SPORTSMAP ROUNDTABLE

That time A.J. Hinch verbally dunked on awful umpire Angel Hernandez

Angel Hernandez is in the news again, and of course it's for all the wrong reasons. Hernandez is being accused by MLB of eavesdropping on a league investigative call. The infamous umpire is no stranger to controversy, including when he tossed former Houston Astros skipper A.J. Hinch out of a Spring Training game in the first inning.

This is one video you don't want miss as we recount Hinch's beef with Hernandez, discuss several other incidents including Hernandez inappropriately asking for multiple autographs from players, and much more. Finally, we discuss if it's time that MLB pushes Hernandez out the door. Internal video and story credit to MLB writer Alyson Footer (Twitter: @alysonfooter).

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The Houston Astros managed to win the AL West once again, and while things got a little nerve wracking toward the end of the season, when it mattered most, the 'Stros took care of business.

It certainly didn't hurt to get a little help from the Mariners, beating the Rangers 1-0 on Sunday, paving the way for the Astros to secure the division. Rangers fans and members of their broadcast team were none too pleased with the Diamondbacks resting some of their starters on Sunday.

But let's be real, with the division on the line, the Rangers couldn't even manage to score a single run on Sunday against Seattle. That's why they're playing in the Wild Card series, not because of how Arizona approached Sunday's game.

So what did we learn during these must-win games over the last week? A lot was made of GM Dana Brown's comments on the team's flagship station. Brown was hoping manager Dusty Baker would put the best offensive lineup on the field. Yainer Diaz did not start a single game of the Diamondbacks series. But Chas McCormick played every game of the Mariners and Diamondbacks series, except for the finale against Seattle, after being hit in the back with a fastball the night before.

Michael Brantley played in two of three against Arizona, so he appears to be an option Dusty will turn to moving forward. And with the Astros only scoring 1 and 2 runs in two of the three wins against the D-Backs, the Astros need every bit of offense they can get.

Plus, we discuss how getting extra rest for Michael Brantley, Jose Abreu, and the bullpen could pay huge dividends for the club. And don't look now, but Jose Abreu is getting hot at just the right time!

Be sure to watch the video above for the full discussion.

And be sure to watch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) every Monday on SportMapHouston's YouTube channel.

Listen to ESPN 97.5 and 92.5 FM for Houston's best sports talk.


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