Kevin Havick knows how to get around this place better than anyone. Photo via: Wiki Commons.
NASCAR heads for the Monster Mile this week in Dover, Delaware for the Drydene 400. This track is one of the toughest tracks on the schedule as its concrete surface is tough on the cars. Also expect to see a lot more tire fall off than we are accustomed to seeing at other tracks. Another interesting characteristic of this track is its unique banking. There are very few places that have corners that are 24 degrees of banking and straightaways that have 8 degrees of banking. On a track like this, it's nearly impossible to get on pit-road without speeding. Look for speeding penalties to come into play.
Last week, Martin Truex took the field to school and went on to his thirtieth career victory at Darlington. Truex led a race-high 248 laps! This is his third victory of 2021 as he now extends his lead on the field. One of the more promising aspects of the race was the traditional 750 horsepower package NASCAR ran. It was clear that this was one of the most challenging races of the season, cars were slipping and sliding and on the edge of control all day. Even the best drivers had trouble as Kyle Busch spun out on lap twenty-three going for the lead. Fortunately he was able to rebound and get a solid third place finish. While some fans thought the racing was boring because of Truex's domination, it was refreshing to see each driver really have to work hard. I hope we continue to see this going forward.
One of the big storylines this year has been the recent struggles of Stewart-Haas Racing. Last season, they were one of the top three teams in the sport as all four of their cars were competing for wins each week. Last year, they were able to combine for ten wins and all four cars advanced to the playoffs. It seemed like going into this season they would pick up right where they left off as they added Xfinity Series phenom Chase Briscoe to the fold to drive the #14 Ford Mustang replacing Clint Bowyer. Things were looking promising until the season started. From the beginning it seemed like Kevin Harvick was the only car that was competitive. Not much has changed from the beginning of the season as he remains the only car in the playoff picture. His teammates Aric Almirola and Cole Custer have been awful as well as they sit 28th and 26th in points. This will be quite the storyline as the season progresses.
This leads me to the driver I have winning this week at Dover, and it's Kevin Harvick. As I mentioned this had been one of the most difficult seasons for the 2014 champion. While his results haven't been bad, he hasn't been as fast as he has been over the past few years. He currently has led only thirty-nine laps all season and has a disappointing four top five finishes throughout thirteen races with zero wins. This week is the week I think he turns it around though and gets Stewart-Haas Racing back on track and in the playoffs. This is a track that has been very good to him over his twenty-year career. He has three victories here including last season in August when he led over two-hundred laps. If you look at his average finishes here in the last six races, his worst result was sixth. He knows how to get around this place better than anyone. Look for Harvick to capture his first checkered flag of 2021 come Sunday.
Takeaways from the Tigers sweep of the Astros
Total butt kicking. The offense was dreadful, scoring just two runs over three games. However, what’s killing the offense the most is the outfield. Outside of when Altuve plays left field, Houston doesn’t have another major league-quality outfielder right now. Jesus Sanchez not only swung at a Charlie Morton curveball that hit him in the knee, he’s also ice-cold, going 0-for-28 at the plate. At least he’s someone you expect to turn things around, but he’s in a huge slump currently. Beyond him, Jacob Melton, Taylor Trammell, and Chas McCormick have all been dragging down the offense. Cam Smith is struggling too, with just one hit in his last seven games.
Is Framber Valdez going to be okay?
Starting pitching was another big issue against the Tigers, and Valdez was a key part of the problem, basically losing the finale in the first inning after allowing six runs. This isn’t an outlier—he’s got a 7+ ERA through four starts in August. Spencer Arrighetti isn’t faring much better, posting a 7+ ERA through three starts. One silver lining with Valdez: the Tigers know him well. They had success against him in the playoffs last season, and it looks like they’re continuing that formula—force him to throw strikes, hit the other way on the sinker, and if the curveball isn’t up, let it go. AJ Hinch knows the deal.
Is the return of Yordan Alvarez enough to boost the offense?
It has to be. The only real way to give this lineup a spark is getting Yordan and Jake Meyers back. Yordan had a successful first rehab outing, collecting a couple of hits, a walk, and even a stolen base. Adding him back to the top of the lineup gives the Astros a formidable top four: Peña, Altuve, Yordan, and Correa. As for Meyers, the outfield has been the biggest drag on the offense. The key is whether he can continue to hit near .300 when he returns from injury. If he does, Altuve and Meyers in the outfield makes a huge difference, and Joe Espada can figure out right field with Sanchez and Smith.
Is the schedule not as soft as anticipated?
We’ve seen some strange results across the league this week, and some of that has to be chalked up to the Dog Days of Summer. Players are tired, and results have been wild. Thankfully, the Mariners are struggling too, giving the Astros some breathing room. Player adjustments after the trade deadline could also be a factor—Sanchez, anyone? Many big free agents have struggled immediately after changing teams, Walker and Juan Soto included.
Can they recover and take advantage of bad teams?
One thing we know about this year’s Astros: they can flip the switch and win multiple series on a moment’s notice. They’re just as capable of sweeping a series as they are of getting swept. Let’s hope that starts with four wins in Baltimore.
There's 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 on Thursday!
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