With Astros season in balance, assigning blame just got exponentially harder in Houston
STONE COLD 'STROS
30 May 2024
Playing the blame game. Composite Getty Image.
With one third of the season in the books, the Astros are still trailing the Mariners in the AL West and have yet to reach .500 this season.
With such high expectations every year in Houston, many fans are looking for someone to blame. Enter new manager Joe Espada. It's human nature to notice what's different from last year, and point the finger.
And considering the Astros' record, Espada shouldn't get a free pass for the club's struggles. But if we're being fair, we have to wonder how many of the decisions he makes are his own?
Which brings us to Jose Abreu. The Astros' front office is giving Abreu every opportunity to justify his albatross of a contract. Why else would they bring him back to the big leagues after struggling in the minors, and then drop him in the starting lineup to face the dominant Mariners pitching staff? One theory is they wanted to bring Abreu back while they were on the road, to avoid fans booing him at Minute Maid. If that is true, we have to question the logic. If he struggles in his return on the road, why would that keep fans from booing him when the club returns to Houston?
Back to Espada. Playing both Abreu and Jon Singleton in the same lineup is on him. He has better options in Mauricio Dubon and Victor Caratini. We keep hearing that Abreu will have to play regularly if he's going to find his swing again. But that doesn't appear to apply to Dubon, Chas McCormick, and Joey Loperfido. Loperfido proved he could hit at the big league level and was rewarded by being demoted to Sugar Land to make room for Abreu.
We hate to say it, but it appears giving Abreu every opportunity to turn things around is more important than making the playoffs. And if they do miss the postseason, don't be surprised if Espada is the “fall guy” for the poor decisions from the front office. From the outside looking in, we believe Jim Crane and Jeff Bagwell are running the show, with Dana Brown and Espada just following orders.
Don't miss the video above as we address the biggest concerns facing the Astros, who deserves the most blame, how they can turn things around, and much more!
José Soriano and two relievers combined for a two-hitter and Oswald Peraza hit his first home run since a trade from the Yankees to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Soriano (10-9) allowed one hit and struck out eight in seven innings. Luis García allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth for his 25th save.
There were two outs in the fifth when Peraza connected off Hunter Brown (10-7) into the bullpen in right-center field to put the Angels up 1-0. His homer comes after his two-run single in the ninth inning Saturday helped Los Angeles to a 4-1 victory that snapped a three-game skid.
Yoan Moncada walked to start the eighth and scored on Mike Trout’s double that bounced off the wall in center field to make it 2-0. Taylor Ward walked before Luis Rengifo reached and Trout scored on an error by Lance McCullers Jr. when the pitcher overthrew first base.
Yordan Alvarez singled with no outs in the first and Soriano walked a batter in the second and sixth innings. The Astros didn’t get another hit until Ramón Urías doubled with one out in the eighth inning. Los Angeles outfielder Taylor Ward was injured trying to make a catch on that hit when he crashed face-first into the metal scoreboard in left field.
He was carted off the field holding a towel to the right side of his face. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance where interim manager Ray Montgomery said he would receive stitches to close the cut and be evaluated.
Brown allowed three hits and a run with five strikeouts in six innings. McCullers Jr. allowed three hits and two runs in his first relief appearance since 2018.
Key moment
The home run by Peraza.
Key stat
It’s the fifth time the Astros have been shut out this month.
Up next
LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) will start for Los Angeles in the series finale Monday against RHP Luis Garcia, who’ll make his return after sitting out since May 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.
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