Sunday’s best

Last night’s win gives the Astros and Lucas Harrell a chance to take the series from the Pirates today. Jose Altuve came back from the bereavement list with a 3-hit night and the bullpen worked overtime to secure the win. Enjoy these Sunday morning links as you prep for today’s series finale.

"Oh, and did I mention Erik Bedard, who quietly spun another great start? Bedard only threw 91 pitches, but made i through six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits while walking none and striking out three. That dropped Bedard’s ERA down to 6.00, which is nearly respectable."

Crawfish Boxes

Russell Martin tags out Carlos Pena after the Astros had already taken the lead (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

"The young Ryan is a notable figure in minor league baseball, as he’s coming to the Astros from his post as boss of two minor league clubs: Rangers Triple-A affiliate Round Rock and Astros Double-A affiliate Corpus Christi. Both organizations have been highly successful under his watch."

Bleacher Report

"The fact that he’s changed so many positions and he’s learned to play them all pretty good – this one is pretty much new to him,” Clark said. “But if you come out and see this kid track balls off the bat during (batting practice), all the extra work that he puts in, you know that this kid wants it and he’s going to get better at it."

Ultimate Astros

"Teams like the 1998 Astros don’t come around too often. Not only were they so mashtastic that no one has bested them during the wild card era, but their season stands in the top 10 since Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier."

Fangraphs