THE PALLILOG
Astros need to take out the trash before heading out West
Jul 23, 2021, 10:57 am
The Astros need to beat up on the lowly Rangers. Composite image by Jack Brame.
Collectively so far this season the Astros would not make for very good garbage men. Meaning they haven't been so good at taking out the trash. Swept in a series at Detroit when the Tigers were terrible, swept at Minute Maid Park by the sorry Orioles, swept in an early season series at the Rangers. Presently the Rangers are an atrocity. A nine game losing streak has them 35-62, buried deeply in last place in the American League West, 23 games behind the Astros. So the Astros need to whip up on them in this weekend's three game set, before the Astros head west for a three city road trip with stops in Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
15. The number of home runs Jose Altuve has hit over his last 37 games. Multiply by four and that's a 60 homers in 148 games pace. Over those 37 games, Altuve is batting just .242. But slugging .577.
.029. Carlos Correa's batting average dating back 10 games played. One hit in his last 34 at bats. 14 strikeouts and just one walk over the stretch. That is what you call a funk. Certainly not a way to curry 300 million dollar contract offers.
The Rangers have just two 100 loss seasons in their history, their first two seasons after becoming the Rangers upon moving from Washington D.C. In 1972 the Ted Williams managed squad went 62-100, Ted quit, and the next year the Rangers finished 57-105. If the Astros sweep them this weekend, the Rangers will be on pace to lose 105 games.
It will be a decade ago this October that the Rangers came as close to winning a World Series as any team has ever come without winning the Series. In 2011 the Rangers carried a three games to two lead into game six at St. Louis. The Rangers led game six 7-5 with two on, two out, and two strikes in the bottom of the ninth. The Cardinals' David Freese drilled a ball toward the base of the right field wall. Rangers' right fielder Nelson Cruz didn't make an error but didn't play the ball well, going back awkwardly and reaching out at the last second as if afraid of the wall. It went for a two run triple to tie the game. Two innings later Freese hit a game winning homer to force game seven.
The inning before that the Rangers again came within one strike of winning it all. A Josh Hamilton two run homer had the Rangers up 9-7 going to the bottom of the 10th. The Cards got within 9-8. With the tying run on second and two out, Rangers' Manager Ron Washington opted to intentionally walk Albert Pujols. Albert was still a tremendous player in 2011 (his last with the Redbirds), but he was not better than Lance Berkman that season, definitely not against right-handed pitching. Walking Pujols brought up Berkman to face right-hander Scott Feldman (a matchup of former Astro and future Astro). Berkman lined a two-two pitch to center field tying the game 9-9, ahead of Freese's 11th inning walk-off homer. One of the most incredible games in World Series history.
NCAA
Quite the story hitting that Texas and Oklahoma may be plotting to bolt the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference. That neither UT, OU, nor the SEC denied it has smoke billowing. The Sooners have won the last six Big 12 football championships. The Longhorns last won in 2009. Oklahoma St., Kansas St., Baylor, TCU, all have more recently won at least a share of the conference title. An SEC UT could be looking at being in a division with Oklahoma, Alabama, LSU, and Texas A&M. UT marketing folks should be exploring a huge sponsorship deal with 7-Eleven. You know, Big Gulp. But as usual, follow the money.
The week ahead…
Wednesday: The Texans open training camp! Wait. Delete the exclamation point. Whither Deshaun Watson?
Thursday: The NBA Draft. Unless the Rockets pull off a thunderbolt of a trade to move up to number one and select Cade Cunningham, the winds of opinion are blowing in the direction of the Rockets taking wing Jalen Green second overall pick. That would be fine. Green is generally considered the most potential-laden explosive scorer on the board. The Rockets can use just about everything, a premium wing scorer would be excellent.
Friday: The MLB trade deadline. Does James Click bolster the Astros' shaky bullpen. The Astros have also been linked to Marlins' center fielder Starling Marte. Growing from his wretched start Myles Straw has been plenty acceptable. Free agent-to-be Marte would be a notable upgrade.
Buzzer Beaters:
1. First big beat the deadline win goes to the Rays. 41-year-old designated hitter Nelson Cruz still mashes. Simple frame of reference: he's been notably better than Yordan Alvarez this year.
2. The delayed by a year 2020 Summer Olympics are underway. Any interest at all?
3. Baseball's greatest Cruzes: Bronze-Jose Jr. Silver-Nelson Gold-Jose Sr.
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The Houston Texans were trailing 6-0 and facing third-and-16 from their 17 late in the first half of their wild-card playoff game against the Los Angeles Chargers when quarterback C.J. Stroud fumbled the snap.
The play looked to be heading for disaster. But instead, Stroud grabbed the ball and evaded the rush to find Xavier Hutchinson for a 34-yard gain.
The Texans went on to score a touchdown on that drive as the first of 23 straight points as they rallied for a 32-12 win.
They’ve advanced to the divisional round for a second straight season where they’ll face the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday.
Coach DeMeco Ryans called Stroud salvaging that play the play of the game and raved about his second-year quarterback.
“That’s what it looks like when your best players step up and make the plays,” Ryans said. “That’s what playoff football is about. That’s what being a big-time player in the league is about.”
Even after he made the play, Stroud was unhappy because he fumbled the snap. But he felt much better when he looked to his sideline after the throw.
“And everybody was turned up, and that turned me up, because I was still kind of mad at myself,” he said. “Those are the type of plays that change momentum, and a team can rally around plays like that.”
Stroud threw for 282 yards with a touchdown pass to Nico Collins and an interception. He joined Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger, Baltimore’s Joe Flacco, the New York Jets’ Mark Sanchez, Seattle’s Russell Wilson and San Francisco’s Brock Purdy as quarterbacks to win playoff starts in each of their first two seasons.
Stroud also ran for 42 yards, highlighted by a career-long 27-yard run to help set up a field goal that put the Texans up 10-6 at halftime.
Stroud, who is not known for his scrambling ability joked about his “slow speed.”
He said the long run energized him.
“I felt my joy coming back after I got up, and it’s just one the best feelings in the world,” he said. “After you make a play, you’re just turned up and your teammates are turned up with you. That’s one of the best feelings in the world. I think that gave our team juice. I think me using my legs is definitely going to be helpful this postseason.”
Ryans was thrilled to see Stroud doing whatever he had to do to lift his team to the victory.
“That’s what you call (putting) the team on your back,” he said.
What’s working
The Texans intercepted Justin Herbert a career-high four times after he had thrown just three interceptions all season. All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley had two picks and Eric Murray returned one 38 yards for a touchdown. Rookie Kamari Lassiter had the other interception to join J.J. Watt as the only rookies in franchise history to have an interception in a playoff game.
Houston’s four interceptions are a franchise record for a playoff game and Murray’s interception return for a score was the fourth in the postseason in team history.
What needs help
For the Texans to have a chance against the Chiefs, they’ll have to take better care of the ball after committing three turnovers Saturday.
John Metchie fumbled after a catch on Houston’s first offensive play. Stroud threw an interception in the second quarter and Joe Mixon lost a fumble early in the third quarter.
Stock up
CB D’Angelo Ross was a special teams star Saturday. He blocked a punt in the first quarter before returning a blocked extra point for two points in the fourth.
The blocked punt was the first in a playoff game since the 2021 season and the PAT return was the first in NFL playoff history.
Stock down
LG Tytus Howard gave up a sack and had two penalties Saturday.
Injuries
The Texans didn’t have any injuries in Saturday’s game.
Key number
168 — Houston’s 168 yards rushing Saturday were the second most in a playoff game in franchise history behind the 188 the team gained in its first-ever postseason game in 2012. Mixon led the way with 106 yards for his eighth 100-yard game this season.
Up next
The Texans play in the divisional round for the sixth time in franchise history where a win will earn them their first trip to the AFC championship game.