion

Kyle Melnick

WASHINGTON -- Michael Morse will likely miss the rest of the season from the concussion he

sustained on May 29, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

The injury occurred when Morse collided with Jeff Samardzija when tempers flared

betweenHunter Strickland and Bryce Harper in San Francisco. The 35-year-old will travel to

Miami on Tuesday during the Giants' series with the Marlins to be evaluated.

Full Game Coverage

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At the time of his injury, Morse was struggling, posting a .194/.250/.306 slash line with 14

strikeouts and three walks in 24 games. Morse has hit .274 over his 13-year career, but he

hasn't remained healthy the past two seasons.

It's uncertain how productive Morse would've been if he returned, but he could've tried to help

San Francisco's offense, which has scored the third-fewest runs in baseball. The Giants likely

want to be cautious with him, as they entered Friday 36 games back of the Dodgers in the

National League West.

Morse primarily served as a pinch-hitter, but he also played first base, which could've been

beneficial with Brandon Belt on the DL (concussion).

Mark Melancon update

Melancon will likely be activated Saturday after landing on the DL with a right elbow injury June

28.

Melancon's status depends on how he feels after playing catch Friday. Bochy said he'll likely

avoid using Melancon in a high-leverage situation during his first appearance back, but he

wouldn't rule out using the right-hander late in the game.

"He feels like he's pitchable," Bochy said. "We feel like he can contribute in our bullpen. He can

help out, and that's what he wants to do."

In 22 appearances this year, Melancon has notched a 4.35 ERA while going 11-for-15 in save

opportunities. The 32-year-old recorded an ERA below 2.30 in each of his four seasons before

entering this campaign, including three with an ERA under 2.00. He'll have a chance this

weekend to face the Nationals, whom he played with during the second half of last season.

Melancon looked good in two of his Minor League outings with Class A Advanced San Jose, but

the other didn't go as well, when he allowed four earned runs over two-thirds of an inning.

Worth noting

• Johnny Cueto played catch on the field Friday afternoon before the Giants' game vs. the

Nationals, as he's rehabbing the right mild flexor strain he endured Aug. 1.

• Bochy said Miguel Gomez is "doing a lot better" from the right knee injury he sustained

Tuesday, telling the manager he could outrun him.

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MLB.com

Stratton set to start vs. Nats following rainout

Kyle Melnick

Quite often in recent years, the Giants have gone to Washington to celebrate. This time, they'll

head for our nation's capital to reacclimate.

San Francisco has played all 26 of its games since the All-Star break within the state of

California, including 18 at home. Going on a legitimate trip, which starts with a three-game

series at Washington beginning Saturday after Friday's rainout, should remind Giants players of

the challenges of the road.

Full Game Coverage

The Nationals, with their 32-23 home record, are more than capable of forcing the Giants to

bear down.

Chris Stratton, who is still looking for his first win of the season, will make his third start (sixth

appearance) of the year for San Francisco. The right-hander has a 6.63 ERA in those outings. He

allowed three runs over five innings in his last start vs. the D-backs.

The Nationals will counter with right-hander Edwin Jackson. All four of the runs he allowed over

five innings in his last start vs. the Cubs came in the first inning.

Jackson went 2-0 with a 2.92 ERA in two starts against the Giants last season while playing for

the Padres. The journeyman is 4-4 with a 5.03 ERA in 11 career appearances vs. San Francisco.

Things to know about this game

• Several Nats are thriving at home, including Ryan Zimmerman (.345 batting average), Adam

Lind (.337), Bryce Harper (.327) and Anthony Rendon (.297).

• Along the same lines, a handful of Giants are hitting better than .300 on the road, including

Buster Posey (.312), Nick Hundley (.305) and Joe Panik (.303).

• Washington won four of seven games between the teams last year and has won all three so

far this season.

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CNBCsportsbayarea.com

After three hours, Nationals finally admit that game with Giants is postponed

Alex Pavlovic

SAN FRANCISCO — Earlier this season, the Nationals had to apologize to their fans after they

delayed a game three hours despite mostly dry conditions. When it actually rained Friday night

at Nationals Park, they somehow screwed the process up again.

After three hours of steady drizzle, the Nationals finally announced to the remaining fans that

the game had been postponed. By that point, the Giants clubhouse had long since cleared out

as players headed back to the hotel or for an unexpected dinner. The Giants found out the

game wouldn't be played because someone in the press box texted manager Bruce Bochy and

told him the Nationals’ TV announcers had already left. They will play a split doubleheader on

Sunday, with the first game starting at 1:05 p.m. and the second game beginning at 7:05 p.m.

The official postponement came at 9:48 p.m. The tarp went on at 6:38 p.m. Maybe one day

they'll figure out how to handle things here? Anyway, here are some notes from when it was

dry …

--- There is a chance Mark Melancon comes off the disabled list on Saturday, Bochy said.

Melancon has been sidelined since June 28 by a pronator strain but he felt good in his last

rehab outing. He will be eased back into the bullpen mix, with Sam Dyson remaining the closer

for at least a few more games.

--- Johnny Cueto played a very light game of catch. It was his first time picking up a ball since he

came out of a rehab start with elbow discomfort, and he said everything felt fine. Still, this was

just a very small step. Cueto will remain with the Giants on this trip and they’ll see how he

feels.

--- Bochy does not expect any issues between Hunter Strickland and Bryce Harper, and he said

he wouldn’t hesitate to use Strickland if Harper’s spot is coming up. We’ll see. The Giants are

still feeling the aftershocks of that fight, specifically with their former left fielder/first baseman.

Michael Morse will meet with the staff in Miami on Tuesday, but he’s not expected to return to

the team this season. Morse hasn’t played since suffering a concussion during that fight, and

given where the team is in the standings (and the number of young players seeing time) it

never made sense for Morse to ramp up what would have been a long rehab process.

--- Miguel Gomez got treatment for knee inflammation and he was cleared to play. “I asked him

if he could outrun me,” Bochy said. “He said yes.”

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CNBCsportsbayarea.com

Down on the Farm

Dalton Johnson

The last time the Giants owned a top-five pick in the MLB Draft, they called the name Gerald

Dempsey "Buster" Posey. Yeah, that turned out pretty well.

All in all, the Giants have only owned four top-five draft picks. Through Aug. 10, the Giants (46-

70) are in place for the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft.

When San Francisco's front office has been put in that position, they have pounced at the

chance to find a star and place the team in the right direction. Starting with Will Clark, take a

look back at the Giants' impressive history of success with a top-five draft pick.

Will Clark, 1985, No. 2 overall

After an abysmal 1984 season, the Giants brought a new thrill to San Francisco with the second

pick in the 1985 MLB Draft.

As a junior at Mississippi State, his last year as a Bulldog, Will Clark dominated his college

competition. He hit .420 with 25 home runs in 65 games played. Clark went on won the Golden

Spikes Award as the nation’s top college player.

The start to his professional career was just as promising too. Clark played another 65 games at

Advanced Single-A in Fresno and slashed .309/.558/.512 with 10 more home runs in '85. In less

than a year after the Giants drafted him, the boisterous sweet-swinging lefty was in the bigs.

Clark made his major league debut on April 8, 1986 at 22 years old against some 39-year-old

named Nolan Ryan. Never mind that Ryan already had five no-hitters to his name, The Thrill

couldn't care less. In his first at-bat, he took Ryan deep to dead center field. He went on to bat

.287 with 11 home runs as a rookie.

Over eight years with the Giants, Clark cranked out 176 home runs and 1278 hits with his

.299/.373/.499 slash line. As a Giant, he was a five-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger award

winner and won the 1991 National League Gold Glove at first base.

The Giants took Clark four picks before Barry Bonds went to the Pirates, but at the time, you

couldn't fault San Francisco for taking the first baseman. And years later, there still shouldn't be

any second guessing despite all that Bonds did.

Matt Williams, 1986, No. 3 overall

Matt Williams' career was almost literally twice as good as the first two picks of the 1986 MLB

Draft. Williams accumulated a 46.4 career bWAR over 17 years. In comparison, the first two

picks of the draft combined for 47.7 career bWAR.

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While the Giants painfully lost 100 games for the first time in franchise history in 1985, the

team's worst season ever brought them a future star in Williams.

Coming out of UNLV, Williams, like Clark, crushed 25 balls over the fence his final college

season as a junior. But unlike the Giants' top pick from a year before, Williams didn't burst onto

the scene right away. Though Williams made his major league debut in 1987, he truly became

an everyday player for a full season in 1990 at 24 years old and was now a third baseman, no

longer a shortstop. The wait was easily worth it.

In his first season of seeing his name in the lineup every game, Williams was named an All-Star

and won the Silver Slugger award as he knocked 33 home runs and led the league with 122 RBI.

From that 1990 season through his final year with the Giants in 1996, Williams averaged 30

home runs and 92 RBI.

As a Giant, Williams totaled 1092 hits and 247 home runs over 10 years. He was a four-time All-

Star in San Francisco, won three Silver Slugger awards and three Gold Gloves.

The Giants' picks of Clark and Williams in back-to-back years went about as perfect as the team

could have planned for.

Jason Grilli, 1997, No. 4 overall

The Giants drafted Grilli as a junior out of Seton Hall University, but he was gone just two years

later. The now journeyman never did make it to the majors with the Giants and was traded to

the Marlins for Livan Hernandez on July 25, 1999.

Before the trade, Baseball America twice saw Grilli as a Top 100 prospect for the Giants. The

right-hander was ranked as the No. 54 prospect in the game by Baseball America going into the

1998 season. He moved up 10 spots to No. 44 prior to the 1999 season.

Grilli is now in his 15th season and pitching for his ninth different team. He was named an All-

Star as a reliever with the Pirates in 2013.

Buster Posey, 2008, No. 5 overall

If it weren't for a 10-year minimum rule, Posey, in his eighth full season with the Giants, would

already be a Hall of Famer.

Let's look at his list of Cooperstown accomplishments he's already achieved at 30 years old.

Posey is a three-time World Series champion, a NL MVP and Rookie of the Year, he's played in

five All-Star Games, won three Silver Slugger awards, and took home his first Gold Glove last

season. In other words, Posey is already on his way to etching his name among the greatest

catchers of all-time.

Remembering the 2008 MLB Draft, which was thought to be a stacked class at the time, Posey

is far and above the best player. The four players selected ahead of him have combined for a 25

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bWAR. By himself, Posey has a 37.5 bWAR. He is 12.5 wins better than the four together, and

that includes All-Star Eric Hosmer.

Posey is the latest in a line of Giants top five picks in which the franchise comes out on top.

Grilli is nowhere near the player Clark, Williams or Posey turned into, yet even he became an

All-Star down the line like the three others.

The Giants expected to compete for a World Series this season. Instead, they're at the bottom

of baseball, but maybe that means another future San Francisco star awaits them next June.

ESPN.com

Do the Astros have enough pitching for the postseason?

Bradford Doolittle

CHICAGO -- The Houston Astros, a franchise that has never won a World Series, raced out of the

gate this season and finished a 60-29 first half with a 19-1 thumping of the Toronto Blue Jays.

They have been as many as 34 games over .500, the last after the games of July 28, and have

held a lead as large as 18 games in the AL West.

Even after their recent 3-9 stretch, the Astros hold a 13-game lead in their division, own a run

differential that completely supports their won-loss record and have a six-game bulge for the

best record in the American League.

ADVERTISEMENT

The regurgitative capsule of the Astros' season you just read are the most important facts you

will encounter in this story. They, more than anything else, tell you where Houston resides in

the MLB pecking order.

You always start with a question and if you're lucky, the answer becomes the story. Alas,

sometimes the search only leads to more questions. With the Astros in town, that meant three

days of pondering their potential postseason rotation, the issue that has dogged them for

weeks.

At least for the moment, that issue has been shoved aside by the team's first prolonged

struggles this season. The Astros slunk out of Chicago late Thursday, winless in three games

there, their comet tails fizzling into dust. Just one night earlier, I wrote of the kind of

malaise every team goes through during a season. After watching Houston drop three straight

to the White Sox -- statistically the club with the worst current roster in baseball -- it's still not

time to panic, but the vibe is off for a team with World Series aspirations, and the postseason

only weeks away.

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"We're not playing our best baseball," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "I don't think we can look

too far ahead or not take ourselves seriously when it comes to how we're going to compete.

Getting healthy and staying healthy is key."

The Astros' biggest current problem from a tangible standpoint is getting their roster healthy,

and luckily it seems as if they have a good chance of being whole by the time postseason

arrives. Aside from that, the rotation and its No. 25 post-All-Star-break rank in ERA is causing a

lot of hand-wringing.

The Astros' lead in the AL West remains massive. Houston will win its division for the first time

since Hall of Famers Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio led the Astros to the NL Central crown in

2001. But if some forward momentum and a collective positive frame of mind isn't established

over the next month or so, Houston will be in trouble, because in-season maneuvering has left

its own roster in roughly the same talent neighborhood as the Indians, Red Sox and Yankees.

"Every team goes through these stretches," Hinch said. "This is really one of the first tough

stretches where we had a couple of weeks where we haven't got the results we want. The

reality is you've got to play baseball. We'll do it because we have a really good team."

The rotation remains the central topic, because whether or not it's true that the Astros needed

a boost in that area for October, it's apparent that the clubhouse felt that it did. The challenge

for everyone right now is to figure out how to keep that perceived problem from become a de

facto problem.

"We've got to get our pitching on track," Hinch said. "With our team, it's specific. Getting our

starting pitching on track and getting our bullpen slotted. We have the opportunity to worry

about ourselves and try to get ourselves right and tighten up some of the things we haven't

done well."

Whether or not this is what he intended, the heightened scrutiny over Houston's starting staff

is a product of Keuchel's publicly expressed disappointment over the team's deadline inactivity.

It started well before that, at least externally. Rumors have been matching Houston with

various starting pitchers thought to be on the trade market since last winter. Such a player

looked like the missing piece on a championship roster. It seemed all but certain that something

would happen.

Eventually.

One by one, the best options dried up. Oakland's Sonny Gray landed with the Yankees. The

Cubs acquired Jose Quintana from the crosstown White Sox. Jaime Garcia went from the Braves

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to the Twins to the Yankees. Detroit's Justin Verlander, an Astros rumor that just won't die,

remains a highly compensated Tiger who happens to have been dominant of late.

With that as the backdrop, Keuchel took to the mound with plenty of work to do on his own

account. After a brilliant start to his season, he went on the disabled list in May because of a

pinched nerve in his neck. Two months later, he was back in the Astros' rotation but his early

season dominance remains missing.

That continued Tuesday against a White Sox lineup that entered the game with a collective .317

weighted on-base percentage (WOBA). But Keuchel's pitch count ran up to 90 by the end of the

fourth and he was done, giving up eight runs and 10 hits. Keuchel finished with a game score of

9 -- the worst of his 140 career outings.

"Just not a great night for him," Hinch said. "I'm surprised any time he's not almost perfect. He's

been so dominant for so many starts that when he's not particularly sharp, it's a little bit

surprising. But he had a real injury, took a lot of time off, he's trying to find his rhythm and

timing."

Over three starts since coming off the DL, Keuchel has now gone 0-2 with a 10.75 ERA and more

walks than strikeouts.

"I had been really, really good before I went down," Keuchel said. "Been really, really bad the

three starts since the DL. We'll get it right and get back to it."

One of the most fascinating things about watching a baseball game, or even a series of three

games, is that you cannot necessarily believe what you see. The results are real enough but to

interpret the meaning of those results you have to take a wide-lens approach, and even then

you have to proceed with care.

Since the beginning of the 2015 season, Keuchel ranks 17th among all starting pitchers in WAR.

Which is to say he's an established No. 1 starter. He's not in the ace tier, where you can only

find the likes of Clayton Kershaw, Chris Sale, Max Scherzer and, probably, Corey Kluber. Keuchel

is solidly in the next tier, and when he's right, there aren't many better options for a Game 1

starter in a playoff series.

The mention of Kluber brings to mind another factor. Given the growing trend of postseason

managers yanking nonelite starters as soon as they've cleared the lineup a couple of times and

run into any sign of trouble, that might actually heighten the advantage of having an ace-type

pitcher who can reliably navigate three or four times through the opposition, saving the wear-

and-tear on the high-leverage relief staff. Keuchel, more than any other Astros starter, is built

for that.

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Over that past three years, only three starters have held opposing batters to a lower WOBA

after the first two times through the order (minimum 500 batters faced): Kershaw, Kluber

and David Price. After Keuchel comes Sale and Scherzer. This is the elite group.

Speaking of the past three years, Keuchel ranks 10th among all pitchers during that time with

31 outings with a game score of at least 65. He is 26-0 in those contests, which is to say that

Keuchel has more games of pure dominance than the vast majority of big league starters, and

when he has one, the offensively potent Astros do not lose.

But regardless of whether the Astros have made or will make a splashy rotation addition,

Keuchel will remain the No. 1 starter. It all begins with him. Houston's chances in October are

much more closely tied to Keuchel returning to form than whether or not the teams lands

Verlander. That's what makes outings like the one in Chicago so worrisome.

"It's very frustrating," Keuchel said. "[Chicago's] a talented lineup, but it's a lineup I should have

done some damage against."

But if the deadline didn't create the perception of the need for a starter, the circumstances

since then have only fueled the chatter.

Part of that is the lackluster post-break rotation ERA and lack of consistency. There were the DL

stays of Keuchel and Lance McCullers, whose early season performance made him look like

Houston's answer for a No. 2 starter. McCullers started 7-1 with a 2.69 ERA and averaged 10.7

strikeouts per nine innings over his first 15 starts. But he was bombed in each of his past four

outings before ending up on the disabled list. McCullers wasn't with the team in Chicago and

the club has been reluctant to put a timetable on his return.

If McCullers can get healthy and recover his first-half performance, he's as tough a No. 2 as any

Houston opponent can roll out. Just to compare him to the trade rumor guys:

And those numbers include McCullers' pre-DL funk. The Astros rolled up their fantastic record

with him performing like an ace, and if they manifest their regular-season performance with an

October run, it's probably going to include him returning to that level. With a one-two punch

like that, it's arguable that any acquisition the Astros would have made would have had, at

best, marginal impact. Good teams win because they have good players, not because they need

good players. Perhaps that's why studies have shown that there is basically no correlation

between trading for an ace pitcher at the deadline and winning the World Series.

One last thing about McCullers: Remember that bit about Keuchel's fine numbers working deep

into games? McCullers has been dominant this season during his first two trips through an

opposing order, holding hitters to a .273 WOBA that ranks 10th in baseball. After that, the

number jumps to .404. He's a fit for that new model of postseason bullpen usage and that

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factor is what delineates Keuchel at No. 1 and McCullers at No. 2. After that, it becomes

murkier, but luckily for the Astros, that's because they possess a number of solid options that

happen to be tough to differentiate.

One of those is McHugh. A blessing in disguise for Hinch is that with Keuchel and McCullers out,

there has been a good chance to cycle through other candidates for the postseason rotation,

those being McHugh, Mike Fiers, Charlie Morton and Brad Peacock. Lost in all of the debate

about the rotation was that the Astros did in fact add a rotation piece when McHugh was

activated from the DL on July 22. He had been out since spring training because of posterior

impingement of his right elbow.

McHugh's absence was no small thing. Among Houston starters from 2014 to '16, McHugh's

3.71 ERA ranked neck-and-neck with Fiers (3.74) for third on the staff behind Keuchel and

McCullers. His start on Wednesday was only his fourth of the season, and in his two previous

stats, McHugh gave up only two earned runs over 10 innings. It's a small sample but

encouraging.

McHugh zipped through four scoreless innings against the White Sox but hung a slider to Tim

Anderson for a two-run homer in the fifth. He made it through the Chicago order only once

more, departing with one out in the fifth and seven runs on the board. Chicago won 7-1 to

make it two straight over the powerful Astros.

"Escaped in the early innings, then settled in nicely," Hinch said, shrugging off McHugh's

struggles. "Then he just lost his command. He got into some counts where he couldn't escape.

"A few mistakes midgame where he got burned. Not his night. His mechanics were fine. He just

ran into some guys who put up good at-bats."

Afterward, the Houston clubhouse was quiet. The booming music from pregame was gone and

the players sat around tables eating their share of the postgame spread in silence. McHugh

talked about his inability to locate his slider or get the Sox to chase it. It's all part of the ups and

downs of a 162-game season.

"I felt good the last couple outings," McHugh said. "I think my stuff has been good. My

command has been pretty good. Today, it wasn't."

Just a malaise, I thought. Every team goes through it.

This should almost go without saying, but in a sports universe in which we so confidently tell

teams what they should do, the fact of the matter is that teams know themselves better than

we do. So the question for the Houston Astros is: How well do they know themselves? The

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Astros' accuracy in answering that question might well determine if Houston is to finally break

through with its first World Series title this fall.

The outside perception of the Astros seems to be that the rotation is one frontline performer

short of championship-caliber. The Houston front office, through its actions, or lack thereof, is

saying that the need for a starter is not acute enough to meet the asking price of the

marketplace.

On Thursday, Houston outfielder Josh Reddick went on the radio and echoed Keuchel's fading

comments on the deadline, only this time attributing the funk to the whole team. His response

was nuanced in that, just like Keuchel, he didn't call out a specific position group and he insisted

that the team felt it could win with who is in the clubhouse.

Still, you have to wonder if the Astros are falling for what has in recent years become

something of a trope around the deadline: Front offices must prove to their teams that they are

committed, otherwise the wrong message is sent. Only, why isn't that construed as a vote of

confidence for who is already around?

"I think the starting pitchers should take offense to it," Hinch said. "We roll guys out there that

are trying to do exactly what everybody says they can't do or that we don't have. We don't

spend a lot of time talking about what other people say about us. We have great chemistry, a

great culture, a lot of pride. We have a ton of competitive guys.

"At the end of the season, we'll be able to know exactly what we are, what we were or where

we're going."

Barring a blockbuster post-deadline trade, the Astros are what they are. The question now is

simply whether Houston can win it all with the starting rotation as it's currently constructed.

Right now, it's hard to see what things will look like in October.

"These guys are in different parts of their season, whether it's McHugh just starting out or

Keuchel just coming off injury," Hinch said. "Peacock has been in and out of the rotation. Fiers

has had a great run of success, but he's had to battle of late. Different names, different runs of

success.

"With our offense, when you roll out quality start after quality start, you can go off on a run of

10 games."

Which brings us to Peacock, who has been around since 2013 and has bounced back and forth

from the back of the rotation to the bullpen for Houston. Entering this season, he had a career

4.57 ERA in 263⅔ big league innings. Then he learned how to throw a slider.

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According to fangraphs.com, Peacock ranks in the top 20 in pitch value this season with both his

fastball and his slider, the latter a pitch he didn't even throw when he broke into the big

leagues. He also has started to sink his hard stuff, and the results have been startling: Peacock is

10-1 with a 3.07 ERA. He was on his game in Chicago as well, holding the White Sox to a single

run in 6⅓ innings.

Still, Peacock might be a longshot for the Houston postseason rotation for another reason. Like

McCullers, he has been lights-out the first two times he has seen hitters this season, holding

them to a .248 WOBA. Only four pitchers have been better: Sale, Alex Wood, Kershaw

and James Paxton.

Why does that preclude a rotation spot? Well, Peacock has made half of his appearances this

season out of the bullpen, posting a 1.77 ERA with a 1.03 WHIP in that role. Given that success

and his ability to go multiple times through an order, he seems to be an ideal candidate to

complement super-reliever Chris Devenski in the 2017 version of a playoff bullpen, soaking up

those key innings in front of the back end of the bullpen.

Houston has that luxury because McHugh, Fiers and even Morton give Hinch other options. It's

a pretty picture that does not scream for the addition of another subject.

Yet, the clubhouse doesn't feel right, and the mood was even more somber after Peacock's

outing. That's because closer Ken Giles gave up a tying homer to Yoan Moncada in the ninth,

then Moncada got his first career walk-off RBI in extra innings. Instead of Peacock providing the

spark the Astros needed in the series finale, Houston left Chicago dealing with an unlikely

sweep.

"We needed to find a way to win the game," Hinch said. "We're not in a great place right now.

Obviously, we've had a tough trip to this city.

"We'll move on to the next city and get ourselves together."

Does Houston have an issue?

On paper, there is no issue. The healthy version of the Astros' roster was head and shoulders

above the rest of the American League. You can argue that the gap has been closed by

improvements in Cleveland, Boston and New York. But it's still a gap.

Nothing is guaranteed in playoff baseball, but the math is in Houston's favor, as it is for the best

team in any league in any year. The offense is a record-setter, and opposing staffs have to

contend with that. The pitching staff is deep and balanced.

All the pieces are in place. If the players recognize that, the Astros will be fine.

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"We're getting beat up a little bit," Hinch said. "We've got to figure out ourselves before we

really figure out what kind of situation we're in. I think the mentality of our team is strong

enough.

"These games are taking a lot out of our guys. We're getting beat up, but we'll figure it out."