AZ Snake Pit - Game #102: 8/1, Arizona Diamondbacks @ Houston AstrosAn unofficial Arizona Diamondbacks community and bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47033/azsnakepit_f.png2015-08-01T23:11:16-04:00http://www.azsnakepit.com/rss/stream/88491182015-08-01T23:11:16-04:002015-08-01T23:11:16-04:00Diamondbacks 2, Astros 9: Beercap of Certain Doom
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<figcaption>Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>No good can come of a beercap on a game that could see the Dbacks at .500. Just saying......</p> <p><b>Record: 50-52. Pace: 79-83. Change on 2014: +6.</b></p>
<h5>Beer 1: Ballpark Brown by Breckenridge Brewing Co.</h5>
<ul>
<li>Another first time beer, one of many during these beercaps. Not quite your dad's brown ale, this one has a nice hop punch to it without it being quite an IPA. Very refreshing after a 3.5mi bike ride in hell.</li>
<li>Many readers may note that I have a string of bad luck when covering games involving the fleeting hope of reaching .500. No point in denying it, might as well embrace the bad luck. Take it head on.</li>
<li>So it begins. Keuchel with three quick and easy outs in a row. Not the best way to start a game.....</li>
<li>Good Hellickson appears to have showed up today, kinda. He gives up a run, but looks good overall, and after the 1st it's 0-1.</li>
<li>Sogginess issues in front of home plate? Not sure if I've ever seen such a stoppage in play that didnt involve a rain storm. Strange.</li>
<li>Hill does a thing! Praise be to God! Slow roller between second and third somehow gets through. The Lord works in mysterious ways.</li>
<li>Hill once again does a thing! Thanks mostly to Salty with an excellent hard hit single to center. 1-1</li>
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<h5>Beer 2: Baby Daddy by Speakeasy Brewing</h5>
<ul>
<li>Session IPAs, as I've written before, are hit and miss. Either the brewer get's that IPA flavor imparted or it just comes up short and tastes like a lighter pale. This is one of the good ones.</li>
<li>After Hill gets driven home Keuchel finds himself in a bit of a jam with the bases juiced and Ender up to bat. Keuchel is looking mortal, as I type this he's at 47 pitches in the 2nd.....good. gooooooooood.</li>
<li>A walked in run is a good run. 2-1 and Keuchel is still in big trouble with the bases juiced....still.</li>
<li>Hill, once again, does a thing. Clutch play at 3rd by my least favorite player, robbing the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/">Astros</a> of a certain two run double........and then he gets a double play.....all. by. him. self. Truly these are mad times. 2-1 Dbacks after the 2nd.</li>
<li>Keuchel apparently just needed to pitch in the shade, compared to the two innings prior. 1.2.3 goes the Dbacks in the top of the 3rd.</li>
<li>So much for good Hellickson. Lead off HR's hurt, but I can deal with them. 2-2 after the 3rd<br> </li>
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<h5>Beer 3: Wrought Iron IPA by Abita Brewing</h5>
<ul>
<li>Need my hop fix, and I got my fix. Yay. Not the best of IPA, but certainly the best on tap that's not an imperial.</li>
<li>Hellickson living dangerously now. Bases juiced with one out and he's just not looking too good.</li>
<li>And....he walks in a run. Hellickson is all over the place now. It's enough to drive a man to drink....wait. I already am. 2-3 Astros.</li>
<li>Make that 2-7 Astros. Hellickson is donezo. Big time donezo. Sigh</li>
<li>Why in the name of Zeus is Hellickson still out there? Why? Men on 2nd and 3rd with one out in this damned inning and Hale FINALLY has seen enough.</li>
<li>See, I told you all. This game was doomed before it began. DOOOMMMMMMMMMED!!!!!!!</li>
<li>Collmenter gets us out of that God awful inning.....yay. 2-7 Astros.</li>
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<h5>Beer 4: Hoptimum Imperial IPA by Sierra Nevada</h5>
<ul>
<li>Crap game requires an excellent beer to help redeem it, because this team sure as heck is not going to do so. Yes this Imperial IPA is made of miracles and sunshine......or just an ungodly amount hops.</li>
<li>Goldy does not heed my prayers. Why do you forsake me Goldy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</li>
<li>Good to see a good inning. Thank God. Collmenter did a solid job, but we're still screwed. 2-7 after the 5th.</li>
<li>Despite being at 106 pitches out batters are now clueless again Keuchel. Nice. Very nice.</li>
<li>Yup. Game over. Gamer over man. 2-9 after a two run blast Correa. <br> </li>
<li>Mikey keeps coming over to my seat, reminding me that the Dbacks are losing. Were it not for his kind unassuming ways I'd flying into a violent rage. Sigh.</li>
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<h5>Beer 5: Grunion Pale Ale by Ballast Point IPA</h5>
<ul>
<li>Another new beer, and this one is awesome. Like I said, a bad game needs a good beer, and this heavily hopped pale is amazing.</li>
<li>Blah blah blah..offense. Blah blah blah...no offense. Blah</li>
<li>Once again, in the 8th, offense fails.....at life.</li>
<li>OK.. I'm done. This game is done. </li>
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<p><b>Bells and whistles, by Jim</b></p>
<p align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?date=2015-08-01&team=Astros&dh=0&season=2015"><img src="https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3927540/chart.0.png" alt="Fangraph"></a><br>[<i>Click for details, at fangraphs.com</i>]<br><b>Roddy Piper: <span>Jarrod Saltalamacchia</span>, +8.5%</b><br><i><b>Hulk Hogan: <span>Jeremy Hellickson</span>, -49.2%</b></i></p>
<p align="left">Despite loud pre-game claims he would set a new record, AzDbackfanInDc barely cracked three figures, though that was still enough to lead a thread, where enthusiasm basically died after the grand-slam. freeland1787 and sepehr3 rounded out the top three, with others present being: BenSharp, BrokeNBattleX, DeadmanG, GuruB, Hazzard21, Jim McLennan, JoeCB1991, MrMrrbi, Nate Rowan, NumberOneIanKennedyFan31, Oldenschoole, SenSurround, Sprankton, Zavada's Moustache, circa4, gamepass, hotclaws, noblevillain, onedotfive, shoewizard, thunderpumpkin87 and xmet. Comment of the Thread to ZM for his question about today's Astros' starter:</p>
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<h2 class="title collapse_toggle ">Do you think it annoys people from Houston</h2>
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<p>That they have to root for "Dallas?"</p>
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<p>"The truth is we did not know what Touki's value would be if we shopped him." <br>-Dave Stewart</p>
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<div class="meta">by <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Zavada%27s%20Moustache" class="poster" target="_blank">Zavada's Moustache</a> on <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/8/1/9085109/gameday-thread-102-8-1-astros/in/8849118#319336642" class="date">Aug 1, 2015 | 4:41 PM</a> <span class="user_actions"> <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/8/1/9085109/gameday-thread-102-8-1-astros/in/8849118#" class="reply_link" title="reply to this comment">reply</a> <span class="cactions mod "> <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/8/1/9085109/gameday-thread-102-8-1-astros/in/8849118#" class="rec_link recommended"> rec <span class="rec_count"> (4) </span> </a> <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/8/1/9085109/gameday-thread-102-8-1-astros/in/8849118#" class="flag_link "> flag </a> <span class="mod_actions"> <a href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/8/1/9085109/gameday-thread-102-8-1-astros/in/8849118#" class="actions_toggle">actions</a> </span> </span> </span>
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<p align="left"><span>Robbie Ray</span> starts for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> tomorrow, having been turned away from a .500 record once more. Still, taking a series in Houston would certainly be a laudable achievement.</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/8/1/9085251/diamondbacks-astros-beercap-dallas-keuchelTurambar2015-08-01T22:23:43-04:002015-08-01T22:23:43-04:00Diamondbacks 2, Astros 9
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<figcaption>Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The six-game winning streak came to a crunching end as the Astros set off a series of bombs. God, I hate Minute Maid Park....</p> <p>And, I'm fairly sure, so does <span>Jeremy Hellickson</span>, as he gave up seven runs this afternoon, almost all of them coming by way of the long-ball. There were solo homers allowed in the first and third, but Arizona scored twice themselves, thanks to some uncharacteristic wildness by Dallas Keuchel. However, it all fell apart in the third inning for Hellickson. First, there was that solo home-run to tie things up at two. Then there was a bases-loaded walk to former (for all of 11 days) Diamondback, Chris Carter. Finally, there was a grand-slam. Hellickson went 3.1 innings, giving up seven hits and two walks with two strikeouts.</p>
<p><span>Josh Collmenter</span> lasted longer than that, doing credible mop-up duty, working 4.2 frames and scattering seven hits as well, but only two runs - oh, look, they both came on another <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/">Astros</a> homer out of their crappy little stadium. Meanwhile, the offense was pretty much completely handcuffed, managing only two hits, by <span>Aaron Hill</span> and <span>Jarrod Saltalamacchia</span> - the two people whose presence in the line-up was most criticized... However, the way Hellickson was clobbered, we could have run nine Paul Goldschmidts out there, and the end result would likely have been the same. Oh, well: still got a shot at the series tomorrow, and that would be perfectly acceptable.</p>
<p>Turambar along shortly with the beercap.</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/8/1/9085671/diamondbacks-astros-scoreJim McLennan2015-08-01T17:30:02-04:002015-08-01T17:30:02-04:00Game #102 Preview: 8/1, Diamondbacks @ Astros
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<figcaption>Bill Baptist/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The road-trip has already gone better than I personally expected, and we haven't even reached the half-way point. Can the Diamondbacks keep on winning?</p> <div class="pane sports_data_widget lineup clearfix">
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<span>Jeremy Hellickson</span><br>RHP, <span>7-6, 4.60</span><span></span>
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<span>Dallas Keuchel</span><br>LHP, 12-5, 2.32<span></span><span></span>
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<span>Ender Inciarte</span> - CF</td>
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<span>Jose Altuve</span> - 2B</td>
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<span>Nick Ahmed</span> - SS</td>
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<span>Carlos Gomez</span> - CF</td>
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<span>Paul Goldschmidt</span> - 1B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Carlos Correa - SS</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Welington Castillo - DH</td>
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<span>Preston Tucker</span> - LF</td>
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<span>Aaron Hill</span> - 3B</td>
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<span>Evan Gattis</span> - DH</td>
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<span>Yasmany Tomas</span> - RF</td>
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<span>Jed Lowrie</span> - 3B</td>
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<span>Jarrod Saltalamacchia</span> - C</td>
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<span>Colby Rasmus</span> - RF</td>
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<span>Chris Owings</span> - 2B</td>
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<span>Chris Carter</span> - 1B</td>
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<span>Cliff Pennington</span> - LF</td>
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<span>Hank Conger</span> - C</td>
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<p>First, just to follow up on something I talked about in the recap - the cheap home-runs hit by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/">Astros</a>. The very useful <a target="_blank" href="http://www.hittrackeronline.com/index.php?h=HOU&b=Minute+Maid+Park&sortm=hrpf&sort=desc">ESPN Home Run Tracker</a> confirms what we thought at the time: that Jason Castro's three-run homer in the fourth, would have been a home-run in exactly <u>one</u> major-league park, and <span>Carlos Correa's</span> shot later in the inning, would have made it out of seven stadia. Both <span>Welington Castillo's</span> and Jake Lamb's tenth-inning shots, on the other hand, were fully legitimate, no-doubters that would have been homers in all 30 major-league parks. I already covered how Minute Maid's layout seems more beneficial to the Astros than their opponents. Let's dig further...</p>
<p>According to the site, there are 19 home-runs at Minute Maid which are listed as zero or one park homers [a home-run can get a zero, if the ball only made it over the fence due to assistance from the elements, such as wind, temperature, etc.] Of those 19, only five were hit by the visiting side, compared to fourteen by the Astros; <span>Luis Valbuena</span> alone has four, being a particular beneficiary of thse "only in Houston" cheap shots. Now, there is something to be said for a team being built for and playing to its home-field advantages. But a close to 3:1 edge in these park-assisted homers seems a bit unfair, arguably bordering on the illegitimate.</p>
<p>Still, it didn't stop us from winning out sixth straight last night. I was seriously thinking we could easily go 3-7 though this road-trip to Seattle, Houston and Washington, but four games in, and that expectation has already been left in the dust. Indeed, now the only way it could be a losing trip, is if the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> were to drop six consecutive games. Not <i>impossible</i>, certainly: but you've got to think they'll be able to sneak at least one win the rest of the way, and even going 2-4 would make for an entirely acceptable mark of 6-4. Just when the season looked very shaky - <a target="_blank" href="http://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/7/23/9022713/is-tankapalooza-2015-already-underway">shoe even used the T word!</a> - we've gone on our best run in close to four years. #YouCantPredictBaseball</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2015/8/1/9084953/arizona-diamondbacks-houston-astros-previewJim McLennan