Astros Crawfish Boil: Thursday, April 6, 2023

Welcome to your Thursday Boil!

It’s here! The first off-day of the regular season. Not quite the same excitement as Opening Day, I know. There is still baseball to be enjoyed if you’re interested. You can watch MLB from noon to midnight if the cards fall right, with starting times at 12:10, 1:10 (two games), 3:10, 6:20, and 9:10. If all you really care about is the Astros, three of their affiliates are in action tonight, with two of them available on the MLB or MILB tv package.

The Bowling Green Hot Rods will visit the Asheville Tourists (High-A) in the opening salvo for both teams at 5:35 PM. Miguel Ullola will be starting that game. At the Triple-A level, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (2-2) host the Round Rock Express (2-2) at 6:35 PM, with Jimmy Endersby (0-1, 6.00) taking the hill. At 7:05 PM, Spencer Arrighetti and the Corpus Christi Hooks open their campaign at home against the Arkansas Travelers. There may be a combined game thread if we can convince William. (update: gamethread is a go)

Houston Astros News

Astros radio voice roasts Connecticut governor over Houston disrespect (chron.com)

Astros pound Tigers 8-2, stave off series sweep (deadspin.com)

Houston Astros fans appalled by overbearing ad logo on team’s uniforms: “That oxy patch on the jerseys is offensively big” “Absolutely hideous” (sportskeeda.com)

Astros’ Dusty Baker pushes back on criticism of 2-4 start: ‘Don’t panic’ (houstonchronicle.com)

Top Astros prospects off to strong start in Triple-A (chron.com)

Astros, Jose Altuve honor Miguel Cabrera in retirement ceremony (houstonchronicle.com)

MLB fans overjoyed about Houston Astros poor start to the 2023 season: “Buzzers not working?” (sportskeeda.com)
Schadenfreude is never a good look. Guess who doesn’t care what everyone else thinks?

Will Astros repeat as World Series champs? Or will one of these five teams stop them (abc13.com)

Rich Dauer getting support from Astros and baseball world (mlb.com)

AL West News

Watch: Shohei Ohtani runs across outfield to greet his hero, Ichiro (mlb.com)

Mariners Notebook: Teoscar Hernández finding groove in multiple ways (sports.mynorthwest.com)

4-2 - Rangers salvage finale behind deGrom’s dominance (lonestarball.com)

Texas Ranger Josh Smith thankful injury not worse (cbsnews.com)

The Strain Of Sucking Mondo Ass Is Wearing On Anthony Rendon (defector.com)

Angels’ Taylor Ward still getting a crash course with the outfield fence (ocregister.com)

The Athletics are already being outdrawn by Triple-A games less than a week into MLB season (ftw.usatoday.com)

THE ATTENDANCE FOR LAST NIGHT’S ATHLETICS GAME WAS PATHETIC (outkick.com)

Oakland Athletics fans bristle over report that team being outdrawn by most Triple-A squads: “It’s not about the fans” “Skinflint recluse of an owner” (sportskeeda.com)
What’s happening in Oakland now is one of the saddest things I’ve seen happen to a storied franchise. Still, it’s not like it would be a new development if they moved. Remember, this team started in Philadelphia in 1901, moved to Kansas City in 1955, then arrived on the west coast in 1968. I guess they’re going to start slowly moving back east. By 2075, they’ll be the New Orleans Athletics, and they’ll probably arrive back on the east coast in Virginia Beach sometime around 2110.

MLB News

How MLB, MLBPA came together for ‘life-changing’ minor league CBA (ESPN.com)

Shohei Ohtani Makes Unique MLB History With Pitch Clock Violations vs. Mariners (si.com/extra-mustard.com)

Latest On Justin Verlander (mlbtraderumors.com)

Unbeaten Rays off to a start not seen since 1884 (mlb.com)

MLB Umpire Had A Hilarious Reaction After Getting Absolutely Run Over by Aroldis Chapman (si.com/extra-mustard.com)

Plum grad McGough works way back to MLB after finding his footing in Japan (triblive.com)

Houston Astros Birthdays

RHP Tommy Greene (56) was an eight-season major league veteran. He pitched 599 innings between 1989 and 1995 for the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. In 1997, he made it back to the majors with Houston, and struck out 11 versus five walks in nine innings of work over two games.

Righty outfielder other-Barry Wesson (46) made his major league debut with the 2002 Astros and went four-for-20 with a triple in 15 games.

Edinburg, TX native Ralph Garza (29), a RHP, made his major league debut with the Astros in 2021. He struck out 14 in 11 innings of work, but also gave up 1.636 WHIP and a 4.90 FIP. On August 4 of that year he was selected off waivers from Houston by the Minnesota Twins.