How Dusty's decisions are only one piece of confounding Astros dilemma

BLAME GAME

A lot of the issues that have plagued the Astros this season were on full display on Monday night, as the team coughed up a 2-run lead in the ninth to fall to the Orioles, 8-7.

Houston had a chance to tie the game up in the bottom of the ninth with a runner on third base and only one out. But as we've seen over the course of the season, the club wasn't able to get a timely hit in a big spot and it cost them big.

With the Astros scratching and clawing to win the division this year with only 11 games left, we wonder, where does most of the blame fall for the team's performance this season?

If we assigned a percentage of blame to these three categories (underperformance, injuries, Dusty Baker's lineup decisions) how would we divvy it up?

Plus, with so many fans and media calling for Dusty Baker to be fired, we have to wonder. Would a different manager fix what's been ailing the Astros this season?

Be sure to watch the video above as the guys break it all down.

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The Angels beat the Astros, 3-0. Composite Getty Image.

José Soriano and two relievers combined for a two-hitter and Oswald Peraza hit his first home run since a trade from the Yankees to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.

Soriano (10-9) allowed one hit and struck out eight in seven innings. Luis García allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth for his 25th save.

There were two outs in the fifth when Peraza connected off Hunter Brown (10-7) into the bullpen in right-center field to put the Angels up 1-0. His homer comes after his two-run single in the ninth inning Saturday helped Los Angeles to a 4-1 victory that snapped a three-game skid.

Yoan Moncada walked to start the eighth and scored on Mike Trout’s double that bounced off the wall in center field to make it 2-0. Taylor Ward walked before Luis Rengifo reached and Trout scored on an error by Lance McCullers Jr. when the pitcher overthrew first base.

Yordan Alvarez singled with no outs in the first and Soriano walked a batter in the second and sixth innings. The Astros didn’t get another hit until Ramón Urías doubled with one out in the eighth inning. Los Angeles outfielder Taylor Ward was injured trying to make a catch on that hit when he crashed face-first into the metal scoreboard in left field.

He was carted off the field holding a towel to the right side of his face. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance where interim manager Ray Montgomery said he would receive stitches to close the cut and be evaluated.

Brown allowed three hits and a run with five strikeouts in six innings. McCullers Jr. allowed three hits and two runs in his first relief appearance since 2018.

Key moment

The home run by Peraza.

Key stat

It’s the fifth time the Astros have been shut out this month.

Up next

LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) will start for Los Angeles in the series finale Monday against RHP Luis Garcia, who’ll make his return after sitting out since May 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.

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