Well at least there is a silver lining to last nights donkey punch to the gentleman's sausage.
At least we didn't score 10 runs and lose.
At least we didn't score 10 runs and lose.
***** 2023 Houston Astros Season Thread *****
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Last: 1 yr ago by texasaggie2015
We need to feast on this 9 game homestand coming up. Because after that we have trips to Dodger stadium, St Louis and Arlington
Need to get it to within 2-3 games in the division and then beat the rangers in that series.
Need to get it to within 2-3 games in the division and then beat the rangers in that series.
No surprise that Laz Diaz sucks.
Umpire: Laz Diaz
— Umpire Scorecards (@UmpScorecards) June 10, 2023
Final in 14: Astros 9, Guardians 10#Ready2Reign // #ForTheLand#HOUvsCLE // #CLEvsHOU
More stats for this game 👇https://t.co/ykIYN6c9gh pic.twitter.com/1sbLjkcVYf
Who else is having fun?
It's possible we're watching a team battling through a natural "off year" after two years of playing alot of high stress baseball. The frustrations are mounting with a stretch of poor play, bad luck and some untimely bonehead plays. Injury issues seem to be getting worse, not better.
With that said, it's also possible we might be watching the most resilient Astros team of all time. There's still a path. It might not consist of making a strong run leading up to the All Star break. It might not consist of winning the division or AL homefield.
But there's still a scenario where get a few guys back in the second half, we make a couple deadline acquisitions, we get a couple guys going... and all of a sudden we're churning in September and NO ONE wants piece of us in October.
It might be a little ugly between now and the break, but that's ok. We're 8 games over .500 and need to stay in that range. If we sputter and are back near .500, maybe we have the Dusty conversation (ie let Espada interim the rest of the year) and really examine whether it's smart to unload prospects to try and win now.
But if we're still in that 10+ games over .500 range, I'm optimistic that we find our gear in the second half.
It's possible we're watching a team battling through a natural "off year" after two years of playing alot of high stress baseball. The frustrations are mounting with a stretch of poor play, bad luck and some untimely bonehead plays. Injury issues seem to be getting worse, not better.
With that said, it's also possible we might be watching the most resilient Astros team of all time. There's still a path. It might not consist of making a strong run leading up to the All Star break. It might not consist of winning the division or AL homefield.
But there's still a scenario where get a few guys back in the second half, we make a couple deadline acquisitions, we get a couple guys going... and all of a sudden we're churning in September and NO ONE wants piece of us in October.
It might be a little ugly between now and the break, but that's ok. We're 8 games over .500 and need to stay in that range. If we sputter and are back near .500, maybe we have the Dusty conversation (ie let Espada interim the rest of the year) and really examine whether it's smart to unload prospects to try and win now.
But if we're still in that 10+ games over .500 range, I'm optimistic that we find our gear in the second half.
I'll be here for the duration, but my gut feeling is that this is more than the standard slumping we always go through and that we don't have the depth to overcome injuries.
Obviously stranger things have happened and if we can find a way to get to the playoffs and get hot anything can happen.
Obviously stranger things have happened and if we can find a way to get to the playoffs and get hot anything can happen.
My gut says this team with the pitching injuries and lineup issues isn't going to overcome these issues this year. I get that the pitching numbers say we are a top team but France, Bielak and Blanco aren't going to do this all season and the bullpen has really issues this year. They may be good but the offense is so bad that it requires better than good pitching. It requires perfect pitching. Add it having to overcome less than perfect managing and you have a lot to overcome.
I'm not going anywhere but it's going to be a long summer.
I'm not going anywhere but it's going to be a long summer.
Mathguy64 said:
My gut says this team with the pitching injuries and lineup issues isn't going to overcome these issues this year. I get that the pitching numbers say we are a top team but France, Bielak and Blanco aren't going to do this all season and the bullpen has really issues this year. They may be good but the offense is so bad that it requires better than good pitching. It requires perfect pitching. Add it having to overcome less than perfect managing and you have a lot to overcome.
I'm not going anywhere but it's going to be a long summer.
I think we still have a decent shot, but the margins are much slimmer, and unfortunately Dusty being who he is, won't budge on doing the right things like Starting Diaz and relegating Maldy to a backup for rest days.
Certainly Crane had an awful time with the offseason signings, didn't get enough pitching depth despite saying he'd "open the checkbook". Ended up signing Montero to a ridiculous deal based on one lucky season, and letting go Yuli based on one unlucky season. Just a disaster of an offseason that really hurt our chances this year.
Also, Dusty should not have been re-signed as manager unless in the contract it stipulated that the GM could override lineup decisions.
I just think it's been a rough start of the year, and this is an extremely rough patch. Injuries have really hurt the team. Right now, I think 17 games in 17 days is getting to them. It's a mental grind. I'm guessing they are all just looking forward to an off day.
Imagine working that many days in a row. It's probably hard to stay at the top of your game.
I think they will snap out of this funk when they get back home, have a day off, then pick it up against the Nats.
Imagine working that many days in a row. It's probably hard to stay at the top of your game.
I think they will snap out of this funk when they get back home, have a day off, then pick it up against the Nats.
texasaggie2015 said:
I'm just as frustrated as everyone else, but I'm telling y'all… there's still what, 98 games left? We're 36-28. Help is coming at the deadline. Get into the playoffs and it's a brand new season. We'll be okay. Remember- baseball is one of the ugliest marathons in the world.
As frustrated as I am watching this last stretch, this is what I keep coming back to. If someone said in May we would get zero contribution from uncle Mike and McCullers, only a couple starts from Luis and Urquidy, and a Hangul of games from Altuve I would have predicted we would have been well below 500. Add in that abreu has been a non factor and sub 500 would have been a lock in my mind. Yet somehow we're 8 over and battling for the playoffs. While it can be hard to watch us flounder, it's pretty miraculous at the same time
I think we are going to need:Mathguy64 said:
My gut says this team with the pitching injuries and lineup issues isn't going to overcome these issues this year. I get that the pitching numbers say we are a top team but France, Bielak and Blanco aren't going to do this all season and the bullpen has really issues this year. They may be good but the offense is so bad that it requires better than good pitching. It requires perfect pitching. Add it having to overcome less than perfect managing and you have a lot to overcome.
I'm not going anywhere but it's going to be a long summer.
1. Abreu to at least bounce back to being a league average first baseman…which he has almost been for the past couple of weeks.
2. Get McCullers and Uncle Mike back before the playoffs, OR
3. Make a JV type trade deadline pickup and a big bat that actually keeps hitting (NOT like Mancini).
4. Have the bullpen get its head out of its ass.
If 1 & 2 don't happen I just don't see the org going guns blazing at the deadline and picking up a big-time SP and a middle of the order bat and I think we'd need that to be competitive in the postseason.
that's why it was so critical to sweep the A's
Oakland will help keep the Astros in the wildcard race
the 'stros are just 30-28 vs. teams other than the Athletics
Oakland will help keep the Astros in the wildcard race
the 'stros are just 30-28 vs. teams other than the Athletics
I've seen this mentioned before. And I can nearly guarantee your incorrect. Most varsity HS catchers call most of their pitches. Best catchers in college, also call their game. By the time you're in the pros catchers call almost exclusively their own pitches. Maldy does look into the dugout often but it isn't always for pitches.Marvin said:OKCAg2002 said:
Dusty doesn't believe in metrics. Remember. Maldy calls a good game!
The pitch calls come from the bench. I'm not sure what Maldy does in the meantime that is such a benefit over Diaz.
Harry Dunne said:I think we are going to need:Mathguy64 said:
My gut says this team with the pitching injuries and lineup issues isn't going to overcome these issues this year. I get that the pitching numbers say we are a top team but France, Bielak and Blanco aren't going to do this all season and the bullpen has really issues this year. They may be good but the offense is so bad that it requires better than good pitching. It requires perfect pitching. Add it having to overcome less than perfect managing and you have a lot to overcome.
I'm not going anywhere but it's going to be a long summer.
1. Abreu to at least bounce back to being a league average first baseman…which he has almost been for the past couple of weeks.
2. Get McCullers and Uncle Mike back before the playoffs, OR
3. Make a JV type trade deadline pickup and a big bat that actually keeps hitting (NOT like Mancini).
4. Have the bullpen get its head out of its ass.
If 1 & 2 don't happen I just don't see the org going guns blazing at the deadline and picking up a big-time SP and a middle of the order bat and I think we'd need that to be competitive in the postseason.
I don't expect LMJ or Brantley back at all. Realistically we need a decent starter and a decent hitter. We know from the teams we have played in the WS (Nats and Philly) that you don't have to be the best to get to the WS just the hottest. But you do have to get there. I'm just not sure this team this year gets there.
#2 ain't happening
I feel the same way about LMJ and Brantley, even if they're back I wouldn't bet on them being what they were before injury. We're talking almost a year since Brantley has played and LMJ has only a few months of playing time since 2021.
Back or not we need a big bat, top half of the rotation pitcher, and another BP arm. And with regards to the bat, someone will have to force Dusty to play them, something that he didn't do with Mancini and Vasquez. Both starters with the teams they came from but off the bench guys when they got here.
Back or not we need a big bat, top half of the rotation pitcher, and another BP arm. And with regards to the bat, someone will have to force Dusty to play them, something that he didn't do with Mancini and Vasquez. Both starters with the teams they came from but off the bench guys when they got here.
Don't really understand complaining about the way he used them when we won the WS.
I'm not saying his roster usage is the greatest, but he used it right in 2022.
I'm not saying his roster usage is the greatest, but he used it right in 2022.
Julks over Diaz at DH
Yep, having fun here. How freaking spoiled are we that a 10 game over .500 team makes us upset ?
Harry Dunne said:
Don't really understand complaining about the way he used them when we won the WS.
I'm not saying his roster usage is the greatest, but he used it right in 2022.
He got away with it with Yuli over Mancini because Mancini was dog poop and Yuli got hot/returned to Yuli of old in the playoffs and frankly Vazquez wasn't that big of an upgrade last year.
I think Mancini was never given a chance to get in rhythm here. He went from being an everyday player to every fifth day. If I remember right, he had a couple homers early on. Then went cold.
Didn't he homer in his first at bat with the Astros, or something close to that?agdaddy04 said:
I think Mancini was never given a chance ..... If I remember right, he had a couple homers early on. Then went cold.
edit
Found this
(351) Trey Mancini's first three hits as a Houston Astro have been homers, including a grand slam!!! - YouTube
Love Pressly and what he's given this team, especially in our title run last year. But my confidence in him is dwindling quickly. He has struggled a few times this year, last night was the latest example. Do we need to look at a closer via trade? Should Abreu and Pressly switch roles?
Hit one in his 1st start and 2 in his 2nd start.
rcb said:
Julks over Diaz at DH
Julks needs to be demoted to the minors or traded so he doesn't get played. It is absolutely ridiculous that he gets more time than Diaz.
Bunt maldy every at bat
We have placed RHP Ryne Stanek on the Bereavement/Family Medical Emergency List.
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 10, 2023
carpediem13 said:We have placed RHP Ryne Stanek on the Bereavement/Family Medical Emergency List.
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 10, 2023
Smart. Now we can bring in another arm for the pen after last night's marathon game
Harry Dunne said:
Don't really understand complaining about the way he used them when we won the WS.
I'm not saying his roster usage is the greatest, but he used it right in 2022.
Fair, but my point is that he didn't use those guys as much as you typically would after acquiring that caliber of player.
Lonestar_Ag09 said:I've seen this mentioned before. And I can nearly guarantee you're incorrect. Most varsity HS catchers call most of their pitches. Best catchers in college, also call their game. By the time you're in the pros catchers call almost exclusively their own pitches. Maldy does look into the dugout often but it isn't always for pitches.Marvin said:OKCAg2002 said:
Dusty doesn't believe in metrics. Remember. Maldy calls a good game!
The pitch calls come from the bench. I'm not sure what Maldy does in the meantime that is such a benefit over Diaz.
Correct me if I'm wrong. Watch the game and you'll see Maldy stare into the dugout before every pitch and then give the signal. Maybe he has liberty if the coach passes, but he is at least getting permission to call the pitch.
Watch and tell me what you see.
I love Texas Aggie sports, but I love Texas A&M more.
Altuve drops in a double down the RF line
Bregman doubles off the wall
(officially ruled a single -- advanced on the throw home)
(officially ruled a single -- advanced on the throw home)
Nice start
W said:
Bregman doubles off the wall
(officially ruled a single -- advanced on the throw home)
That's dumb.
He's so ****ing back
Abreu 2-run homer!
is he back?
is he back?
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