Astros Crawfish Boil: October 4, 2023

Welcome to the postseason!

With four games in the books, now, we have between 28 and 49 games left in the season. Even so, there’s a lot of baseball to watch before we get a chance to see the Astros back in action again (between seven and 11 games, depending on when in the day the Astros will be taking the field).

In yesterday’s Boil, I asked for your Wildcard Series predictions. In losing the first game to Texas, 4-0, Tampa Bay put the kibosh on 36 percent of your predictions, Make no mistake, even moreso than the Texas Rangers won this one, the Tampa Bay Rays lost it.

As regards the second wildcard series of the day, the Minnesota Twins defeated the Blue Jays, 3-1 to prove 12 percent of you wrong. The win was Minnesota’s first postseason victory since 2004, a span of 18 losses.

The Milwaukee vs. Arizona series, which was empirically speaking the most entertaining contest of the day, ended with the visiting Diamondbacks securing a 6-3 victory. The win for Arizona means that 33 percent of you were incorrect.

In Philadelphia, the Phillies made quick work of the Marlins, winning 4-1. Only six percent of you had Miami winning in two.

GameTime & Starting Pitchers
TX vs. TB — 3:08 PM CT: Nathan Eovaldi (12-5, 3.63) vs. Zach Eflin (16-8, 3.50)
MIN vs. TOR — 4:38 PM CT: José Berríos (11-12, 3.65) vs. Sonny Gray (8-8, 2.79)
ARI vs. MIL — 7:08 PM CT: Zac Gallen (17-9, 3.47) vs. Freddy Peralta (12-10, 3.86)
MIA vs. PHI — 8:08 PM CT: Braxton Garrett (9-7, 3.66) vs. Aaron Nola (12-9, 4.46)

Houston Astros News

Who will Astros play in ALDS? Minnesota earns AL Wild-Card Game 1 win over Toronto; Yordan Alvarez named Player of the Month (ABC 13)

Micheladas and curveball corn dogs: See what’s new, returning to Minute Maid Park as Astros batter up (Click 2 Houston)

Will Astros’ struggles at home continue in playoffs?

Sports Extra Extra: Everything the Astros said after winning AL West (KHOU)

Latest report drops new clues on who will lead Houston Astros next season (Sports Map)

AL West News

To catch popup bunt, Montgomery ‘blacked out and went for it’

Rangers grind vs. Glasnow, capitalize on Rays’ errors to win Game 1

Phil Nevin showcases love for the Halos in classy statement following Angels departure (Sportskeeda)

Angels GM Perry Minasian signals more changes possible after another losing season (The Athletic)

Seattle Mariners fans infuriated by Scott Servais claiming team was as good as the Rangers and Astros (Sportskeeda)

We’re actually doing the fan base a favor in asking for their patience to win the World Series (Overtime Heroics)

After trying season, A’s baseball leadership looks to build on incremental improvements (The Athletic)

Attanasio says MLB committee on Athletics’ move will meet this week, declines to comment on progress (AP News)

MLB News

At long last, the longest postseason losing streak is over

1 key storyline for every Wild Card Game 2

19 facts about the Twins snapping a 19-year postseason losing streak

‘The story was Wheeler’: Phillies take Wild Card Game 1 vs. Marlins

D-backs slug way to victory vs. Crew’s best in Game 1

What stop sign? Harper turns on jets to go first to home

‘Threw my glove up’: Longoria thwarts bases-loaded threat

Correa’s postseason magic continues with run-saving throw

Houston Astros Birthdays

LHP Joe Thatcher (42) closed out his nine-season MLB career with the 2015 Astros, making 43 trips out of the bullpen. He was 1-3 with a 3.18 ERA over 22 ²⁄₃ innings, with 26 K’s, a 1.544 WHIP and a 3.00 FIP.

SS Mark McLemore (59) had a 19-season MLB career split over seven teams, including all five members of the current AL West. He played 21 games for Houston in 1991, and hit .148 with two RBI.

OF Chris James (61) spent 65 games with the 1993 Astros, hitting .256/.361/.534 with seven home runs and 19 RBI.

OF Billy Hatcher (63), who in my brain has always been exclusively an Astro, spent 10 major league seasons between seven teams. He played in 521 games for Houston between 1986 and 1989, hitting .266/.318/.366 with 27 jacks, 195 RBI, and 145 stolen bases.

RHP Joe Boever (63) appeared in an MLB-leading 81 games in 1992 for the Astros. In 111 ¹⁄₃ innings of exclusively relief pitching, Boever was 3-6 with a 2.51 ERA and 67 strikeouts.

RHP Don Bradey (89) pitched in three games for the Houston Colt .45s in 1964, and allowed seven runs in 2 ¹⁄₃ innings. My man had a 3.857 career WHIP.

Today’s Poll