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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The Houston Astros didn’t just sweep the Philadelphia Phillies. They sent a message.
In three tightly contested games against one of the best teams in baseball, the Astros leaned on their elite pitching and timely offense to secure a statement sweep. Hunter Brown was electric in the finale, shutting down the Phillies’ lineup and showing the kind of dominance that’s become a defining feature of his game. Bryan Abreu slammed the door with four strikeouts to close out the win, and rookie Cam Smith delivered the deciding blow — an RBI single in the eighth to drive in Isaac Paredes, lifting the Astros to a 2-1 victory.
It wasn’t a series filled with offensive fireworks, but that’s exactly the point. Both teams sent out top-tier pitching throughout the series, and Houston was the team that kept finding a way. For much of the season, the Astros’ inconsistent offense might’ve been a concern in a series like this. But this time, it felt different. The bats showed up just enough, and the pitching did the rest.
Now, with Houston on pace for 96 wins at the halfway point, the question becomes: Is the league officially on notice?
Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing is certain, the Astros have the third-best record in baseball, they’re 17-7 in one-run games, and they’re playing with the kind of rhythm that’s defined their near-decade of dominance. Unlike last year’s uneven campaign, this version of the Astros looks like a team that’s rediscovered its edge. Whether or not they need to take care of business against the Cubs to validate it, their recent run leaves little doubt: when Houston is clicking, there are very few teams built to stop them.
Off the field, however, a bit of long-term uncertainty is starting to creep in. Reports surfaced this week that extension talks with shortstop Jeremy Peña have been put on hold as he recently signed with super-agent Scott Boras. The combination has led many to wonder if Peña might follow the same free-agent path as Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and others before him. Boras clients rarely settle early, and Peña, now one of the most valuable shortstops in the game, could command a price tag the Astros have historically avoided paying.
If Peña and even Hunter Brown are likely to get priced out of Houston, the front office may need to pivot. Isaac Paredes could be the most logical extension candidate on the roster. His approach — particularly his ability to pull the ball with authority — is tailor-made for Daikin Park and the Crawford Boxes. Last year, Paredes struggled to leave the yard at Wrigley Field, but in Houston, he’s thriving. Locking him in long term would give the Astros offensive stability and the kind of value they’ve typically targeted.
As for Cam Smith, the breakout rookie is far from free agency and will remain a cost-controlled piece for years. That’s exactly why his contributions now, like his clutch eighth-inning knock to beat Philadelphia, matter so much. He's one more reason why the Astros don’t just look good right now. They look dangerous.
And the rest of the league is starting to feel it.
There's so much more to get to! 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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