EVERY-THING SPORTS
All the reasons to believe Astros can continue baffling trend
Oct 19, 2023, 5:57 pm
EVERY-THING SPORTS
The Astros are on the road, and it's a good thing. Composite Getty Image.
If it walks, talks, and acts a certain way, that's what it must be. When things are very obvious, I say: “Water is wet. Fire is hot.” This is definitely one of those times. It's as if people see the obvious, refuse to believe, constantly question what they're seeing, then ultimately end up disappointed when the outcome isn't what they expected.
39-42 at home and 51-30 on the road this year. Tied for third in the American League in run differential. Third in the American League in runs scored and batting average. Sixth in the American League in team ERA, ninth in saves, and seventh in opponent batting average. This is who the Houston Astros are! They are who we thought they were! And have been all season long!
I remember towards the end of the regular season telling my girlfriend they're so much better on the road than at home. Must've been one of those last days when the division was still hanging in the balance. I wanted them to win the Wildcard, so they could be on the road. Others were wanting them to win the division to get homefield advantage. I was told I'm crazy, amongst other things, for wanting to be a Wildcard. What people didn't understand is that this team hasn't been what they were previously all year.
After Wednesday night's 8-5 win and making the series 2-1, she told me, “You were right about them on the road versus at home.” When a team plays 162 games and has a trend, believe it. Not only believe it, but have faith they'll continue the trend. If this is the fate they're bound to, so be it. While not ideal, it is what it is.
Another thing I've noticed is that the bats and pitching don't always align. They'll win high scoring games but lose close ones. They'll give you a heart attack trying to figure out if Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde is showing up to the ballpark. When they're on the road, it's a little easier to predict.
My off the wall suggestion: Start to boo at Minute Maid if the series returns to Houston. Wear red and blue instead of blue and orange. Make signs about cheating and trash cans. Come dressed as trash cans. And for the love of all things holy, STOP DOING THE DAMN WAVE!!!
Seriously, fans need to calm down a bit. They're doing what they've always done since April. It's October. Behavior like this is why some of you get caught off guard when a person turns out to be creepy when you thought they were so nice. Show up and show out. Support the team. Don't get upset when they drop home games as if you haven't seen this before. They're battle tested and built for this. Time to ride the wave!
The Houston Astros open a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park. Houston, sitting atop the AL West with a 77-66 record, looks to bolster its postseason positioning, while Oakland (62-82) aims to play spoiler as the season winds down.
Pitching Probables
The Astros will send Spencer Arrighetti (7-12, 4.82 ERA) to the mound. Arrighetti has shown flashes of brilliance this season with 151 strikeouts but has struggled with consistency, sporting a 1.43 WHIP. He’ll face Osvaldo Bido (5-3, 3.41 ERA) for the Athletics, who has been a reliable arm in the Oakland rotation, posting a 1.09 WHIP and 63 strikeouts.
Astros overview
Houston, with a solid 41-30 home record, will rely on their bats and deep lineup to back Arrighetti. Yordan Alvarez continues to power the offense, tallying 31 doubles and 32 home runs on the season. Mauricio Dubon has also been hot, hitting .464 over his last 10 games. The Astros boast the eighth-best on-base percentage in the majors (.321), which will be key against Oakland’s pitching.
Athletics overview
Oakland has struggled on the road this year, going 26-43 away from the Coliseum. Brent Rooker, the A’s top power hitter with 35 home runs, will need to stay hot to give his team a chance. Shea Langeliers has also been productive lately, with three home runs in his last 10 games. The A’s have allowed 58 losses in games where they've given up a home run, a troubling stat heading into a series against Houston’s potent lineup.
Recent form
The Astros are 6-4 over their last 10 games with a 3.31 team ERA, outscoring their opponents by 10 runs. Oakland has gone 4-6 in their last 10, allowing a 4.73 ERA while being outscored by 17 runs during that stretch. Houston leads the season series 7-3, and they'll look to continue their dominance over their division rival as they aim for a strong postseason push.
Betting line
Houston is favored at -187 with the over/under set at 8 1/2 runs, reflecting expectations of a potentially high-scoring game.