Houston Astros Rumors & News

Photos: Astros 3, Royals 1

Houston Chronicle — Astros 3, Royals 1 Share this gallery: if(gallery_images == undefined) var gallery_images = new Array(); if(gallery_images[12477101] == undefined) gallery_images[12477101] = new Array(); Astros 3, Royals 1 Astros starting pitcher Jordan Lyles pitches to Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar during the first inning. ; imgArray['credits_byline'] = (Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle) Share this gallery: if(gallery_images == undefined) var gallery_images = new Array(); if(gallery_images[12477101] == undefined) gallery_images[12477101] = new Array(); imgArray['caption'] = "Astros left fielde...

Astros’ Lyles showing some traces of an ace

Houston Chronicle — Jordan Lyles is a 6-4, 215-pound righthander who can throw four pitches for strikes. The 22-year-old is in his third season in the majors – a young starter on a rebuilding club desperately seeking long-term answers. He possesses a fastball that hits 95 mph, an improving curveball, a changeup that’s a perfect foil for his two-seamer, and an increasingly nasty slider that’s evolved from a quasi-cutter into a true strikeout pitch. The only problem for Lyles – who has the best raw stuff of any of the Astros’ five starters – is his location is often too good. When he misses, he misses over the plat...

Lyles outduels Shields as Astros take series against Royals

Houston Chronicle — The Astros don’t just appear to be playing better baseball. They are. A 3-1 victory against Kansas City on Wednesday at Minute Maid Park gave the Astros a series win versus the Royals and a 4-3 record in their last seven games. Righthander Jordan Lyles guided the Astros (14-33). The 22-year-old threw six innings of six-hit, one-run ball, mixing a mid-90s fastball with a sharp slider and allowing only two extra-base hits. It was Lyles’ longest and best outing of the season. “He definitely has the stuff. … When I sent him back out there for the sixth, I told him, ‘Ain’t nobody coming to get you....

Astros address snowcones brought by vendor into Minute Maid Park bathroom

Houston Chronicle — The Astros released a statement late Wednesday addressing a Ch. 2 report about a Minute Maid Park food vendor bringing snowcones into a stadium restroom. Statement from Astros President of Business Operations Reid Ryan “The Astros were notified immediately by our partner ARAMARK of the incident involving a vendor on Monday night. We commend the swift reaction displayed by ARAMARK of terminating the employee immediately upon learning of the incident that evening. This isolated incident was a clear violation of our food safety practices and is not reflective of our standards. “The Astros share A...

Extra inning: Improved starting pitching keys Astros’ turnaround

Houston Chronicle — The Astros are 19 games under .500 and 16 games behind the first-place Rangers in the American League West. The Astros are also 4-3 in their last seven contests and won their fourth series of the season Wednesday, courtesy of a 3-1 victory against Kansas City. Whether the Astros’ brief turnaround is a blip or legit remains to be seen — the former is more likely, considering the team’s still on pace for 114 defeats. What is real, though, is the fact the club’s starting pitchers have finally been throwing like starting pitchers. Through April, the Astros easily had the worst starting five in MLB...

Mayor Parker holds second closed-door meeting over CSN distribution

Houston Chronicle — One of NBC Universal’s top distribution executives attended Mayor Annise Parker’s second closed-door meeting Wednesday on Comcast SportsNet Houston distribution and said he thought the meeting with the mayor and officials with AT&T; U-verse was productive. Matt Bond, executive vice president of content for the company that owns a minority interest in the Astros-Rockets network, attended the session at City Hall with Rockets CEO Tad Brown and Margaret Barradas, managing director of Astros owner Jim Crane’s Crane Capital Group. Details were not available on AT&T;’s representatives at the session...

Astros report: Dominguez takes time off to rest quad

Houston Chronicle — Matt Dominguez spent about two weeks dealing with a tight left quadriceps. He played through the pain, which flared up when he ran at full speed. The Astros third baseman finally decided to tell the club about his tight quad after the injury didn’t heal itself. He sat out Wednesday’s game and will use an off day Thursday to allow for further healing. “I’m starting to figure certain things out at the plate and I like to play. … But it’s better to take the two days off now than risking weeks, when it’s something that can be treated pretty easily,” said the 23-year-old Dominguez, who’s hitting .2...

First pitch: Lyles faces Shields as Astros go for series win vs. Royals

Houston Chronicle — The Astros have only won three of 14 series this season. A victory against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday would give the Astros their fourth series win nearly two months into the 2013 season. After Kansas City scored seven runs in the final three innings Tuesday to even the series at 1-1, the clubs will play the finale at 7:10 p.m. Wednesday at Minute Maid Park. Astros righthander Jordan Lyles (1-1, 6.63 ERA) faces Royals righty James Shields (2-4, 2.45). Normal Astros starting third baseman Matt Dominguez (tight left quadriceps) is out of the lineup. He’ll rest Wednesday and Thursday (of...

The Astros could surely use Kevin Gausman. Just sayin’

Houston Chronicle — The Astros could use Kevin Gausman, but he’ll make his major league debut Wednesday for the Orioles. Instead, Houston hopes Carlos Correa becomes the marquee shortstop the organization has never had. Correa was taken first in the 2012 draft and Gausman was taken fourth, just behind catcher Mike Zunino, who is already making waves at AAA. Gausman, meanwhile, is the former LSU pitcher and is making the jump from AA after only 61 minor league innings. Unusual for a pitcher, to say the least. Zunino has done well in his short run too and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him in Seattle at some poin...

Back tightness knocks Norris out, derails Astros

Houston Chronicle — Downplaying the need for the two extra days of rest he received, Astros righthander Bud Norris had defiantly insisted his back was fine leading up to his start Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park. His back isn’t fine, though. Even worse for the Astros, the Astros bullpen couldn’t protect the three-run lead they inherited. The Kansas City Royals, who plated the go-ahead run in the eighth inning on a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded, capitalized for a come-from-behind 7-3 victory after Astros manager Bo Porter called on his bullpen to protect a three-run lead after Norris exited in the sevent...

Photos: Astros 6, Royals 5

Houston Chronicle — Astros 6, Royals 5 Share this gallery: if(gallery_images == undefined) var gallery_images = new Array(); if(gallery_images[12477101] == undefined) gallery_images[12477101] = new Array(); Astros 6, Royals 5 Jason Castro homers to left field in the third inning against the Royals. ; imgArray['credits_byline'] = (Scott Halleran / Getty Images) Share this gallery: if(gallery_images == undefined) var gallery_images = new Array(); if(gallery_images[12477101] == undefined) gallery_images[12477101] = new Array(); imgArray['caption'] = "Jason Castro is greeted by J.D. Martinez after hitting...

Keuchel’s thoughts are with the victims of Oklahoma twisters

Houston Chronicle — Astros lefthander Dallas Keuchel, a Tulsa native who understands the terror that was felt in his home state when tornadoes ravaged Moore, Oklahoma, on Monday, has his home state on his mind. “Just a lot of sad thoughts,” he said. “It was really bad because I knew the elementary school was leveled, but I didn’t know how the people died. A water line broke and they couldn’t get out, so they drowned. That’s just awful. Those kids didn’t have a chance to grow up and be something of themselves. I definitely keep everybody in my thoughts.” Although he cannot remember if he was eight or nine at the t...

Royals rally on Astros’ relievers to seal victory

Houston Chronicle — Box score Downplaying the need for the two extra days of rest he received, Bud Norris had defiantly insisted his back was fine leading up to his start Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park. His back isn’t fine, though. The Kansas City Royals, who plated the go-ahead run in the eighth inning on a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded, capitalized for a come-from-behind 7-3 victory after Astros manager Bo Porter called on his bullpen to protect a three-run lead after Norris exited in the seventh. Norris threw six scoreless innings, but he was pulled before throwing another pitch in the top of the se...

Carter owns two baserunning mistakes

Houston Chronicle — One day after making two questionable running decisions, Chris Carter admitted he erred Monday when he held up at third on Carlos Pena’s double into the right field corner in the second inning and then again in the fifth when he didn’t slide when he was thrown out in the fifth inning at home Monday. Manager Bo Porter said Tuesday that third base coach Dave Trembley and Carter spoke about the issue. “That’s sufficient,” Porter said of Trembley’s chat with Carter. “I think Chris understands the fundamental mistakes that were made there and I think he will correct them as we move forward.” Carter...

Maxwell hopes to begin rehab assignment soon

Houston Chronicle — Astros center fielder Justin Maxwell, who has been on the 15-day disabled list since April 24 with a fractured left hand, received positive news after undergoing an X-Ray on Tuesday. “Hitting (off a tee) today felt way better than yesterday,” he said. “I was encouraged because that was the first time I hit on consecutive days. (Dr. Tom Mehlhoff) says it’s healing. It still has a little more ways to go. But he said the X-Rays looked really good. He wants me to still use my bone simulator for the next two to four weeks.” Barring a setback, Maxwell might be ready to go on a rehab assignment by th...

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