UVALDE STRONG
Astros honor Uvalde with special Game Day experience and huge win
Aug 15, 2022, 1:26 pm
Astros superstar José Altuve signs autographs before the game. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.
The Houston Astrosbested the Oakland A’s on Sunday, August 14, marking a full Oakland sweep and capping a Hall of Fame Weekend that saw the long-awaited return of hometown hero Lance McCullers Jr. the day before.
But the real winners were the hundreds of fans from Uvalde, Texas who witnessed Alex Bregman blast another Breggy Bomb and pitcher Christian Javier secure the win.
The Astros delivered some 3,500 total tickets to the Sunday game to the Uvalde community and also chartered 10 buses to bring approximately 500 members of the community directly impacted by the horrific tragedy at Robb Elementary on May 24.
This trip from the team was part of owner Jim Cranes commitment and invitation to residents when he and members of the Houston Astros Foundation visited the grief-torn community in July, as CultureMap previously reported.
As for the all-inclusive Game Day experience, Uvalde group was allowed to participate in a pregame Q&A with Jose Altuve, Lance McCullers Jr., Alex Bregman, and manager Dusty Baker.
The eager Uvalde visitors were also given the opportunity to walk around the field on the warning track, take in views of the ballpark, snap photos, and mingle with and get autographs from the welcoming Astros players.
According to Mark Berman, Alex Bregman came through with a home run for a young girl from Uvalde.
Before the game a young girl from Uvalde asked Alex Bregman (@ABREG_1)to hit a home run & he did,helping the Astros win&win 1 for Uvalde on Uvalde Strong Day at MMP:”It was really cool, anything we can do for them. As soon as I got to the dugout Dusty said hey u hit 1 for Uvalde” pic.twitter.com/5oiduK7Pxn
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) August 14, 2022
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Sunday night matchups don't get much exciting than this, as the Houston Texans host the Detroit Lions in prime-time at NRG.
The Lions come into this game on a six-game winning streak looking every bit of the best team in football. Houston on the other hand has lost two of their last three games with a struggling offense unable to protect their quarterback.
CJ Stroud has only one passing touchdown over this span, and is clearly having trouble adjusting to life without Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins.
If Houston is going to come away with an upset victory, they will need big performances from Tank Dell and Joe Mixon. After catching 4 passes against the Colts two weeks ago, Mixon not only failed to catch a single pass against the Jets, but he wasn't even targeted.
Considering the Texans' offensive line issues, choosing not to use Mixon as a pass catcher is hard to fathom. Especially since he and Dell are the team's top 2 playmakers.
What's working in the Texans' favor?
They play this game at home, where they are undefeated this season. A lot of the team's protection issues have popped up on the road, so communication should be easier for the offense on their home turf.
Bulls on Parade
We have good news and bad news about the defense this week. On the positive side, Azeez Al-Shaair and Jimmy Ward have returned to practice. If they're able to contribute on Sunday night, that would give the defense a lift.
And now for the bad news. Will Anderson has yet to practice this week after rolling his ankle in the Jets game. If he is unable to practice on Friday, it's hard to imagine he'll be active against Detroit.
X-factors
The Texans have to show some improvement on the offensive line this week.
Houston must lean on Joe Mixon again, as Nico Collins isn't expected to play.
Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the league, and he does most of his damage from the slot. If the Texans continue to deploy Jalen Pitre against premier receivers in man coverage, St. Brown is going to light up the scoreboard.
What would a win over the Lions mean to Houston?
The Texans are no longer considered a true championship contender because of their losses to the Packers, Vikings, and Jets. In fact, the Bills are the only team with a winning record that the Texans have beaten.
An upset win over the streaking Lions would change that narrative.
What does Vegas think?
The Lions are currently favored by 3.5 and the total is set at 49 points.
Don't miss the full preview of Texans-Lions in the video above!
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