How Houston Astros strategically pivot as rotation competition heats up

STONE COLD 'STROS

Some startling news came out of Astros spring training this week when it was revealed Justin Verlander and JP France are dealing with shoulder issues and may not be able to start the season on time.

On the bright side, Verlander threw a brief bullpen session on Thursday, so that's certainly a good sign. The fact that he and France aren't shutdown from throwing should bode well for their outlook this season.

But things could get tricky early on for the 'Stros with 20 games in the first 21 days. Chandler Rome recently reported that Joe Espada was considering a six-man rotation even before the Verlander and France news.

Which means we may see Ronel Blanco and/or Brandon Bielak make some starts in April and May with so many games on the schedule.

The team will also be hoping that Hunter Brown has a breakout season. He really struggled last year, finishing with an ERA over five.

One thing is for sure, if the Astros get bounce-back seasons from Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier, they should be in great shape. Speaking of which, early photos of Valdez at spring training are encouraging. It appears he might be down a few pounds from last season.

And with the pitch clock not going anywhere, it pays to be in good shape with a long season ahead.

Plus, could we see the Astros top pitching Spencer Arrighetti make some starts for the big league club this season?

Be sure to watch the video above as we discuss Arrighetti and the all the other pressing rotation questions the Astros will face in 2024.

Watch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel.

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Houston beat Gonzaga, 81-76. Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images.

LJ Cryer matched a career high with 30 points, including two free throws with 14.2 seconds left, and No. 1 seed Houston held on to beat eighth-seeded Gonzaga 81-76 on Saturday night to reach the Sweet 16 for the sixth straight NCAA Tournament.

J'Wan Roberts added 18 points and Milos Uzan made two last free throws with 2.1 seconds left, giving the Cougars (32-4) their 15th consecutive win and pushing them into a regional semifinal against No. 4 seed Purdue on Friday night in Indianapolis.

Houston also ended Gonzaga's run of nine straight Sweet 16s, which had been the longest active streak in the nation.

“It's not just winning the game," Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson said. "It's beating a great program like Gonzaga.”

The Bulldogs (26-9) trailed 76-67 with just over 2 minutes to go when Graham Ike made two free throws to start their comeback bid, and most of it wound up coming at the foul line. And when Uzan turned the ball over and Khalif Battle made two free throws of his own, the Bulldogs had pulled to 77-76 with 21 seconds remaining.

Houston got the ball to Cryer, who was fouled, and he made both of his free throws to extend the lead. At the other end, Ja'Vier Francis stuffed Battle's tying 3-point try from the corner, and Uzan knocked down his foul shots to seal the win.

“Gonzaga is as good as anyone we've played all year,” Sampson said. “Had they been seeded somewhere else, that's a team that could have had a chance to get to the Elite Eight, or maybe the Final Four. They're that good.”

Ike finished with 27 points for the Bulldogs. Battle scored 17 and Ryan Nembhard had 10 points and 11 assists.

“It ended up being just a great, great basketball game, especially the way our guys fought their way back into it. I'm so proud of the way they hung with it,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “Houston was everything and more than we thought it would be.”

Given that no program has won more games than Gonzaga and Houston over the past eight seasons, it seemed as if their second-round matchup in the Midwest Region would have been better suited for the second weekend.

Or even the Final Four, where the Bulldogs and Cougars were on opposite sides of the bracket in 2021.

Yet for much of the game, Houston looked every bit deserving of its No. 1 seed and Gonzaga its spot at No. 8. The Cougars asserted their physical dominance on the perennial West Coast power, while Cryer — the Big 12 player of the year — poured in 16 first-half points to give Houston a 35-27 lead at the break.

Roberts, who sprained his ankle in last week's conference tournament, took over in the second half. The winningest player in Cougars history began bullying his way for baskets, and that allowed the Cougars to maintain their lead.

Gonzaga made one final run down the stretch but could never overtake them.

Takeaways

Gonzaga was second nationally in scoring at 86.7 points per game, and surpassed that in an 89-68 rout of Georgia in the first round. But the Bulldogs finished short of that mark against Houston's trademark defense.

Houston was able to rest its stars during a lopsided win over SIU Edwardsville on Thursday. Those fresh legs seemed to pay off in the closing minutes Saturday, when Gonzaga was trying to climb back into the game.

Up next

The Cougars will play the Boilermakers for a spot in the Elite Eight.

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