Game of the Week: August 17: HOU @ KC

[Commissioner Erick]

Houston Astros (62-55) @ Kansas City Royals (68-49)


HOU: Danny Galabeas (6-7, 4.04)
KC: C.J. Hoover (11-4, 3.90)

Astros 5 Key Stats


28: Saves for Antonio Santillan in 29 attempts. Santillan has a 0.38 ERA, allowing just three runs, two earned, this year. He’s gone 26 appearances without allowing a run.

537: Houston’s runs scored, despite being in the top 10 in most major categories. One possible culprit is baserunning. Houston is 14th in baserunning, a hidden drain on Houston’s offensive output.

108: Double Plays Houston has hit into this year, tops in the AL. This is another source of a hidden drain on Houston’s offensive output. Ichisake Ochiai has hit into 21, leading the AL.

5: The number of starts in August for Casey Gillaspie, after a season-high seven in July as Neil Ehm experiments with tweaking his offense. Gillaspie had an Ops of 1.000 in July and is hitting .333 in August so he’s heating up over the summer. Maikel Franco has become the odd man out despite an Ops of .839 or better every month this year.

2.7: Austin Meadows’ WAR, his highest mark in a season since 2002. Meadows hasn’t played full time, but his defense has been terrific in Center for Houston. He’s curbed the strikeout issues that plagued him in St. Louis and is batting for the highest average of his career. He’s been a pleasant surprise and makes the $20 million he’s owed the next two seasons look like decent value.


Royals 5 Key Stats


14: The number of consecutive series the Royals have won, starting with a series win in Texas in late June. As a result, Kansas City has been one of the best teams in baseball the last two months.

53.7: Kansas City’s Ground Ball percentage. With Xavier Edwards in the mix for a Gold Glove, the strategy has paid off for the Royals.

108: The number of RBIs for Jorge Vargas, which leads the league. He also leads the league with 41 Home Runs. Vargas is threatening to be the first rookie to lead the AL in Home Runs or RBIs.

9: Home Runs for Xavier Edwards, more than doubling his career home run total of four entering this season. Edwards has always been a stellar defender, but injuries and a weak bat have limited him until this season. Edwards’s defense continues to shine, plus he’s batting .302, with 67 walks to 62 strikeouts, and 17 steals. He’s been a complete player and will be in the running for some hardware in the postseason.

11: Wins for C.J. Hoover to lead the team. Hoover has a 3.90 ERA, has held righties to a .547 OPS, and been one of Kansas City’s top arms. He was acquired from Boston for a Second Round pick and Pete Westra in 2025.


Questions for the GMs:


For Neil Ehm, your team is second-to-last in the league in baserunning. Do you plan on doing anything to correct that?

Is this season’s production what you expected out of Austin Meadows when you acquired him?

Kansas City’s staff is a heavy ground ball staff. Will that affect your lineup at all today?

For Daniel Kent, Quentin Holmes has crushed lefties, but he’s also held his own against righties. Can we expect to see him in the lineup today?

Your clubs is third in steals and second in baserunning. What’s your strategy in running the bases?

Your team was pretty good for most of the year, but has taken off the last two months. What’s been the big difference?


TRIVIA: Who is the only PBA Player to lead the AL or NL in RBIs at 23-years-old or younger?

[kcgm]

1) Quentin Holmes has crushed lefties, but he’s also held his own against righties. Can we expect to see him in the lineup today?

To be honest, I don't know because I never use 7 day lineups. To begin the season Holmes was only a regular against LHP but with the way he's performed, and especially his being hot lately, I have been trying to get him into the lineup more. So in addition to starting against lefties he's been splitting time with RF Jim Sattler (who is having a bit of a down season) and CF Humberto Camacho vs. RHP. For now Holmes should be starting about every other game vs. righties but once he cools off this may change.

2) Your club is third in steals and second in baserunning. What’s your strategy in running the bases?

I don't know if I really have an overall strategy. Based on a player's speed/stealing/baserunning ratings and previous baserunning stats I try and set their personal offensive strategy settings to something that seems to make sense (i.e. faster guys who steal bases and have high baserunning ratings are allowed to be more aggressive). Periodically throughout the season I check everyone's baserunning stats and if they are poor or getting caught stealing too often I adjust those personal settings. Usually if the overall stats are bad I assume they're getting thrown out on the bases and make their baserunning strategy more conservative. It does seem that this season I have hit a happy medium with the strategies; that combined with having strong individual baserunners has lead to very good team statistics.

3) Your team was pretty good for most of the year, but has taken off the last two months. What’s been the big difference?

I don't think we played well to start the season if i'm being honest; at one point we were 34-38. We were having terrible pythag luck which has greatly turned around since; but I think the biggest difference is replacing severely underperforming SPs Andrew Suarez and Chad Kuhl with Michael Bates and Chance Adams in the rotation. I may have given each a bit too long of a leash due to their career track records and what seemed like unlucky/flukey ERA numbers due to their peripherals and K/BB rates. Right around when both were demoted to the bullpen was when we started really taking off.

[Commissioner Erick]

TRIVIA: Matt correctly guessed Rafael Devers (Andrew Benintendi would also have been correct).

[Commissioner Erick]

Royals 8 - Astros 4


WP: C. Hoover (12-4)
LP: D. Galabeas (6-8)
SV: J. Shilts (8)


The Kansas City Royals knocked off the Houston Astros, 8-4, at Kauffman Stadium. Jim Sattler was a big reason Kansas City won. The right fielder was 3 for 4 with a double, 2 singles, and a walk, while scoring 3 runs. C.J. Hoover got the win, improving to 12-4. He pitched 6 innings, giving up 3 hits and 3 runs, while striking out 5 and walking 1. Kansas City, at 69-49, is 4½ games up in the American League Central Division.

Jorge Vargas went 2 for 3 with 2 singles and 2 walks for Kansas City. The 22-year old first baseman had a key at-bat in the bottom of the second. With two out and the bases loaded, he broke a 2-2 tie with a run-scoring walk off Danny Galabeas. It was his 70th walk of the season.

"We can always improve and get better, but we're feeling confident after that win," said Sattler.


Questions for the GMs:


For Neil Ehm, Nick Senzel started and went 0-4 with a strikeout. Are you comfortable with him starting over Maikel Franco at Third Base?

Danny Galabeas has allowed five runs or more now in his last five starts. Any thoughts of demoting him to the bullpen?

You really struggled with Jim Sattler today. What about his skillset gave you trouble?

For Daniel Kent, your last Game of the Week saw you using your entire bullpen early and having Andrew Suarez get bombed in the ninth for a loss. Are you more satisfied with Addison Reed going 2 innings and saving the rest of your pen?

Quentin Holmes started and had a double, a walk, and a sac fly. Does his continued success portend more starts?

C.J. Hoover looked good outside of a pair home runs. What's been the key to his success?


TRIVIA: Who is the only Royal to ever have more than 20 saves in a season?

[kcgm]

1) For Daniel Kent, your last Game of the Week saw you using your entire bullpen early and having Andrew Suarez get bombed in the ninth for a loss. Are you more satisfied with Addison Reed going 2 innings and saving the rest of your pen?

Yes this was much better; though it helps that my bullpen came into the game well rested with most everyone available which was not the case in that previous GOTW. I don't use strict bullpen roles outside of who I generally want getting the later/higher leverage innings vs. those I want pitching in middle and lower leverage innings. That means if a guy is pitching well and has bullets left in the chamber I want the game to let them go multiple innings. In addition I don't use a traditional one inning closer or setup man.

2) Quentin Holmes started and had a double, a walk, and a sac fly. Does his continued success portend more starts?

For now. I've been riding the hot hand all season when it comes to the outfield, which at the moment is Holmes. But Sattler also had a great game today and Humberto Camacho and Grant Burton have been very productive all season as well. If any cool off Holmes may take more of their playing time, but vice versa could be true if Holmes stops producing against RHP. Having too many guys hitting well and deserving of playing time is a great problem to have though. At the moment it's just about riding the hot hand, balancing their starts, and making sure everyone gets enough at-bats while still letting complimentary guys platoon.

3) C.J. Hoover looked good outside of a pair home runs. What's been the key to his success?

Hoover has been rock solid ever since I acquired him from Boston last season and immediately threw him into the rotation. He isn't flashy and doesn't overpower hitters, but he's well rounded, has great control and doesn't walk many guys. In general he also does a good job keeping the ball on the ground and limiting power (though maybe not today). He's especially tough on right-handed batters. The entire package adds up to a very steady 3-3.5 WAR type SP. Coming into the season the 26 year old Hoover was the only intended member of my starting rotation under the age of 31; due to age I will have to turn over much of my pitching staff in the near future. Though I do have a number of well regarded pitching prospects that are close to the majors, Hoover, as my only proven and young SP, is a big part of my plans for the rotation’s future.

[Commissioner Erick]

TRIVIA 2: Daniel correctly guessed Tucker Healy