2022 they went out and got one of the best starters available.

2024 they added bats.

No doubt 2025 they've double down and gone bigger, but 4 games at home vs Texas and in only one of them did they look like a significantly better team.

Just saw that the benches cleared today (eta: apparently it was Saturday) in the Astros-Red Sox game because Neris was mad that a Boston runner on second could see his grip and was relaying it to the batter.

Not that it's a super crazy event, but it is really strange how the Astros and their fans act about "sign stealing." Their defense of using wires and cameras and trash cans is that "sign stealing" has always been a part of baseball. A buddy of mine was just doing this bit with me again recently.

Players on the field doing what they can to gain an advantage has always been a part of the game, part of the offensive strategy, and something you try to prevent as a pitcher-catcher duo. Using cameras, new technology, and dugout trash cans has never been part of baseball until the Astros did it.

Such strange behavior and apparently it penetrates both the organization and the fanbase.

If we have learned nothing else from the astros experience it is this: if you ain't cheating then you're not trying.

Amirite?

So I have sobered up nd shook off this series.

Let's beat the damn Yankees.

Tonight

Max Fried
LHP
12-4, 2.62 ERA, 125 SO

Patrick Corbin
LHP
6-7, 3.78 ERA, 93 SO

Tuesday Night

Will Warren
RHP
6-5, 4.64 ERA, 128 SO

Nathan Eovaldi
RHP
9-3, 1.49 ERA, 105 SO

Wednesday Afternoon (I'm going)

Carlos Rodon
LHP
11-7, 3.34 ERA, 156 SO

Jack Leiter
RHP
7-6, 4.10 ERA, 90 SO

If I had to bet I'd put money on SEA to win the division. They do have a different feel than past Seattle teams. Naylor and Suarez are not your typical acquisitions. Yeah you could say we should've won 3 of 4, but you could just as easily say they were a pitch away from sweeping us.

I think we'll play better than HOU the rest of the way but not sure if it will be 5 games better.

My hot take is the Yanks miss the playoffs. They are a hot mess.

shack009 said:

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Using cameras, new technology, and dugout trash cans has never been part of baseball until the Astros did it.

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Cheat-a-Delphia: Win If You Can, Lose If You Must, But Always, Cheat

"That is not how the scheme works, according to a NY Daily News article from 2007 which states:

"Allegedly, the camera in center field provides footage to a video room. A coach stationed in the corner of the Phillies' dugout has a buzzer in his pocket. Based on the signal he receives from the video room, he then yells a code to the batter - such as his first name - to relay what pitch is coming.""

CampingAg said:

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If I had to bet I'd put money on SEA to win the division. They do have a different feel than past Seattle teams. Naylor and Suarez are not your typical acquisitions. Yeah you could say we should've won 3 of 4, but you could just as easily say they were a pitch away from sweeping us.

I think we'll play better than HOU the rest of the way but not sure if it will be 5 games better.

My hot take is the Yanks miss the playoffs. They are a hot mess.

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It's as if your in my brain. These are my thoughts exactly. Seattle looks like the division winner. I think Houston will continue to fade. Correa may give them some juice but injuries have decimated their roster. Judge is out and NYY just doesn't look good. They got swept my MIA, a .500 ball club.

Our best bet is to win 5.5 or 6 out of 10 these next few months and wrap up a wild card spot. Then roll the dice.

Need to go 6-3 during this homestead. Then 4-3 min. Next road trip.

I stand corrected. That makes it all ok then.

You can justify the Astros cheating all you want... the league sent out a warning and the Astros chose to ignore it.

Oh sweet, we're allowed to cross threads now?

Cheating is the Astros brand across MLB fans nationally. Just how it is. We can whatabout all day long, but they earned it.

DannyDuberstein said:

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Cheating is the Astros brand across MLB fans nationally. Just how it is. We can whatabout all day long, but they earned it.

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This is so true. They might be viewed differently if they didn't accuse everyone else of it all the time.

He posted an article from 2007 on the Phillies in defense?

lol... cheaters

"Aggies don't lie, cheat, or steal" except when we're talking about the Astr*s - then it's okay.

The Astros were punished because they cheated after the commissioner's office told all thirty teams not to do that anymore. It was discovered that teams were using electronic equipment in an effort to steal signs, a warning was sent to all thirty teams and the Astros did it anyway.

Somehow what happened before the warning is supposed to matter as much as what happened after the warning.

DannyDuberstein said:

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Cheating is the Astros brand across MLB fans nationally. Just how it is.

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Yep - you can't unsuck that ****.

So who can step up for this club at the plate? We all know we need Seager and Semien to play well, and usually the team goes as they go. That being said, others are going to have to step up. Josh Smith has been steady. Higgy has heated up. Never know what we are getting with Adolis.

I am focused on Burger, Heim, Pederson, Duran and Jung. Need a couple from that group to deliver. I'm calling my shot, and I think it will be Burger that steps up. Don't have much confidence in the others, although I am still hoping Jung can get back to 2023 form.

Jung had been since coming back but he has been out with the calf. He was missed in Seattle.

Will get roasted for this, but I do think Joc will begin to hit better and that will help. I'm also hoping they move him down to 7.

LHP on the mound. Likely won't have Joc in the lineup.

I think the Yanks are Fried (L), Warren (R), Rodon (L) against us.

Jung was out during Seattle with a gimpy calf.

Burger is on rehab in Frisco

He should get moved down, until he improves, but he likely doesn't get the GS against the LHPs.

WestTexasAg said:

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So who can step up for this club at the plate? We all know we need Seager and Semien to play well, and usually the team goes as they go. That being said, others are going to have to step up. Josh Smith has been steady. Higgy has heated up. Never know what we are getting with Adolis.

I am focused on Burger, Heim, Pederson, Duran and Jung. Need a couple from that group to deliver. I'm calling my shot, and I think it will be Burger that steps up. Don't have much confidence in the others, although I am still hoping Jung can get back to 2023 form.

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Burger just started a rehab assignment over the weekend. We could use him against the NYY, as they are starting 2 LHP's in the three game set.

I have not heard yet how long Burger is expected to be on his rehab assignment or how it is going.

Since we are facing a LHP, hopefully Joc gets the night "off" and we catch Heim and DH Higgy.

When they signed him, his risky/low end should have been as a guy that hits .230 with 15-18 home runs, mostly facing RH pitching. Given this sport constantly proves to be one where the law of averages usually works out and performance returns to the mean, I'm expecting to see a 2 month stretch where he hits .330 and 15 HRs

DallasAg 94 said:

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LHP on the mound. Likely won't have Joc in the lineup.

I think the Yanks are Fried (L), Warren (R), Rodon (L) against us.

Jung was out during Seattle with a gimpy calf.

Burger is on rehab in Frisco

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Hah, I was typing as you were posting. Hopefully Jung is ready to go tonight. We need him vs the LHP.

Joc has 5 ABs all season against LHPs. Hes not getting any starts against lefties whether he's hitting .400 or .040.

Yeah, he has been a RHP platoon guy for 3-4 years now. Hasn't seen more than 40-50 ABs against LHP in probably 5 years

WestTexasAg said:

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So who can step up for this club at the plate? We all know we need Seager and Semien to play well, and usually the team goes as they go. That being said, others are going to have to step up. Josh Smith has been steady. Higgy has heated up. Never know what we are getting with Adolis.

I am focused on Burger, Heim, Pederson, Duran and Jung. Need a couple from that group to deliver. I'm calling my shot, and I think it will be Burger that steps up. Don't have much confidence in the others, although I am still hoping Jung can get back to 2023 form.

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I think Duran may very well find himself back in AAA in short order. Cody Freeman is absolutely raking, and he and Duran are pretty much the same player. I think the team could very well swap them out…I don't know if Freeman's performance is sustainable, but he's hot right now and Duran's bats are in the freezer. Burger will help if he can stay healthy - Pederson is a lost cause IMO. He's fat, out of shape, can't play defense and is hitting .126. I think he's got this week to turn it around or they'll find a spot for him at the end of the bench. A contending team can't continue to trot a guy out there who is hitting as atrociously bad as he is after 4 months of the season and "hope" he'll figure it out. He's probably too expensive to DFA but that's exactly what his lard ass deserves.

Every time you turn around something else pops up as a weakness for this team. DeGrom goes 0-2 on a road trip, losing to a couple of low level starters. He needs to pitch better, no excuses to let the team down like that.

Garcia, bless his heart, has been serviceable in a closer role despite never having a career save prior to this year.

Jung is hurt again? Why? Can we force him to play or sue him for breach of contract for sucking ****?

Any update on somebody stuff Pederson's trunk full of heroin?

rbtexan said:

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WestTexasAg said:

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So who can step up for this club at the plate? We all know we need Seager and Semien to play well, and usually the team goes as they go. That being said, others are going to have to step up. Josh Smith has been steady. Higgy has heated up. Never know what we are getting with Adolis.

I am focused on Burger, Heim, Pederson, Duran and Jung. Need a couple from that group to deliver. I'm calling my shot, and I think it will be Burger that steps up. Don't have much confidence in the others, although I am still hoping Jung can get back to 2023 form.

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I think Duran may very well find himself back in AAA in short order. Cody Freeman is absolutely raking, and he and Duran are pretty much the same player. I think the team could very well swap them out…I don't know if Freeman's performance is sustainable, but he's hot right now and Duran's bats are in the freezer. Burger will help if he can stay healthy - Pederson is a lost cause IMO. He's fat, out of shape, can't play defense and is hitting .126. I think he's got this week to turn it around or they'll find a spot for him at the end of the bench. A contending team can't continue to trot a guy out there who is hitting as atrociously bad as he is after 4 months of the season and "hope" he'll figure it out. He's probably too expensive to DFA but that's exactly what his lard ass deserves.

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I've been thinking Duran's days might be numbered here as well, but on the pregame Sunday Bochy mentioned him and that we were facing a number of LHP this week and that we were going to need him; and that it was good to see his bat coming around (this was the day after Duran came in and scored as a pinch runner; then later got a broken bat dinker hit to drive in a run).

Anyway, unless Bochy was bluffing, it does not sound like he is going anywhere.

Jung is in the line up tonight

gigem1223 said:

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Jung is in the line up tonight

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Interesting, Jung is the DH. I was expecting Higgy as the DH, he is swinging a hot bat, but he is not in the lineup.

Back home against the Bronx Bombers. #AllForTX pic.twitter.com/5L4f5QQnw1

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) August 4, 2025

Was at the game on Saturday and after one of Joc's pitiful ABs, my wife turned to me and said "he just looks like he doesn't care." And I think that about sums it up for him this season. His attitude never changes. You never see him get pissed off.

Meanwhile, we are up by two runs in the 11th with 2 men on, and Josh Smith grounds out to end the inning. He nearly beats out the throw and another run would've scored. What does he do? He slams his helmet down and breaks it into three pieces.

I'm not saying you need to slam your helmet after every AB. But goddammit do something to show you actually care.

I think I heard 4 of the next 6 SPs are LHP. So, little will happen with Pederson, IMO.

DallasAg 94 said:

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I think I heard 4 of the next 6 SPs are LHP. So, little will happen with Pederson, IMO.

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Sounds like as good a time as ever to send him to round rock to find his swing. Not gonna find it on the bench.

WestTexasAg said:

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So who can step up for this club at the plate? We all know we need Seager and Semien to play well, and usually the team goes as they go. That being said, others are going to have to step up. Josh Smith has been steady. Higgy has heated up. Never know what we are getting with Adolis.

I am focused on Burger, Heim, Pederson, Duran and Jung. Need a couple from that group to deliver. I'm calling my shot, and I think it will be Burger that steps up. Don't have much confidence in the others, although I am still hoping Jung can get back to 2023 form.

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If Pederson gives us 700 OPS the rest of the way, this team is in the World Series.