Gamethread #10: A's at Astros

Baseball!

The A’s are off to a fantastic start, even if the 5-4 record doesn’t show it. They have scored the most runs in Major League Baseball, and they have the lowest ERA at 2.14. They’re hitting .299/.358/.451 as a team, which essentially means the lineup as a whole is hitting like 2014 Starling Marte.

In their first 9 games, they’ve shut out teams 4 times. This hasn’t happened since 1910. The A’s are really, really good.

Meanwhile, The Astros are Astroing. For a team whose strength was supposed to be their offense, they’re off to a miserable start. They’ve scored 17 runs on the year, and they’re hitting an awful .197/.277/.320 as a team, which essentially means the lineup as a whole is hitting like 2014 BJ Upton. Yikes.

Drew Pomeranz is not going to help much with the Astros’ offense problem. After competing for a spot in spring training, Pomeranz absolutely excelled in his first start of the season. He held an excellent Mariners team to 0 runs over 7 innings, striking out 6 and walking none. His fastball command was excellent, his knuckle curve was on point, and his changeup was [data not found].

Astros starter Collin McHugh wasn’t far behind, though. In his only start of the season, he walked 2 and struck out 6 in 6 innings of one-run ball. He had a massive breakout campaign last year, coming out of nowhere to post a 2.73 ERA in 154 innings pitched. He’s probably not an ace, but he’s not far behind. Here’s a terrifying stat: in his last 62 innings, he’s put up a 1.76 ERA and has allowed a grand total of 8 walks. And that’s including his last start, where he walked two guys!

Today’s lineup is not at peak strength, either. Ben Zobrist is out with heel discomfort (although he is available off the bench), leaving a gaping Sogard-sized hole in the lineup. The A’s will have to scratch and claw for every run. Or not, because apparently the A’s have the best offense in the league and a lineup made of 9 Starling Martes. Who knows.