Here are Astros limited, but powerful options to course-correct pitching
END OF THE LINE
23 August 2023
The Astros are back on track with two critical wins over the Boston Red Sox, and while Justin Verlander was in classic form on Tuesday night (6 scoreless innings, 9Ks), Cristian Javier struggled through 5 innings once again on Monday.
JV's win over Boston was the first scoreless start from a starting pitcher since Framber Valdez through a no-hitter against the Guardians on August 1.
Fortunately for Houston, the Astros came away with a victory in Javier's start, but his issues are clearly not behind him. So what can the team do at this stage in the season? We're well past the trade deadline, so the answer will have to come internally.
It would be one thing if it were just a player or two showing some fatigue during the dog days of summer, but it's been pervasive across the entire rotation outside of JP France, and now hopefully Verlander.
JV said after the game that he made some mechanical adjustments that seem to have made a big difference for him, giving him more command and velocity with his fastball, and better action on his breaking-pitches. Verlander's always thinking about pitching, and this tweak to his mechanics was effective.
Which has us wondering, where are the pitching coaches in all of this? How much of the blame do they deserve for the current slump in the starting rotation? Much has been made of the injuries the Astros have sustained as reasons for the current state of the rotation, but without these injuries, JP France never gets to show what he can do in the big leagues. And one could argue he's pitched better than Jose Urquidy, or Luis Garcia have ever pitched.
Plus, the Astros aren't the only ones dealing with injuries to their pitching staff. The Tampa Bay Rays have lost 4 of their 5 starters to injury this year.
A controversial alternative
Finally, if things continue in this manner and the Astros still make the postseason, how will JP France be deployed? Dusty Baker loves his veterans, but he has to consider starting JP if he pitches like this moving forward. We're not saying he should start over JV or Framber, but it's hard to argue against him being the third or fourth starter come playoff time.
But will Dusty actually do it? Only time will tell.
Be sure to check out the video above as we lay out everything mentioned above and much more!
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Critical lessons learned from Texans' heartbreaking loss to Packers
Oct 20, 2024, 3:52 pm
Brandon McManus kicked a 45-yard field goal as time expired in his debut performance with Green Bay, lifting the Packers past the Houston Texans 24-22 on Sunday.
Green Bay (5-2) overcame three turnovers to win its third straight and snap the Texans’ three-game winning streak.
* Be sure to watch the video above as the crew from Texans on Tap reacts live to the game on YouTube.
The Packers released rookie Brayden Narveson and signed the 33-year-old McManus on Wednesday. McManus had been out of a job since the summer, when two women sued him and the Jacksonville Jaguars in civil court alleging he sexually assaulted them when they were working as flight attendants on the Jaguars’ trip to London last year.
The NFL said late last month it didn’t find sufficient evidence that McManus violated the personal conduct policy. Lawyers representing McManus and the women said the civil case had been resolved.
Green Bay signed McManus because of his history of reliability from within 50 yards. And McManus delivered by making a winning kick on his first field-goal attempt with the Packers. He celebrated by doing a “Lambeau leap” into the corner of the end-zone stands.
Green Bay’s Jordan Love was 23 of 31 for 214 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Houston's Joe Mixon rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Ka’imi Fairbairn was 3 of 3 on field-goal attempts and put the Texans (5-2) ahead by making a 35-yarder with 1:44 left.
C.J. Stroud was just 10 of 21 for a career-low 86 yards and was sacked four times.
On the game's final drive, the Packers were at midfield when Love hit Romeo Doubs for a 13-yard gain. An offside penalty on Houston's Will Anderson brought the Packers 5 yards closer. After a 6-yard completion from Love to Doubs got Green Bay to Houston's 26, the Packers called a timeout with 3 seconds left to set things up for McManus.
Josh Jacobs put the Packers ahead midway through the third quarter when he got his first career touchdown catch, on the sixth-year pro’s 212th overall reception. Jacobs had the NFL record for most career catches without a touchdown reception.
On second-and-goal from the 8, Jacobs caught a screen a few yards behind the line of scrimmage and ran across the middle of the field into the end zone.
But the Packers went three-and-out on their next three possessions, allowing the Texans to come back again.
The Texans built a 19-14 halftime lead by scoring 16 points off three Packers turnovers.
Injuries
Packers LB Quay Walker left in the first half to get evaluated for a concussion after teammate Kingsley Enagbare's leg inadvertently hit him in the head at the end of a play.
UP NEXT
Texans: Host the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday.
Packers: Visit the Jacksonville Jaguars next Sunday.
