Undeniable reasons Houston Astros season hangs in balance over this critical stretch
STONE COLD 'STROS
13 May
The stakes are high! Composite Getty Image.
The Houston Astros secured a much-needed series win over the Tigers behind a classic Justin Verlander performance on Sunday. It was nice to see Verlander bounce back after his worst performance of the season against the Yankees in his previous start.
JV received some unjust criticism after getting shelled by the Yankees, with many fans claiming he's over the hill and has been terrible this season. Which is completely false, as the only game Verlander surrendered more than two runs was in that one start in New York. Outside that one bump in the road, he's given his team a chance to win in every one of his starts.
Speaking of pitching, this week we arrive at the quarter point of the season and the Astros' team ERA (4.96) is the third-worst in baseball, behind only the Rockies and Marlins. As opposed to Houston's offense, that is becoming a strength for the club, posting the best team batting average in MLB.
So pitching continues to be the main issue, along with their inability to hit with runners in scoring position.
However, clutch hitting appears to be moving in the right direction, with the team scoring runs late to give the bullpen a larger margin for error against the Detroit over the weekend.
The time is now
The Astros next fourteen out of seventeen games are against a divisional opponent, so if there was ever a time to make up some ground in the division, this is it. The Astros face the A's, Brewers, Angels, and Mariners in the coming days, and the club is 6.5 games behind division leading Seattle.
The season could ultimately come down to this stretch of games, and now would be the perfect time for Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman's bats to heat up. Yordan is really struggling with runners in scoring position and Bregman is struggling to hit, period.
Bregman is in Jose Abreu territory, currently sporting the 5th lowest OPS in MLB (.534), and the 4th lowest slugging percentage (.264). Moving him down in the batting order certainly looks like the right move, as he has one double in his last 24 games, and just two extra base hits in that span.
Who leaves the rotation when Jose Urquidy returns?
Don't miss the video above as we examine arguably the most important stretch of the Astros season to date, how Houston will set up their pitching rotation moving forward, and much more!
Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan every Monday on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel! We'll continue to drop more episodes throughout the week.
How Astros surging ace raises key questions about Houston's short, long-term rotation moves
Jul 25, 2024, 5:39 pm
It's no secret to Astros fans that the ascension of Hunter Brown is one of the primary reasons the team was able to rebound from a disastrous start to the season.
Astros manager Joe Espada has seen enough from Brown to start throwing around the word “ace” when talking about him.
Joe Espada on Hunter Brown: "He's having that ace feeling to him. We are expecting him to go out there and deliver what he just did. We knew all along that is in him and now he's starting to turn the corner. He's starting to have that swag where he knows 'my team needs a win.'"
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 24, 2024
And it appears the biggest key to Brown's turnaround was mixing in a two-seam fastball to keep right-handed hitters honest. Brown needed a pitch that could command the inside of the plate, which allows his other pitches to be more effective.
We learned just recently, from Chandler Rome of The Athletic, that Alex Bregman was the one that suggested the addition of the two-seam fastball to Brown's arsenal.
Come to find out, Bregman often shares advice on how to attack hitters. Or he'll ask pitchers why they chose a certain pitch in a specific situation.
This just goes to show that veteran leadership can make a big difference. Especially on a team with so many young pitchers and catchers. Bregman was able to help Brown when no pitching coach could.
For Brown, this small tweak could be the catalyst that changes the course of his career. And the Astros season for that matter.
However, some will say the difference in Brown is more about confidence than anything else. But confidence only builds after repeated success. Nobody knows where Brown would be without the two-seam fastball.
Looking ahead
If the Astros do make the playoffs, where will Espada slot Brown in the playoff rotation? Framber Valdez has the playoff experience, so he'll probably be penciled in as the number one starter.
Justin Verlander (neck) still isn't facing live batters, so it's hard to count on him. Ronel Blanco has been an All-Star level pitcher this season, but he doesn't have any experience pitching playoff games for the Astros.
So it wouldn't be surprising at all if Brown is the team's number two starter. In all likelihood, whoever is pitching the best at the end of the season may get the nod. But it's fun to discuss in the meantime.
Finally, how does Hunter Brown's arrival impact the Astros' plans at the trade deadline? And how could that affect Justin Verlander's future with the club?
Be sure to check out the video above for the full conversation!
Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
