THE PALLILOG
Making this tactical adjustment could pay big dividends for Astros
Oct 29, 2021, 10:11 am
The Astros should consider dropping Alex Bregman lower in the batting order. Composite image by Jack Brame.
correa-altuve-bregman (1)
While having World Series games in Houston has become a delightful every other year tradition the past half decade, Friday night's game three in Atlanta is the first Fall Classic game there since 1999. After swapping easy wins that have the series level at a game apiece, how about some close games? Sports at their best are about tight competition that brings out the best on both sides.
With the scene shifting to the National League stadium for games three, four, five, Dusty Baker has a decision to make with no designated hitter at his disposal. Is there really a decision? That Yordan Alvarez has only played left field in two of the Astros' 12 postseason games is less than ideal, but how do you sit his bat? Alvarez is not a strong outfielder, but was no disaster over the 39 games he started in left this season. Truist Park is not a tricky outfield with nooks and crannies or an unusual outfield wall. Kyle Tucker in center with Michael Brantley in right definitely makes for a weaker outfield than Tucker in right with either Chas McCormick or Jose Siri in center, but not so much weaker as to make sitting Yordan in any of the three games the right call. If Dusty Baker wants a "true" centerfielder, Brantley is the guy who should go to the bench. Glass half full, the Astros will have a potent pinch-hitting option. The ideal is build a working lead and defensively sub for Alvarez in the last inning or two.
The decision Baker should make is dropping Alex Bregman lower in the batting order. Bregman was merely pretty good this season. Not close in quality to Tucker, Carlos Correa, or Yuli Gurriel. Bregman should be slotted seventh behind all of them. The microscope of scrutiny in the postseason does lend itself to overreaction. Jose Altuve's recent bad stretch lowlighted by his atrocious game one against the Braves did not mean there should have been any consideration to dropping him (think George Springer in 2017). But Bregman was last a big time hitter in 2019. While he could come alive and have a huge few games (nature of the beast), he clearly should be batting behind three guys who were vastly superior over the course of the season, and in the cases of Gurriel and Tucker been swinging it in the playoffs.
Defense (apart from pitching) is still often underrated. "D" is another great strength of the Astros. Gold Glove voting has a history of some preposterous outcomes, but the Astros having a whopping five American League finalists at their positions is on point. Martin Maldonado and Correa seem good bets to win. Maldonado would get a companion for his 2017 Gold Glove. Correa nabbing his first would be one more feather for his free agent cap. Gurriel is an excellent first baseman, Tucker the same in right field, Zack Greinke ditto on the mound. Greinke is a six time winner.
Texans host the Rams
The travesty that is the Houston Texans likely absorbs its latest beating Sunday with the Los Angeles Rams in town. The Texans' offense is sub-pathetic. The roster is overwhelmingly bereft of young players of meaningful promise. Unless kinfolk or close friend of someone involved with the team, why would anyone subject him or herself to watching much the rest of the season? Organizationally they're not trying to win (and doing a heck of a job of it). On the plus side Head Coach David Culley seems a genuinely nice man! The NFL trade deadline arrives Tuesday. Is Deshaun Watson dealt? Only an idiot would give up the Texans' supposed still asking price of three first round picks plus a couple of other assets. Supposed most ardent suitor Miami is where the Texans play a week from Sunday. Not that Watson would suit up and play so quickly for the Dolphins.
The presumptive Texans' loss Sunday would sink them to 1-7. The Rockets may be hard-pressed to be any better in the record department after their first eight games. Utah obliterating them at Toyota Center Thursday night sags the Rockets to 1-4. Now they hit the road for consecutive games at the Lakers, then stops at the Suns, Nuggets and Warriors. Sheesh. Maybe they can get one from the Lakers. LeBron James has missed games already this season with an ankle injury, while Russell Westbrook is thus far bricking away for his latest new team.
Buzzer Beaters:
1. Bummer scheduling that has Saturday's football game with 6-1 UH home vs. 7-0 SMU starting at 6, with Astros-Braves starting shortly after 7. With a win the Cougars likely crack the top 25 for the first time since Major Applewhite's final season as head coach.
2. The Braves should not be promoting use of the Tomahawk Chop.
3. Vegans feel free to skip this one… Best chops: Bronze-lamb Silver-veal Gold-pork, when done right-i.e. Perry's
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
Green and Sengun help the Rockets beat the short-handed Nuggets 128-108
Jan 15, 2025, 10:57 pm
If you are a believer in the third time is a charm, go ahead and book the Texans for their first ever appearance in the AFC Championship game! Saturday is the Texans’ third crack at the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs. Of course, the Texans had a third time is the charm opportunity at advancing beyond the division round back in 2016 and came nowhere close. Charm will have nothing to do with the outcome at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs have administered the Texans’ two most humiliating postseason defeats in franchise history. They came as the bookend postseason appearances of Bill O’Brien’s tenure as head coach. In 2015, the Texans won the worst division in the AFC (that sounds familiar) but as a division champ got to play host to the Wild Card 11-5 Chiefs. The visitors were three-point favorites. They won by 30. 30-0 to be more precise. Knile Davis returned the opening kickoff 106 yards for a touchdown. It would have been in the Texans’ best interest to have forfeited right then and there. In what was not exactly a shocking development, Texans’ quarterback Brian Hoyer wasn’t up to the task, throwing for just 112 yards and four interceptions. On the Chiefs’ side third-year tight end Travis Kelce had eight receptions for 128 yards. Taylor Swift was not in attendance.
The second Texans-Chiefs playoff get together is the most incredible game in Texans’ history. The Texans showed up in Missouri fresh off the greatest comeback win in their history, having come from down 16-0 in the third quarter to best the Buffalo Bills in overtime. In what could safely be characterized as stunning, the Texans put up three first quarter touchdowns for a 21-0 lead. *Massive bonus points if you can name the three Texans who scored those TDs, answer below. A field goal made it 24-0 Texans with 10:54 left in the second quarter. In a collapse tough to pull off, the Texans would trail before halftime. The Chiefs scored four touchdowns in nine minutes and eleven seconds of game time, with that Kelce fellow scoring the last three of them. Some will recall O’Brien calling a fake punt from his own 31-yard line with the Texans up 24-7. Too soon? Justin Reid (now pursuing his third Super Bowl ring in three seasons as a Chief) was stopped short. An even more damning O’Brien moment came later in that game when he actually had to use a timeout to change his mind and go for it with 11:49 left in the fourth quarter, the Texans down 48-31, and facing fourth and four at the K.C. 42. That was a fire-able on the spot offense! Instead it took an 0-4 start to the 2020 season for O’Brien to be ousted. 51-31 Chiefs was the final score, and they went on to win the first of their three Super Bowl titles in the ongoing Andy Reid/Patrick Mahomes era.
Back to the present
Those routs were then, this is now. For a 15-2 team the Chiefs seem vulnerable. Maximum credit to them for having won an NFL record 16 consecutive games decided by eight or fewer points, 11 of them this season including their 27-19 victory over the Texans December 21. Perhaps the two-time defending champions were often bored with the regular season and often did just enough to win. The Texans would have been tied with them late in the third quarter had Ka’imi Fairbairn not botched an extra point. On the other hand, it was the play that got them within 17-16 which resulted in Tank Dell’s catastrophic season-ending knee injury. Who besides Nico Collins will do something in the passing game Saturday? Last Saturday the Texans’ pass rush harassed and flustered Chargers’ quarterback Justin Herbert. Mahomes is a different breed. Four weeks ago the Texans sacked Mahomes just once and did not intercept him. That seemingly must change for the Texans to pull off what be a shocker for most people. Saturday’s high temperature forecast for Kansas City is 25 degrees. Not ideal for the Texans but better than if the game had been scheduled for Sunday when the high is supposed to be 16.
Still standing
Four Texans who dressed for the debacle five years ago will suit up against the Chiefs Saturday: Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard who were in their first season with the team, Fairbairn, and long snapper Jon Weeks. Granted he’s just a long snapper (important role but not physically taxing), but Weeks is in his 15th season with the Texans and has yet to miss a game-244 regular season games (with Saturday his 14th playoff game, also without a miss). Presuming he is back next season, Weeks (who turns 39 next month) can crack the top five list of most consecutive games played in NFL history by answering the bell in the first 12 regular season games.
*The Texans’ three early TDS in the 51-31 loss at KC: 1. Kenny Stills with a 54-yard reception 2. Lonnie Johnson with a 10-yard return of a blocked punt 3. Darren Fells with a four-yard grab
For Texans’ conversation, catch Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me on our Texans On Tap podcasts. Thursdays feature a preview of the upcoming game, and then we go live (then available on demand) after the final gun of the game: Texans on Tap - YouTube
The Astros are always in season for discussion. Our Stone Cold ‘Stros podcasts drop Mondays: Click here to watch!