Dusty Baker wasn't lying about big adjustments to Astros Game 3 lineup
THAT'S BOLD
18 October 2023
THAT'S BOLD
Uncle Mike is hitting second Wednesday night. Composite image by Brandon Strange.
The Houston Astros have been struggling to get their bats going through the first two games of the ALCS, so manager Dusty Baker hinted some changes could be coming, and with Kyle Tucker specifically.
Our ALCS Game 3 lineup.
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Tucker hit 3rd in Game 2 of the ALCS, but he finds himself down in the 6 spot for Game 3 against Max Scherzer. One of the other changes to the lineup involves Michael Brantley. Brantley has been vaulted up to the number two spot, with Bregman now hitting 3rd.
The other big takeaway from tonight's lineup is the absence of Chas McCormick. McCormick had some rough at-bats in Game 2 of the ALCS, so Baker is opting to give Mauricio Dubon a shot in center field for Game 3.
Dubon will hit 7th behind Kyle Tucker. McCormick is actually hitting over .300 for the postseason, so he's actually playing better than it appears. However, Dubon is also one of the Astros four hitters hitting over .300 in the playoffs, so hopefully he continues to have more success on Wednesday night.
At the end of the day, the Astros will need their marquee players to step up if they want to secure a victory and eventually even the series with the Rangers. Go 'Stros!
One of the nuggets that came out of Nick Caserio's press conference this week, was his thoughts on the job Bobby Slowik has done as an offensive coordinator. When asked if the team has considered sharing the offensive play calling, Caseiro responded with an emphatic, “absolutely not.”
Caserio went on to praise the job Slowik has done this year, and to say the team's struggles in the second half this season is due to execution.
This stance is consistent with what we've heard from Texans insiders that believe Slowik will be back next season. As much as many Texans fans believe a change at OC could help CJ Stroud, who's shown regression this year, it doesn't appear Slowik is going anywhere.
To be fair, most teams aren't looking to replace their coordinators when they're leading their division and marching toward the postseason for the second straight year.
Number crunching
When comparing Stroud's stats to last season, there is a clear dropoff in 2024. But a lot of that has to do with the addition of Joe Mixon, especially when it comes to touchdowns.
Mixon is third in the NFL with 11 rushing TDs, while Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary only combined for 6 over the entire 2023 season. One could argue the passing offense has regressed, but one could also argue the offense overall is more balanced.
Stroud is still Top 5 in passing yards, heading into this week's games. And even if we account for the bye week, Stroud will still be Top 10 after this week's slate of games.
The most concerning number to keep an eye on is sacks. Only one QB has been sacked more than Stroud, who's been sacked 41 times. CJ's protection has gotten better since Juice Scruggs was moved to guard, and Jarrett Patterson was inserted at center.
If Stroud starts getting hit again at a high level, that may be the one factor that could make the front office rethink their plans at coordinator. However, if the Texans do make a change, we expect them to address their o-line coach before any changes at OC.
Be sure to watch the video above for our full breakdown of the Texans offense, the coaching staff, and our thoughts on how the Azeez Al-Shaair suspension will impact the team.