EVERY-THING SPORTS
Here are the advantages, challenges with this defining stretch for Houston Astros
Aug 31, 2022, 1:14 pm
EVERY-THING SPORTS
The Astros are on a roll. As of this writing, they're 11.5 games up on the Mariners for the AL West division lead. They're also four games up on the Yankees for the best record in the AL. It's clear the road to the World Series will go through Houston. While they're eight games behind the Dodgers for the best overall record, they have a psychological advantage over the blue team from LA. What's puzzling to me is the inexplicable losses the Astros have had against bad teams.
The Orioles, Red Sox, Rangers, and A's have all beaten the Astros recently. The Orioles are the only team on that list above .500 on the season. The others are closer to the number one overall pick in the draft. Perhaps the worst of it was getting swept by the A's at the end of July in a three game series. Sure they were on the road playing a division rival, but losing three straight to a team that's 34 games behind them in the standings is a tough pill to swallow.
Baseball is a marathon, not a sprint. Those of you who live and die with every loss are crazy. The ones who felt the season was over when the team wasn't in the division lead early on and thought when different players were in a slump it would last forever are even worse. Water will always find its level, and this team has found theirs. The only concern is them tripping over their own feet from time to time.
My only explanation is that they get bored and/or lose focus. Playing a team you know you've beaten up plenty of times before or seeing a starter you know your lineup should thrash seems to give this team a false sense of security. They'll slip up here and there, then get right back on track. For example: just before they dropped those three games to the A's, they won five straight against the Yankees and Mariners.
Their next 20 game stretch features only three games against a team above .500, the Rays. This will be a defining stretch as they have the chance to put more distance between themselves and the rest of the AL. It'll also be a challenge for those dog days of summer people always talk about in baseball. If they can find the proper motivation and keep up their expected level of play, there's no reason why this team can't find a way to win at least 15 of the next 20 games, or more.
The postseason is near. However, the fear that this team will be booted from the party early on is unnecessary. They play up to their competition. The pitching, primarily the starters, are the backbone of this team. Any time Framber Valdez sets a record for most consecutive quality starts by a lefty with 22, and he still isn't the Cy Young frontrunner because his teammate, Justin Verlander, is having the greatest comeback season after Tommy John surgery, that's saying something. Throw in the guys who can't crack the top 3 in the rotation, and you have a very spicy staff.
Once the playoffs start, their experience will kick in. Nerves will be tamed. Concentration will be at a premium and these guys will show up to play. The rest of the league better be on notice.
Yusei Kikuchi pitched seven innings of three-hit ball in another sharp start, and Yordan Alvarez homered and drove in two runs in the Houston Astros ' 5,000th victory, 5-3 over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.
Alex Bregman hit an early two-run homer and Alvarez added his 33rd in the ninth inning for the first-place Astros, who opened a six-game Southern California trip with their second straight win after a three-game skid.
Mickey Moniak homered for the Angels, who have lost five of six.
Kikuchi (9-9) overcame early trouble and struck out six Angels while keeping the Astros unbeaten in all of his starts since joining Houston in a trade with Toronto. Kikuchi is 5-0 in an Astros uniform, and Houston is 8-0 when he takes the mound.
Josh Hader pitched the ninth for his 30th save as the Astros became the 18th big league club to reach 5,000 victories.
Rookie Samuel Aldegheri (1-2) couldn’t get out of the third inning in his third major league start for the Angels, yielding four runs on six hits and five walks while recording only six outs.
Houston scored twice in the second with two singles followed by two walks and Alvarez's sacrifice fly.
The Astros then got three hits on Aldegheri's first three pitches in the third inning. After Kyle Tucker singled, Bregman hit his 23rd homer and Jeremy Peña doubled.
Kikuchi issued back-to-back walks to begin the third, and Los Angeles scored on Zach Neto's groundout and Nolan Schanuel's single.
Moniak's solo shot to right in the fourth was just his second career homer against a left-hander. It was also the former No. 1 overall pick's 14th homer of the season, matching his career high.
Alvarez's homer was a line drive that went in and out of Moniak's glove when the center fielder leaped at the wall to attempt what would have been a spectacular catch.
Hader recorded 30 saves for the fourth consecutive season and the fifth time in his career.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Astros: INF Jose Altuve returned from a one-game absence with discomfort in his right side. He drove the first pitch of the game into left field, but was easily thrown out at second while trying to stretch it into a double.
Angels: 2B Brandon Drury sat out after leaving Wednesday's game in the fifth inning with hamstring tightness. ... RHP Ben Joyce is still awaiting the results of his MRI exam Thursday. The 105-mph hurler hasn't pitched since Sept. 6 after reporting shoulder discomfort.
UP NEXT
Justin Verlander (3-6, 5.30 ERA) takes the mound for Houston after struggling in his past two starts in September. Los Angeles sends out All-Star Tyler Anderson (10-12, 3.50 ERA), who beat the Astros earlier this year for his only victory in nine career starts against them.