HIGH-CLASS PROBLEMS
Here’s how facts don’t support a knee-jerk Houston Astros response
Apr 18, 2023, 2:53 pm
The Astros will be just fine. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images.
Why all the stressing out and hand-wringing over the Astros slow start? Sure, they’re behind the, this ain’t good, Texas Rangers. Yeah, Dusty Baker is up to his old odd decisions, like letting Martin Maldonado bat (and striking out) with the bases loaded and the Astros trailing late, and somebody tell Alex Bregman please don’t crash into walls to catch a foul ball with the Astros leading by six runs.
This is the price the Astros are paying for their incredible success over the last six seasons. Every loss is panic button time. You know the numbers, six ALCS, four World Series and two championships. Is it a dynasty? Yes, no? Either way, nobody’s done it better in recent years.
That’s the problem – sustained excellence is boring. Astros fans expect the team to win, and when they don’t, something’s wrong.
Nothing’s wrong. It’s business as usual. The rest of the American League teams are scuffling for a post-season spot. Not to minimize the regular season, all eternal 162 games of it, but the Astros recently have used the regular season to set up their pitching rotation for the playoffs.
Sure the 2023 Astros are a different team and that’s the thing about sports … you never know. All good things do come to an end eventually. But the Astros still have a Hall of Fame manager in Dusty Baker, their trustiest hitter Michael Brantley is on his way back, the greatest player in franchise history Jose Altuve is healing and who knows what’s up with Lance McCullers.
Alex Bregman is not going to hit .197 for the season.
Here’s how different this Astros team is: only one player on the current roster, Alex Bregman, wore an Astros uniform just six years ago when they won the 2017 World Series.
The Astros are young. Only six players on the Astros current 26-man roster had even played their first big league game in 2017. The Astros have six outfielders. The gristled veteran among them is Kyle Tucker. He’s 26. Only one infielder, Jose Abreu, is over 30.
So give the Astros a break and some time to figure this season out.
Charles Dickens wrote a book in 1860 that could have been about the Astros in 2023: Great Expectations.
The most recent baseball dynasty that compares to the current Astros belongs to the New York Yankees from 1996 to 2001 – a six-year run just like the Astros. The Yankees won five ALCS and four championships.
During that stretch, the Yankees won 100 or more games only one season. The Astros have won 100-plus games in four of their last five full seasons. That explains the frustration over 8-9 so far.
Not to worry, the Astros are averaging 37,386 fans per game at Minute Maid Park this season, up more than 4,000 per game over last year when things turned out sort of OK.
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Dusty Baker shines while Astros struggle to find their groove
Apr 25, 2024, 10:54 am
Dansby Swanson hit a three-run homer during Chicago's four-run first inning and the short-handed Cubs beat the Houston Astros 4-3 on Wednesday night.
Playing without Cody Bellinger, Chicago used Swanson's big swing and a solid start by Jameson Taillon to earn its second straight win. It will try to sweep the three-game set against the struggling Astros on Thursday.
Taillon (2-0) allowed two runs, one earned, and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings on a chilly evening at Wrigley Field. The right-hander struck out four and walked two in his second start since he began the season on the injured list with a back strain.
“Before that back injury, I just really liked where we were at,” Taillon said, “and I feel like we were able to use that downtime as like, let’s stay on the straight and narrow, stay on the right path.”
Houston lost for the seventh time in eight games. It has scored a total of 21 runs during the slide.
Manager Joe Espada tried to spark his sputtering lineup by moving Alex Bregman into the second spot, between Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez. But the Astros went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base.
Altuve opened the ninth with a drive to left against Héctor Neris for his sixth homer. But Neris retired Bregman, Alvarez and Kyle Tucker for his second save in three opportunities.
Bellinger was placed on the 10-day injured list with two fractured ribs on his right side. The center fielder got hurt during the series opener Tuesday night.
There was no word just yet on a timetable for his return.
“The doctors will come up with a plan,” manager Craig Counsell said, “and, like everything, he’s got to get symptom-free first and we’ll go from there.”
Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ singled for Chicago in the first against Spencer Arrighetti. Michael Busch delivered a sacrifice fly and Christopher Morel walked before Swanson hit a two-out drive to left for his third homer.
The Cubs also got off to a fast start Tuesday night, jumping on the Astros for five runs in the first in a 7-2 victory.
“We’ve just been pretty committed to our plans coming in and put some good swings on some balls and that’s just a testament to the work that the guys are doing in the cage,” Swanson said.
Arrighetti (0-3) was pulled with two outs in the fourth. The right-hander allowed seven hits, struck out seven and walked two in his third major league start.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Astros: LHP Framber Valdez (elbow soreness) threw about 40 pitches during a bullpen session. “He came off the mound feeling good,” Espada said. Valdez remains in line to start this weekend during a two-game series against Colorado in Mexico City. … RHP Cristian Javier (neck discomfort) played catch back in Houston. “The doctor saw him, and it looks like he's improving,” Espada said.
Cubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks is taking pills to help with the inflammation from his low back strain. He also is getting treatment and playing catch to help keep his arm moving. He isn't too concerned about the injury. “It just made sense to give it the time to settle down, get out of there and give myself a chance to get back to 100 percent,” he said. ... OF Seiya Suzuki (right oblique strain) has resumed baseball activities.
UP NEXT
Houston right-hander Justin Verlander (1-0, 3.00 ERA) makes his second start since he missed the beginning of the season because of shoulder inflammation. Right-hander Javier Assad (2-0, 2.11 ERA) takes the mound for Chicago.