ASTROS REPORT
Let's examine which players are heating up at the right time for Astros
Aug 23, 2021, 4:24 pm
Yordan Alvarez continued his hot hitting. Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images.
The Astros started last week on a sour note, losing three of four games in Kansas City.
The Royals outscored the Astros 16-15 in this series due to Houston's unfamiliarity with Kansas City's pitching staff. With the exception of Mike Minor, Houston was facing the Royals' rotation for the first time. Needless to say, the Astros were happy to leave the City of Fountains and return home to face the Mariners.
Offensive woes didn't seem to be an issue when Seattle came to town, as the Astros outscored their division foe 30-10 over the weekend.
Three Astros' players in particular shined bright during this offensive showcase in Houston.
1). Taylor Jones had his best performance of the season Saturday night against the Mariners.
He recorded three hits and a career-high 4 RBI to help the Astros crush Seattle 15-1. Jones was a last minute replacement for Chas McCormick when he was scratched from the lineup with a sore left hand. He played in left field and had a great throw to get Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager out at home plate.
This last minute addition to the lineup proved to be a great one, as Jones was just one of a few Astros players to have a breakout series and boast season high numbers at the plate.
2). Jose Altuve feasted on some Seattle pitching. The All-Star second basemen had a season-best four hits against the Mariners on Saturday, then followed up with a three-hit performance on Sunday.
Altuve increased his batting average from .272 to .280 over the weekend and looks to be heating up at the right time as the playoffs inch closer and closer.
3). Yordan Alvarez continued his hot hitting as he drove in eight RBI and hit three home runs over the weekend. This was the first time in the young slugger's career in which he hit homers in three consecutive days.
Alvarez's home run on Sunday was his 25th of the season, tying him with Altuve for the team lead in homers.
Even though Houston lost the final game against Seattle on Sunday, they still won the series and gained one game on the Oakland A's. As it currently stands, the Astros lead the A's by 3.5 games in the American League West standings.
Injury Update: Astros pitcher Jose Urquidy is scheduled to pitch the first of two games of a rehab assignment for Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday. If this goes well, the starting pitcher could be back as early as September 1st.
Chas McCormick has sore hand and his injury looks to be day-to-day as it doesn't appear he will have to go on the injured list.
Alex Bregman went 3-8 with four RBI in the two games he played with the Skeeters. The third baseman has made some good progress and looks to be on his way back to the club sooner rather than later. He took some batting practice with the Astros on Saturday and seems to be champing at the bit to return to his team.
Kyle Tucker looks to come back some time this next series off of the COVID-19 injured list. If not this series, he should return in time for this weekend's series in Arlington against the Texas Rangers.
Up Next: The Kansas City Royals start another series with the Astros for the final time this season. The first matchup will showcase Zack Greinke vs Daniel Lynch Monday night at 7:10 CDT.
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NFL insiders hint at eye-opening future for Houston Texans offense
Dec 7, 2024, 2:38 pm
C.J. Stroud faced criticism in Houston's last few games as the Texans hit a rough patch after losing just two of their first eight games.
But the second-year quarterback remained confident and his strong performance last Sunday helped the Texans (8-5) to a 23-20 win over the Jaguars to enter their bye with a two-game lead atop the AFC South.
“When he is leading and playing the way he is playing, our entire team feeds off of him,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I am excited for his second year. I think he is showing a ton of growth, he is in a really great spot for us physically, mentally. I really love where he is and I am excited to see how he comes back after the break.”
Stroud threw for 242 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville to leave him ranked fourth in the NFL with 3,117 yards passing this season. That game came after he threw two interceptions in a 32-27 loss to Tennessee a week before for the team’s third loss in four games.
Those two interceptions brought his season total to nine, which are four more than he threw in 15 games a rookie. But the Texans aren’t worried about that statistic and believe he has grown in his second year.
“He’s made a lot of progress,” general manager Nick Caserio said. “There are some plays, like all of our players, that we probably wish he could have back, but happy he’s our quarterback, happy with what he brings to the table. ... Wouldn’t want anyone else leading this team.”
The Texans are in position to win their division for a second straight season despite dealing with several significant injuries on offense. Running back Joe Mixon missed three games early with an ankle injury and leading receiver Nico Collins was sidelined for five games with a hamstring injury.
They also lost four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs for the season when tore an ACL in Week 8.
Mixon leads the team with 887 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns and has added four touchdown receptions. His work in his first season in Houston after a trade from Cincinnati has helped the team deal with those significant injuries to the receiving corps.
Mixon ranks third in the NFL by averaging 88.7 yards rushing a game and has had at least 100 yards rushing in seven games.
Stroud has continually raved about Mixon’s contributions on and off the field.
“He’s a servant, a helper,” Stroud said. “That’s ultimately what I want to be as well. Who can I serve and how can I help? That’s ultimately what the game of football is.”
While Mixon has been the team’s most important new acquisition on offense, Danielle Hunter has been Houston’s new defensive star. The defensive end spent his first eight seasons in Minnesota before joining the Texans this year.
He has helped Houston lead the NFL with 84 tackles for loss after piling up 15 this season, which is tied for third most in the league. He also leads the Texans with 10½ sacks to help them rank second with 42.
Hunter been a great addition to a team that already had defensive end Will Anderson Jr., last year’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Anderson ranks second to Hunter on the team with 13 tackles for loss and 9½ sacks.
Ryans said this week’s break is much needed for a team that opened the preseason on Aug. 1 in the Hall of Fame game.
“It’s here and we’re going to take advantage of it,” he said. “We’ve been going at it for a long time.”
The Texans need to recharge this week with a brutal stretch of three games in 10 days when they return from their bye. Houston hosts Miami on Dec. 15 before a trip to Kansas City on Dec. 21 and a visit from the Ravens on Christmas Day.
“It’s Christmas and all that, but we can’t worry about that. All we can do is focus on Miami,” Caserio said. “And then when we get through the Miami game, then we kind of turn the page to the next. ... We’re either going to earn it or we’re not. Not to oversimplify it, but that’s the truth.”
The Texans will play those game without starting linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after he received a three-game suspension for his violent hit to the head of Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, which led to a concussion.
Al-Shaair will be eligible to return for Houston’s regular-season finale against Tennessee.