PLENTY TO PLAY FOR
3 important factors to watch for as Astros take on Braves in World Series rematch
Aug 19, 2022, 1:33 pm
The Astros are headed back to Atlanta. Photo by Elsa/Getty Images.
Astros stave off elimination with World Series Game 5 win over Braves
In most sports, when the calendar provides a rematch of the two teams that squared off against each other for the championship in the previous season, you circle those dates. This weekend's matchup between the Astros and Braves in Atlanta is one of those times.
Typically, these types of rematches give both teams something to rise to the occasion; there's a revenge factor for the team that came up short the previous year, while the defending champions can show that they're still the team to beat. When the 2022 schedule was initially released, there was no guarantee that the three-game series kicking off Friday night would be one featuring two of the league's best teams.
Luckily for us, it is a playoff-caliber set of games, with the Houston sitting on top of the AL at 77-43 while the Braves sit third in the NL at 73-47 behind the 76-43 Mets and the league's best 81-36 Dodgers. Both teams are virtually guaranteed to be in the 2022 postseason at this point, but there's still plenty to prove.
Is McCullers Jr. all the way back?
"Having him come back now, might ensure that you're going to get the best part of him in October."
Lance McCullers Jr. was looking a lot like himself in his 2022 season debut this past weekend. 👀#MLBCentral | #LevelUp | @markdero7 | @LaurenShehadi | @RoFlo pic.twitter.com/taqEr699lL
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) August 15, 2022
In the series opener, we'll get an intriguing pitching battle when the Astros send Lance McCullers Jr. to the mound opposite Kyle Wright, who is 14-5 with a 3.14 ERA. Both of these teams are benefitting from solid pitching this season, with Houston's second-best team ERA of 3.05 and Atlanta's sixth-best 3.61.
McCullers made his 2022 debut on August 13th, and it was a good one. He made it through six shutout innings against the A's on just 81 pitches, nabbing his first win of the year as Houston would go on to win 8-0. While quality starts, especially shutouts, are never easy in the MLB, there is a big difference between the 41-73 A's and this Braves team.
One thing that could have bitten him in that first start was walks. He issued four over the six-inning outing, with some timely double plays helping erase them. He otherwise looked sharp, getting five strikeouts and allowing just two hits. If he can make the next step in his progression to complete form, replicating the success of his first start against a more potent offense, that will be a huge confidence boost for the rest of the season.
Are the bats finally peaking?
In the recent six-game homestand against the Rangers and A's, the Astros put up 39 runs, averaging 6.5 per game. Three low-scoring affairs followed that against the White Sox, where they managed just eight and dropped two of those three to Chicago. Then the lineup exploded in the series finale, demolishing the ball en route to a 21-5 clubbing to hang their hats on heading into this weekend.
As I've mentioned earlier this season, with Houston's pitching being mostly consistent with their strong performance, the offense has been the deciding factor in games more often than not. One key component of the top of Houston's order is Alex Bregman, who is having a hot August so far.
That's one way to keep him off 2nd. pic.twitter.com/ApJCUyj6Ba
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 18, 2022
Bregman's first half of the season was not up to his typical standards, finishing with a .238 average, 11 homers, and .764 OPS. That has quickly turned around in July and August, where he's slashing .343/.404/.667 and an impressive 1.070 OPS. So far this month, he has the third-best average in the league, is tied for the most RBI, and has the second-best OPS with 1.246 behind Paul Goldschmidt's 1.276.
While the rest of the lineup got in on the action in the blowout win in Chicago, Bregman was the most impressive, getting two homers and driving in six runs. If he can maintain this surge the rest of the way and be the spark for Houston's lineup, they could enter the postseason as one of the most well-rounded teams, which remains necessary for playoff success.
An exciting weekend in store
After the opener on Friday night with McCullers Jr. vs. Wright, the two teams will take to primetime on Saturday night as they'll play on FOX. That game will have Cristian Javier (7-8, 2.96 ERA) facing off with Spencer Strider (7-4, 3.04 ERA) at 6:15 PM Central. Then, the series finale will be at 12:35 PM on Sunday with the pitching matchup of Jose Urquidy (11-4, 3.69 ERA) and former Astro Charlie Morton (6-5, 4.04 ERA).
A World Series rematch. A potential preview of this year's as well. It'll be fun to watch and shapes up to be one of the final premier matchups the Astros have as we near the last month of regular-season play.
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After dropping a frustrating series to the Chicago White Sox, the Houston Astros find themselves in a familiar position—searching for answers, but still within striking distance. Despite their inconsistency, Houston sits just three games behind the AL West-leading Mariners, who are currently 7 games over .500 and riding an 8-2 stretch. For as up-and-down as the Astros have been, the division remains tantalizingly close.
That inconsistency was on full display throughout the White Sox series. Jake Meyers and Zach Dezenzo each played the roles of both hero and heartbreaker. Dezenzo launched a massive home run in Game 3, a moment that energized the dugout and briefly shifted momentum. But his costly defensive error later in the game flipped the script. Meyers was a spark plug in Houston’s lone win, delivering a clutch performance at the plate, only to run the team out of a rally in the finale when he was picked off second—right before Jeremy Peña ripped what would have been an RBI single.
Jose Altuve’s struggles are quietly becoming more worrisome. He’s recorded just one multi-hit game since April 19 and has only one homer since April 8. On Sunday, he swung at the first pitch after Lance McCullers had grinded through a 33-pitch inning—a decision that raised questions about his awareness in a veteran moment. Should manager Joe Espada have reminded Altuve of the situation? Or is this on Altuve, who should have known what to do as one of the team leaders?
Signs of life
There are flickers of life from the bats. Last week, Houston's team OPS was an underwhelming .667 (23rd in MLB), with a slugging percentage of .357 (25th). They've nudged those numbers up to .684 (19th) and .370 (21st), respectively. It’s modest progress, but enough to suggest this offense might be trending in the right direction. Still, their 5-5 record over the last 10 games feels emblematic of who they are right now—a .500 team with both talent and flaws.
Looking ahead
The upcoming schedule could be a turning point. Three of the next five opponents have losing records, and none of them are elite. This stretch offers a prime opportunity for Houston to finally build momentum and close the gap in the division—assuming the Mariners cool off from their current tear, which seems inevitable given their unsustainable 8-2 pace.
McCullers is officially back!
Lance McCullers returned for the first time since 2022 and, despite being limited to 3.2 innings due to command issues (three walks and a hit batter), there were encouraging signs. His velocity was there, and the stuff looked sharp. It’s a start, and perhaps a step toward stabilizing a rotation that still needs length.
Steering the ship
Manager Joe Espada, however, continues to draw scrutiny. His decision-making in the finale raised eyebrows again. Giving Isaac Paredes a day off when Yordan Alvarez was already sitting left the lineup depleted. Rather than using promising young infielder/outfielder Cam Smith, he opted for Mauricio Dubón and Brendan Rodgers—a defensive combo that didn't inspire confidence. It feels at times like Espada isn’t prioritizing winning the final game of a series, a pattern that could haunt the team down the stretch.
The plot thickens
Meanwhile, Christian Walker’s slump is dragging on. He went 0-for-5 twice in the last two series and looks out of sync at the plate. The Astros need more from their power hitters if they hope to make a real run. And with Alvarez now heading to the IL with hand inflammation, runs will be even harder to come by.
All told, this team still feels like one hovering just above or below .500. But in a division that remains wide open, the path forward is clear: play better, hope the Mariners come back to earth, and capitalize on a soft schedule. The race is far from over—but it’s time for Houston to start acting like contenders.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
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