Astros Crawfish Boil: May 8, 2023

Welcome to another week of Houston Astros baseball.

We complain, sure, but isn’t it better than the offseason?

Houston Astros

‘We’ve got to play a lot better’: Astros being tested (mlb.com)

Son of Astros J.P. France steals show during father’s debut (houstonchronicle.com)

4 charged in connection with burglary at Houston Astros player Jose Altuve’s home: Police (abcnews.go.com)

Jose Altuve looks ‘game ready.’ A struggling Astros offense needs him (theathletic.com)

Tempers flare in Seattle

AL West News

Seattle Mariners Make History in Win Over Houston Astros on Saturday (si.com)

Mariners bring up reliever Juan Then as Penn Murfee goes on injured list (seattletimes.com)

Eyeball Scout Report On Players Worth Analyzing (athleticsnation.com)

Vida Blue, Oakland A’s MVP and three-time champion, dead at 73 (nypost.com)

Angels blown out in another rough game for José Suarez (ocregister.com)

Mike Trout Trade Rumors: Top 3 landing spots for Los Angeles Angels star to break playoff drought (sportskeeda.com)

Jack Leiter, Kumar Rocker Throw Cheddar As Former Vandy Aces Combine For Lights-Out Weekend (outkick.com)

Jon Daniels says Texas Rangers are ‘clearly’ contenders this season (dallasnews.com)

MLB News

‘This was a big one’: Rays rally from 6 down to stun Cole, Yanks (mlb.com)

Goldschmidt’s 3-homer day powers Cardinals to victory (mlb.com)

5 of baseball’s best pitches from 5 unlikely sources (mlb.com)

Schwarber’s 434-foot swat hits spot as Phils snap skid (mlb.com)

How Correa convinced Buxton to become Twins’ DH (mlb.com)

All of the team home run celebrations, ranked (MLB.com)

Houston Astros Birthdays

Saturday

From 1986 through 1990, eventual 17-year vet Larry Andersen (70) pitched for Houston. In 268 games he was 22-16 with a 2.57 ERA, 20 saves, 346 K’s in 410 ¹⁄₃ innings, and a 1.211 WHIP to go along with a stellar 141 ERA+.

Jose Altuve (33) ranks in the top five of a lot of franchise leaderboard categories, including third in doubles (379), fifth in homers (192), fourth in stolen bases (279), and third in batting average of players with over a full season with the team (.307),

Sunday

Claude Raymond (86) pitched for Houston from 1964 through 1967, going 19-18 with a 2.98 ERA, a 114 ERA+, and a 1.127 WHIP.

Manny Hernández (62) pitched 49 ¹⁄₃ innings for the Astros in 1986 and 1987, going 2-7 with a 4.56 ERA.

Today

Lefty Mike Cuellar (1937-2010) pitched for the Astros from 1965 through 1968. In 127 games (including 88 starts), Cuellar was 37-36 with a 2.74 ERA, a 119 ERA+, and a 1.162 WHIP.

Dave Rohde (59) played in 88 games for the 1990 and 1991 Astros, hitting .165 with five RBI. He also had a career 1.000 fielding percentage in 264 ¹⁄₃ innings between all four infield positions.