How an exciting new reality is taking shape for Astros slugger Chas McCormick

CREAM OF THE CROP

Chas McCormick continues to dominate this season. Is it fair to call him the top CF in the American League, over guys like Julio Rodriguez and Luis Robert?

While many people might scoff at the thought of McCormick being a better center fielder than Julio Rodriguez, the numbers tell a very interesting story. Chas currently has a .917 OPS and Rodriguez is sitting at .798. That's a big difference. How about slugging percentage? McCormick .544, Rodriguez .462.

Finally, let's look at home runs. Julio has Chas beat with 21 to McCormick's 19. But Rodriguez has over 500 at-bats and McCormick has less than 300.

Be sure to watch the video above as Jeremy Branham makes his case for McCormick.

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Rockets beat the Grizzlies, 119-115. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.

Alperen Sengun had 32 points and 14 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets held on to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 119-115 on Thursday night in a showdown between two of the top teams in the Western Conference.

Jalen Green finished with 27 points and Fred VanVleet scored 22 as the Rockets won their third straight and solidified their hold on second place in the Western Conference, moving 1 1/2 games ahead of Memphis.

Ja Morant scored 27 points in his return from a five-game absence with a shoulder injury, and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 21 points, eight rebounds and six blocks for Memphis. Desmond Bane had 16 points.

Houston dominated the inside early, scoring 20 points in the paint before the halfway point of the first quarter. Memphis initially couldn't stop anything at the rim. Houston opened a 17-point lead before taking a 68-63 advantage at the break.

Takeaways

Rockets: Houston is 12-5 on the road, including six straight wins away from home.

Grizzlies: After allowing the Rockets to score inside and build a big lead, Memphis chipped into the advantage to make it a more competitive game.

Key moment

With 3.8 seconds left in the game and Houston leading 117-114, Bane fired up a 3-pointer that rattled in. But Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins called timeout before the shot was made. Bane was fouled on the ensuing inbounds, and Memphis wouldn't get another chance for a winning shot.

Key stat

Houston is 19-3 when they score at least 110. Houston hasn't allowed more than 115 points in past 15 games.

Up next

The Rockets are at Atlanta on Saturday. Memphis travels to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves on Saturday.

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