Dickey @ home vs. AAAAstros tonight

[Teenwolf]

See what I did there?

These Astros hitters have been awful, and K'ing a ton. Dickey had much improved knuckler velocity in his last start in the dome.

I was really scared after Dickey's first pounding, and low velo, but as a matchup, it doesn't get much better than tonight.

[bryanbutler]

oops.

[revo]

oops.

Ummm yeah.

[Moonlight J]

Suck it nerds......Go Astros

[bryanbutler]

i actually find myself rooting for the astros. as long as they're not playing the o's or d'backs that is . gotta love an underdog!

[Kevin Seitzer]

it doesn't get much better than tonight.

It sure doesn't.

[Gregg]

See what I did there?

Umm...jink?

[cavebird]

i actually find myself rooting for the astros. as long as they're not playing the o's or d'backs that is . gotta love an underdog!

I would, but I don't get to watch any of their games.

[chancellor]

I would, but I don't get to watch any of their games.

A team in North Carolina would have scored two more runs, easy.

[Erik]

Maybe they play better when no one is watching on TV.

[Erik]

In front of a banner-waving crowd of 250,000, all of them trampling one another in efforts to purchase as much Astro merchandise as humanly possible.

They'd probably not be called the Astros anymore. The Marlboros?

[Teenwolf]

Wow, Dickey really lost it in the 5th. Just looked gassed, left a few juicy pitches up that were hit out.

Not confident in Dickey going forward at all. Ugh. Gonna be a long season for Jays fans, especially if they're below .500 at the trade deadline. Starting MI rotation of Jonathan Diaz/Maicer Izturis/Ryan Goins won't cut it, so they better pray for 100+ games from Reyes, or they're dead meat in the ALE.

As for the Astros, it'll be nice to see Springer, Singleton, Folty, and Appel all arriving soon, with Correa, Deshields, Velazquez, etc following shortly after... Seems like prospect porn is the new market inefficiency, and Astros have a ton of it.

[cavebird]

In front of a banner-waving crowd of 250,000, all of them trampling one another in efforts to purchase as much Astro merchandise as humanly possible.

All driving up to Canada to watch it!

[SlideRule]

This is kind of neat - knuckleballer Steve Sparks, now in the Astros' broadcast booth, tossed BP for them yesterday before facing Dickey. Apparently he did the same thing last year, and the Astros hit him hard then too (although they lost).

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/04/11/the-astros-got-an-assist-from-the-broadcast-booth-yesterday/

[Moonlight J]

Smart trick by the Astros. I've witness Rays BP on days when Dickey is on the mound and it's the same guy they always use, but no knucklers.