The Pecan Park Eagle

Rogelio Armenteros
RHP, Fresno Grizzlies
8-1, 2.16 ERA

ASTRO*NOTES

Magic #. The 5-1 Astros series rubber game win over the Angels in Anaheim on Thursday has reduce the long-held Houston magic claim check on the AL West title to a measly 3. Any combination of Astro wins or Angel losses totally 3 now finally gives the long-awaited keys to the division crown to Houston.

Home Field Advantage. Houston still holds a 5-game lead over Boston in any meeting they may have in the AL Playoffs, but Cleveland continues to hold a 2.5 game lead over the Astros for home field advantage is any playoff series with the space rockers – or anyone else, for that matter. How could they not? The Tribe never loses. Last night they rallied late to beat KC, 3-2, in 10 as they expanded their AL winning streak record to 22 games. – An Upcoming Cleveland Foe Warning: Say goodbye to your scalps as you enter the ballpark where your next game with the Indians is scheduled to be played. There will not be time for goodbyes once the next massacre gets off to its inevitably whooping and hollering start.

Random Thoughts. … Brad Peacock (11-2, 2.98) was again brilliant, but like the little Dutch boy in the fairy tale, he cannot plug all the leaking holes in the Astros’ starter and relief pitching dike. …. Hope the Astro fates do not now hinge on a sensational catch in center field that only Jake Marisnick could have made. …. Wonder how A.J. Hinch feels now about all the second-guessing that’s inspired by a great team that falls into a September slump? …. I still don’t know why we lost Jeb Lowrie again after getting him back in 2015 for a second time. …. Does Dallas Keuchel ever stop to think that the growing length of his beard may be slowing his speed pitches down to more hittable acceleration levels? …. Are bench coaches sometimes capable of topical conversations that go beyond baseball? …. Jose Altuve, George Springer, and Carlos Correa all seem to be hitting walls together at just the wrong time. What’s the remedy? Rest? Or keep cranking til their engines start – or their arms and legs fall off? …. Gotta get these guys pumped again and soon. We have to build a powerful momentum, asap, and it’s not going to happen around the Astros Holy Three – without their loose as a goose participation. …. Don’t envy Hinch his job in the least. Anything he decides to do can either work for the better – or for the worse. …. Either way, the offense for now is still sucking air. …. The club has been playing mediocre baseball since the All Star Game.  From the start of the 2017 2nd half on July 14, the Astros have a record of 28 wins and 29 losses. Do that long enough and it’s easy to become the thing your club record says you are. …. And the word is mediocre. …. If possible, this is the time for the club to prove they are not …. just another flash in the pan burned out nobody special mediocre club.

How About Trying The Cuban Pitcher Down in Fresno? Take a look at the year that young Rogelio Armenteros has been having at Corpus Christi, but especially at Fresno? Wouldn’t this be a good time to see if his stuff is superior to the short-term adjustment leaning curve of major league batters as the Astros head into the playoffs with a starting rotation that contains more holes than a block of Swiss cheese? Our good friend/talent scout/ baseball minded Dr. Don Matlosz of Fresno State University may be able to bring us up to speed on this question or even point us to others among the Fresno Grizzlies who might be able to help the Astros in their hour of greatest need.

Here’s the statistical link to the page on Rogelio Armenteros:

http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=t259&player_id=660494#/career/R/pitching/2017/ALL

Note to Dr. Matlosz of Fresno State University: If you have a comment on Rogelio Armenteros or any other pitcher at Fresno that you may have recommended who might be capable of stepping into this critical late season role, please drop me an e-mail and I will publish it here as an addendum scouting report by you to The Pecan Park Eagle on this pitching needs question:

A Possible Addendum: A Donald “Doc” Matlosz Fresno Pitcher Scouting Report (awaiting sender’s decision to participate): ????

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AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST STANDINGS

THRU GAMES OF THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2017

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AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST GAME SCORES

THRU GAMES OF THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2017

ASTROS 5 – ANGELS 1

MARINERS 10 – RANGERS 4                 

RED SOX 6 – ATHLETICS 2

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AMERICAN LEAGUE BATTING AVERAGE LEADERS

THRU GAMES OF THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 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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