A TOUCHDOWN OF A TIME!

Former Texans player gets taste of Astros road-hate up close, leaves 2 fans with big smiles

Former Texans player gets taste of Astros road-hate up close, leaves 2 fans with big smiles
Arian Foster catches an Astros game in Seattle. Composite image by Brandon Strange.

Sometimes the stars align to make for a pretty cool moment. And when you can throw in some unintentional, lighthearted fun: even better.

Hey Texans fans- remember Arian Foster? Of course you do. There’s only been about 6 great Texans in the history of the franchise, and he’s certainly one of them. Who are the other 5? Andre Johnson, JJ Watt, and you can fight about the rest.

Over the weekend Foster, who also goes by the musical alias “Bobby Feeno,” realized that he had purchased too many tickets to the Astros-Mariners matchup on Saturday. With no way to get a refund, Foster offered them on Twitter with the caveat, the best response would win them.

Shortly after, Foster announced the tickets were spoken for. For the moment, that’s all we knew. More on that in a minute.

In the meantime, Foster did some fun tweets reacting to the experience of being at the game.

He gave us a firsthand glimpse of the crowd. We can immediately see at least one (seemingly cold) Astros fan in the crowd.

Then he showed off his Ken Griffey Jr. stadium giveaway bobblehead.

Next, he got to hear some road hatred from the Seattle faithful when Jose Altuve walked to the plate.

After the game, Foster posed for a pic with the lucky couple he had given the tickets to. They were lifelong Mariners fans who are both fighting cancer.

The gentleman, named Dayne, was quick to express his appreciation to Foster after the game. But maybe TOO quick…

Whoops. The misspelling of “Arian” as “Aiden” was enough to make Dayne’s son cringe.

Foster was unfazed by the typo, though, and added to the pleasantries on the original Twitter thread.

The son assured Arian he’d help his dad Dayne with his spelling next time.

And if the night wasn’t perfect enough, they got to watch a vintage Justin Verlander performance on the way to a 4-0 Astros victory. Ok, maybe Mariners fans wouldn’t appreciate that AS much, but they’ll always have the memories and the Griffey, Jr. bobblehead!

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Framber struggles as Astros drop opener to Cardinals

The Kyle Tucker trade is looking better by the day. Composite Getty Image.

The Houston Astros are finally starting to show signs of turning the corner. After a sluggish start to the season, the offense is beginning to click, the pitching staff remains dominant, and the impact of the Kyle Tucker trade is starting to look like a clear win.

One of the more encouraging developments has been the recent plate discipline from Christian Walker. Known for his power but also for chasing pitches out of the zone, Walker has now drawn multiple walks in four straight games. It's a sign that his approach is tightening up—and he's recovered from his oblique discomfort, starting every game this season.

Yainer Diaz has also provided a much-needed spark. After a quiet stretch at the plate, Diaz came alive with a grand slam against the Angels, his most impactful swing of the year and a potential sign that his bat is heating up.

But the biggest buzz in Houston may be around the players acquired in the Kyle Tucker trade. Cam Smith has looked like he belongs in the big leagues, holding his own at the plate and flashing confidence in the field. Isaac Paredes, meanwhile, has posted a higher OPS than Alex Bregman, while right-hander Hayden Wesneski turned heads by striking out 10 Angels in a dominant start. Early returns suggest the deal could pay off big for the Astros.

Statistically, the Astros offense is still a work in progress, but it's no longer at the bottom of the barrel. After sitting dead last in slugging and near the bottom in OPS last week, Houston has climbed to 23rd in team OPS—right in the mix with the Rangers and Mariners. Slugging percentage still lags behind (27th overall), but there's some movement in the right direction.

Houston has scored the 21st-most runs in the league—better than only the Rangers in the AL West. Yet thanks to strong pitching, the Astros sit at +2 in run differential, the only team in the division with a positive mark.

That pitching has been the backbone of the team so far. Houston ranks 13th in ERA at 3.69, is third in opponent batting average (.190), and leads all of Major League Baseball in strikeouts with 166. It’s a staff that keeps them in every game and has the potential to dominate when the offense catches up.

The early season numbers still reflect a team trying to find its footing, but the signs are there. If the recent progress continues—Walker’s improved discipline, Diaz’s power, and the emergence of new contributors—Houston could soon be back to the top of the AL West.

We have so much more to cover. 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!

ChatGPT assisted.

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