Dallas Keuchel looking good again. I like his tool kit. Lots of grounders, very few walks.

That 8 run 7th

That was one of the wildest games that I've seen this year. It was looking like a pitcher's duel up until the top of the 6th. Rubber game today: Collin McHugh versus Brandon Maurer. I hope that McHugh can continue the magic he's been on lately, 2-0 with an 0.59 ERA and a 19 to 3 strikeout-to-walk ratio. This will be his third start with the Astros.

At 10-20 we have the second worst record in baseball. The Diamondbacks, who have won three games in a row, enter today with an 11-22 record and 1.5 games behind us for potentially having the first overall pick in the 2015 MLB draft. I'm sort of torn with what I really want because ultimately I just want to see the Astros win games. We already have the first pick, for the third year in a row, in next month's 2014 MLB draft (June 5).

But it's obvious the Arizona Diamondbacks are a better ball club and they'll eventually pass us in the overall standings this year.

This post was edited by Madmartigan on May 4 2014 05:25am

Chris Carter just eats up the Mariners

Our offense has performed a little better lately but our starting rotation is falling apart and our bullpen is still horrendous.

Tough 9-8 and 8-7 losses to the Mariners these past two ballgames. Now we're 3-3 against Seattle this year. That excitement or hope that I had, of trying to finish the season with a winning record against one division opponent, is already back to being even at best. The Collin McHugh magic is over: 6 earned runs allowed on 8 hits in 4 innings pitched today. He was my last hope in terms of really wanting to win games this year.

10-21 record now. I'm going to start hoping for losses pretty soon as I keep tabs on the scores of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Looks like we're going to have a really good chance to clinch the first overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft next year. LOL, We're going to become the first team in Major League Baseball history to have the first overall pick for four years in a row?

I was hoping to at least enjoy some summertime baseball regarding the Astros. I didn't want to be so many games under .500 in early May. We couldn't even reach June or July before being completely out of the standings. I'll settle for this summer's World Cup action, freakin' soccer for crying out loud, over some of these frustrating losses that I'm seeing.

This post was edited by Madmartigan on May 4 2014 04:01pm

A couple other things I'm not happy about...

1. Our batting averages for left field (.178) and first base (.156) for the Astros so far this year - that's combined for the season - aren't even hitting at the Mendoza line. Those are primary offensive positions and we're getting zero production no matter which group of mediocre players we continue to trot out there.

2. Our cleanup hitter, no matter who we bat fourth in the lineup, hasn't hit a home run all season long.

3. We have Domingo Santana and Jon Singleton lighting the world on fire at Triple-A Oklahoma City. They'd be huge upgrades for us in left field and first base if we called them up right now. But it's obvious our management wants to milk another first overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft as they continue to load up on what is becoming the best minor league system in baseball.

So basically, I shouldn't waste my time watching the rest of this season. Just have to be patient for 2015, 2016, 2017... Whenever the heck we turn the corner and become a winning ball club. My patience is already running thin and my mentality is worn down watching the Astros play every game. We're in year number four of sucking beyond comprehension at the Major League level.

We're about to make it six losses in a row today. 10-25 record. Worst record in all of baseball for a fourth straight year. Only the Diamondbacks are close to us with the second worst record but they've been winning a lot of games lately. Brutal schedule coming up for the Astros as well. We should run away with the first overall pick in the 2015 draft at this point.

The Houston Astros are going to become the first team in MLB history to have the first overall pick in four straight years. SS Carlos Correa in 2012, RHP Mark Appel in 2013, whoever we pick next month in 2014 and whoever we pick next June in 2015. None of our top overall picks have been called up to the Major Leagues yet.

The Nationals (Stephen Strasburg in 2009, Bryce Harper in 2010) and the Rays (David Price in 2007, Tim Beckham in 2008) both had back-to-back first overall picks most recently. Prior to this string of top picks by the Astros. It would be nice if there are some starting pitchers like that in these next few drafts. Next month's draft has a ton of quality arms (Carlos Rodon, Tyler Kolek, Brady Aiken) and the early projection of 2015 has a premier pitching prospect named Michael Matuella out of Duke. He's 6'6 and 230 with A+ stuff and velocity.

We could really load up on some starting pitching at the top of these next two drafts. Position wise we're looking pretty good in the minor leagues outside of catcher. I guess that's the Astros plan. I'm not saying I like it but we may as well keep sucking and getting first overall draft picks if we're not going to call up some of our top prospects right now.

This post was edited by Madmartigan on May 8 2014 10:35am

now i know why the tigers lost.... thanks

Dallas Keuchel has been really really good this season. Dat 65% ground ball rate is Tim Hudson-esqe. Going to be nice trade piece for the Astros when they try to extend their 100-loss streak a few more seasons down the line.

This post was edited by HIROK on May 15 2014 09:06pm