The Pecan Park Eagle

Dallas Keuchel

Astro*Notes. Dallas Keuchel set a good tone for the Astros starting debut of Justin Verlander tonight in Seattle. Keuchel went 7.2 innings, giving up 7 scattered hits and 2 runs – and throwing 108 pitches before his work was done. He had command, walking only 2; of his 23 “outs” – 5 were punch-outs; 16 came on ground balls; and only 2 came to be by the fly ball route. The net effect upon Keuchel’s record was also sweet. He is now 12-3 with a 2.88 ERA.

Nice work, Dallas! The estimable Mr. Verlander probably doesn’t need the challenge to find his own heights, but sometimes, we all benefit from the synergy of a competitive challenging force in our lives. It’s just more like the philosophy expressed in this one-line parody of that famous ancient Wrigley chewing gum jingle:

“Double your pleasure

Double Your fun

When two “CYs” sign up

They’re better than one!”

Apparently, Astros GM Jeff Luhnow and Astros owner Jim Crane understood the gist of this message without the help of any singing commercials.

And Dallas Keuchel’s first impressive rattle out of the box, since what we hope will prove to be the greatest deadline deal in baseball history, is simply an introduction to how the talents and teammate presence of Keuchel and Verlander to each other will drive both to reach heights that neither could ever have hoped to achieve this year alone, all circumstances considered.

Keuchel’s comments in the Chronicle over the weekend, in fact, may have been more than filler words – and more like the harbinger of things to come, notably in the sweep of the Mets and in his own great job last night in Seattle. Although he wasn’t quite completing the thought in the mind of the writer who did the weekend story, Keuchel implied that the team’s return to our devastated, but never down and out, hustling to help each other Houston – and the affirmative message to the team from ownership that came about too. via the Verlander deal – were almost joined together as a deep and powerful energy-booster.  Keuchel may as well have said something like the following because it ran all the way through his implicit weekend commentary: “Just as the City of Houston will rise from the waters of Harvey as a display of Houston Strong, it’s time for the Astros to re-light the fires of July and again work to becoming the best team in baseball!”

The only time to be the best team in baseball, and have it really count forever, is after your club wins the last playable game of the World Series.

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AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST STANDINGS

THRU GAMES OF MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2017 

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AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST GAME SCORES

THRU GAMES OF MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2017

 ASTROS 6 – MARINERS 2

 ANGELS 11 – ATHLETICS 9                 

 RANGERS 8 – BRAVES 2

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AMERICAN LEAGUE BATTING AVERAGE LEADERS

 THRU GAMES OF MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2017

NR * LOST TIME ON THE DL HAS TEMPORARILY REMOVED CORREA FROM AN OFFICIAL QUALIFYING PLACE IN THE RANKING OF TOP 40 HITTERS.

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