Alec Brown

Journalist at Climbing Tal's Hill

Death had a stronghold, but Your life was stronger

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Articles

One promising development from the Astros slow start

Apr 4, 2024 | climbingtalshill.com | Alec Brown

While Juan Soto throwing Mauricio Dubón out at home was a painful outcome, the Astros aggression on the base paths was a promising developmentBy Alec Brown | 6:00 AM CDTThe Astros were a fantastic baseball team in almost all facets in 2023. They came up just one game short of another World Series trip, but there aren't a ton of areas for improvement in 2024. The only glaring issue was their base running.
Astros get promising update on Luis Garcia recovery timeline

Apr 3, 2024 | climbingtalshill.com | Alec Brown

Luis Garcia remains ahead of schedule in his recovery from Tommy John. By Alec Brown | 6:00 AM CDTComing into 2024, the depth of the starting rotation was a big question mark for the Astros. Five games in, a resurgent Cristian Javier and a dominant Ronel Blanco no-hitter have alleviated some concerns, but Houston is still missing huge pieces in the rotation, and have almost no depth in the bullpen. Luis Garcia is one of four starters the Astros are missing to begin the year.
The Astros officially have a glaring problem at first base

Apr 2, 2024 | climbingtalshill.com | Alec Brown

Less than a week into a 162-game season is hardly the time for hot takes and overreactions. The Astros started the campaign 0-4, their questionable rotation looked great, their dominant trio of relievers were touched up, Yordan Álvarez can't get an extra base hit and Jeremy Peña is hitting .444. It's much too early for blanket statements about one specific player or position...with the exception of one obvious trouble spot.
Previewing the Astros' bullpen candidates who could replace Neris, Stanek, and Maton

Feb 23, 2024 | climbingtalshill.com | Alec Brown

The Astros made one of the biggest splashes of free agency in quite surprising fashion, signing Josh Hader to a five-year mega-deal. Hader has unseated Ryan Pressly as the closer, while Pressly will return to his roots as a setup man. With Bryan Abreu, Pressly, and Hader in the back of the bullpen, the Astros have the best seventh-ninth inning arms in the game. But did Houston do enough? Yes, Hader is elite, but he will only throw around 60 innings this year.
5 storylines that will decide the fate of the Astros season

Feb 15, 2024 | climbingtalshill.com | Alec Brown

The Astros are looking for another AL West championship, an eighth straight trip to the ALCS, and a third World Series title in eight years. These storylines will determine how their 2024 season shakes out. By Alec Brown | 6:00 AM CSTIn 2022, the Astros came up just one game short of their fifth trip to the World Series in seven years. While they did capture yet another AL West crown, it's title or bust these days in H-Town, and Houston fell short of their ultimate goal.
Astros should sign this forgotten free agent to further cement contender status

Feb 13, 2024 | climbingtalshill.com | Alec Brown

One of the best pitchers in baseball is still sitting unsigned in free agency. Over the course of a seven-year career, Brandon Woodruff has gone 46-26 with a 3.10 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 10.4 SO/9. Woodruff will miss most, if not all, of the 2024 season, after suffering a shoulder injury that required surgery. That led to the small-market Brewers to non-tender Woodruff heading into the final year of his contract as opposed to guaranteeing him millions to possibly not throw a pitch.
Astros fans will love this Josh Hader quote from introductory press conference

Jan 24, 2024 | climbingtalshill.com | Alec Brown

Josh Hader was introduced as the newest member of the Houston Astros on Monday. Hader, Dana Brown, and Joe Espada spoke with the media after Hader's contract signing became official. Much was said about how quickly the deal came together, Hader's experience coming up through the Astros farm system, and their goal of winning multiple championships. Astros fans were incredibly excited at the signing, and rightfully so.
Josh Hader contract details: Why Houston’s star closer is worth more than Edwin Diaz

Jan 20, 2024 | climbingtalshill.com | Alec Brown

The Astros sent shockwaves through what has been a dull free agency cycle thus far, signing the best reliever in MLB to a deal unlike any they have given out during Jim Crane’s tenure as owner. Hader and the Astros agreed on a five-year, $95 million contract. There are no options for either player or team in the deal, and Hader received a full no-trade clause. Barring a totally unforeseen trade to cut cash elsewhere, this will send Houston comfortably beyond the CBT.
Astros rumored to still be interested in elite reliever

Jan 11, 2024 | climbingtalshill.com | Alec Brown

The Houston Astros have had a relatively quiet offseason so far, upgrading at the margins as expected, signing Victor Caratini as the backup catcher and landing a plethora of reclamation project relievers. They are facing a self-imposed budget as a result of their TV contract that many have assumed would keep them from making any big splashes. That may not be the case after all. According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Astros are still interested in Jordan Hicks.
Genome-wide patterns of non-coding sequence variation in the major fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus

Jan 9, 2024 | biorxiv.org | Alec Brown |Jacob L. Steenwyk |Antonis Rokas

AbstractA. fumigatus is a deadly fungal pathogen, responsible for >400,000 infections/year and high mortality rates. A. fumigatus strains exhibit variation in infection-relevant traits, including in their virulence. However, most A. fumigatus protein-coding genes, including those that modulate its virulence, are shared between A. fumigatus strains and closely related non-pathogenic relatives. We hypothesized that A.