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Born with a comic book in one hand and a remote control in the other, Cory DLG is the talent of Conroe's very own Nerd Thug Radio, Sports. Check out the podcast replay of the FM radio shows www.nerdthugradio.com!
Raw kicked off with what I assume was the end of the R Truth vs Hornswaggle rivalry for the 24/7 title. With first a promo hailing the prestige of the title and then having a mixed gender mosh pit tag match, ending with R Truth winning but then losing the title the next sucker Mike Kanellis, who has his own questionable story line going on right now. It feels like WWE is chasing lightning in a bottle by pursuing another gauntlet match story that propelled Kofi into championship air, all for AJ's United States Championship. The buildup to the Becky Lynch and Natasha Hart match takes a weird detour with Alexa Bliss fighting Becky Lynch, it's odd considering Alexa is a contender in her own right for a title, so why have these rivalries bleed over each other like this? The Triple Threat tag team match between The Revival, The Usos and what they are now calling The OC was highly entertaining but where the belts were going to end wasn't up for much doubt the Usos have again had recent legal troubles and The Revival aren't exactly crushing it as champs, enter Gallows and Anderson, again.
Kevin Owens kicked off Smackdown by having an amazing match against Drew Mcintyre, continuing his transformation into a fan favorite heel. Fighting against Shane has made Kevin very loveable to the fans which is what makes Shane such a great villain, helping these guys get over with the WWE Universe. Alexa Bliss continued her confusing run through the current WWE with a tag match against Bayley and Ember Moon to help sell their upcoming match at Summer Slam, it feels like a waste of Alexa's skillset but hopefully she'll fit into something soon. Speaking of wasting talent, Finn Balor fighting Dolph Ziggler felt like a confusing waste considering each of their separate storylines until Bray Wyatt showed up and distracted Finn, allowing Dolph to get the win. One interesting caveat that came out of this match was that the announcers mentioned how Dolph uses several members of DX's moves, it's something that has long driven me crazy but actually fits in with his current run as the "anti-legend" guy.
The stunt between Brock Lesnar and Seth Rollins at the end of Raw where Brock F5'ed Seth onto a steel chair multiple times and then dragged him out of an ambulance and roughed him up some more, was over the top. I never like when WWE takes things from "guys fighting" to "guys trying to kill each other." The truth is WWE fans never forget this is fake, it's always in the back of their minds, so when WWE kicks it to this high gear, there's a level of violence that they're suggesting that honestly WWE fans can't accept. Just like in Smackdown where someone or something pushed scaffolding onto Roman Reigns. It's too fake. We can accept they want to fight for a shiny belt, we don't believe they want to murder each other.
Feel free to check out my brand new comic book Another Day at the Office email me for details or buy a shirt from Side Hustle Ts where some proceeds help people struggling with cancer or listen to Nerd Thug Radio. Thoughts, complaints, events and comments can be sent to corydlg@gmail.com.
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A month into the 2025 season, the Houston Astros have emerged as one of MLB’s most confounding teams. Their offense ranks near the bottom of nearly every key category, yet they remain competitive thanks to a pitching staff that has quietly become one of the most formidable in baseball.
Despite winning back-to-back games just once this season, Houston’s pitching has kept them afloat. The Astros boast a top-10 team ERA, rank seventh in WHIP, and sit top-eight in opponent batting average—a testament to both their rotation depth and bullpen resilience. It’s a group that has consistently given them a chance to win, even when the bats have failed to show up.
Josh Hader has been the bullpen anchor. After a rocky 2024 campaign, the closer has reinvented himself, leaning more heavily on his slider and becoming less predictable. The result has been electric: a veteran who’s adapting and thriving under pressure.
Reinforcements are also on the horizon. Kaleb Ort and Forrest Whitley are expected to bolster a bullpen that’s been great but occasionally spotty—Taylor Scott’s 5.63 ERA stands out as a weak link. Lance McCullers Jr. missed his last rehab outing due to illness but is expected back soon, possibly pairing with Ryan Gusto in a piggyback setup that could stretch games and preserve bullpen arms.
And the timing couldn’t be better, because the Astros' offense remains stuck in neutral. With an offense ranked 26th in OPS, 27th in slugging, dead last in doubles, and just 24th in runs scored, it's clear the Astros have a major issue producing consistent offense. For all their talent, they are a minus-two in run differential and have looked out of sync at the plate.
One bright spot has been rookie Cam Smith. The right fielder has displayed remarkable poise, plate discipline, and a polished approach rarely seen in rookies. It’s fair to ask why Smith, with only five Double-A games under his belt before this season, is showing more patience than veterans like Jose Altuve. Altuve, among others, has been chasing too many pitches outside the zone and hardly walking—a troubling trend across the lineup.
Before the season began, the Astros made it a point to improve their pitch selection and plate discipline. So far, that stated goal hasn’t materialized. Many of the players who are showing solid discipline—like Isaac Paredes or Christian Walker—were already doing that on other teams before joining Houston. It raises the question: are the Astros’ hitting coaches being held accountable?
The offensive woes are hard to ignore. Catcher Yainer Diaz currently owns the second-worst OPS in baseball, while Walker ranks 15th from the bottom. Even a star like Yordan Alvarez has yet to find his groove. The hope is that Diaz and Walker will follow Alvarez's lead and trend upward with time.
With so many offensive questions and few clear answers, a trade for a left-handed bat—whether in the outfield or second base—would be ideal. But with the front office laser-focused on staying below the tax threshold, don’t count on it.
For now, Houston's path forward depends on whether the bats can catch up to the arms. Until they do, the Astros will remain a team that looks good on paper but still can’t string wins together in reality.
We have so much more to get to. 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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