Astros Crawfish Boil: September 21, 2015

Astros News:

Astros Bolster Their Lead for Second Wild-Card Spot - The New York Times
The Astros won their second in a row after a five-game skid that knocked them out of first place in the American League West.

Astros assistant GM David Stearns headed to Brewers - Ultimate Astros
Amidst a flurry of turnover in baseball front offices and the surprising success of the 2015 Astros, the team’s young second-in-command in baseball operations is about to run a front office of his own.

Despite 'terrible' Sunday, Rangers' Holland guarantees he'll be 'ready' for Astros | FOX Sports
Derek Holland was a mess on Sunday, but he's confident in his chances of a turnaround.

Angels meet Astros for pivotal series | The Seattle Times
The Los Angeles Angels head to Houston for a pivotal series with the hope of replicating this weekend’s results in Minnesota.

Astros scouting report: vs. Angels - Houston Chronicle
With 12 games left in the season, this three-game series could prove crucial in the AL wild-card race. A sweep by the Angels would push L.A. past the Astros for the final AL wild-card spot. Conversely, the Astros could create a comfortable lead over the Angels with a sweep of their own. [...] only Lance Berkman (21 in 2000), Glenn Davis (20 in 1985) and George Springer (20 in 2014) have hit more homers as a rookie for the Astros.

Road to playoffs for Angels goes through Houston - SweetSpot - ESPN
The Angels travel to Houston to face the Astros for a critical series with playoff implications.

MLB News:

The worst month of Chris Sale's career - Beyond the Box Score
Chris Sale has made four starts since September first, and the results haven't been pretty.

Yadier Molina leaves game with injured left thumb - Viva El Birdos
In the bottom of the eighth inning of the St. Louis Cardinals' sweep-avoiding victory over the third-place Chicago Cubs on Sunday, jubilation turned to worry. The joy was born out of worry. Setup...

Orioles have reason to celebrate Bowie's championship, but shouldn't get carried away - Camden Chat
To hear MASN tell it, the Bowie Baysox winning the Eastern League title means a team chock full of future Orioles is marching to the big leagues. It's a nice story, but it's not THAT nice. The win only means so much for the franchise.

Brewers to hire David Stearns as GM - Bucs Dugout
The Brewers will reportedly hire Astros assistant GM David Stearns to take over for Doug Melvin as their next general manager. The 30-year-old will become baseball's youngest GM. It's hard to tell...

Will Dustin Ackley be a legitimate option at second base next year? - Pinstripe Alley
Will the Yankees give Dustin Ackley a shot at second base next year?