Sadly, there is nothing complicated or controversial about the sale of the Houston Astros

By Craig CalcaterraJan 13, 2011, 10:33 AM EDT
1 Comment

There’s a good article by Zachary Levine over at the Houston Chronicle today about the sale of the Houston Astros.

The short version: Unlike the sale of the Cubs, the sale of the Houston Astros doesn’t figure to be a protracted affair. Unlike the sale of the Rangers, it doesn’t figure to be complicated and acrimonious.  Unlike the sale of the Dodgers, it doesn’t figure to involve a couple of vain, deluded greenhorns who have no idea what they’re doing.

All of which makes bloggers like me cry.  It’s probably good for the Astros and their fans, though.

Yasmani Grandal played himself out of NLCS Game 4

Harry How/Getty Images
By Bill BaerOct 15, 2018, 11:48 PM EDT
1 Comment

Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal has not had a good postseason. Entering Monday night’s NLCS Game 3, he was batting .111/.238/.278 in 21 trips to the plate across the NLDS and the first two games of the NLCS.

Defense has also been an issue for Grandal. In Game 1 of the NLCS, Grandal was on the hook for two passed balls. In the sixth inning of Game 3 Monday night, he couldn’t corral a curve in the dirt, which allowed Travis Shaw to score the Brewers’ second run of the night. Starter Walker Buehler was charged with a wild pitch. In the eighth, with Ryan Braun on first base and Shaw at the plate, Grandal again couldn’t corral a pitch in the dirt, allowing Braun to move to second base. Fortunately for the Dodgers, Alex Wood was able to escape the inning with no damage.

Manager Dave Roberts said that Austin Barnes, not Grandal, will start behind the plate for Game 4 on Tuesday night, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports. That comes as no surprise at all. When Grandal struck out with the bases loaded in the ninth inning, Dodger fans regaled him with boos.

Barnes will be an upgrade defensively, but he’s lacking with the bat. He had an 0-for-3 performance in Game 2, though with an RBI, bringing his career slash line in the playoffs to .200/.281/.300 across 57 plate appearances. During the regular season, his career 100 adjusted OPS is a fair bit behind Grandal’s 115. Roberts is trading offense for defense in Game 4. Rich Hill will get the start opposite the Brewers’ Gio González.