ART BY JESUS RODRIGUEZ
Born with a comic book in one hand and a remote control in the other, Cory DLG is the talent of Conroe's very own Nerd Thug Radio, Sports and Wrestling. Check out the podcast replay of the FM radio show at www.nerdthugradio.com!
Hey Nerds!
Alright guys, we're halfway through the week, we can do this! Let's show Wednesday who's boss.
GOOD DEED OF THE DAY
This week I didn't want to pick something, I wanted you guys to pick something. A neighbor in need, Puerto Rico, the Atlantis formerly called the Midwest, a family member or friend of the family. Someone you know maybe isn't saying much but seriously, they could use the help. Anyway, make sure you're doing your part and there aren't people in need standing right next to you everyday. I think a certain someone called it the Golden Rule.
1,2,3, Cancun
The NBA Playoffs are going on right now and honestly they have been amazing so far, not just the Houston Rockets looking great until this last game against Utah where they missed some 14 three pointers. That's a cause for concern because when the three's aren't falling they keep shooting them no matter what, and it's great for them to be confident but I just wish James Harden and Chris Paul would take back over after say miss number eight and do a few dribble penetration lay-ups or draw the fouls and get some free throws to let everyone calm down and stop forcing the three. Also Portland, man, just Portland. Dame Lillard just sunk Oklahoma City with the best 40ish foot three point shot anyone has ever seen and he did so with utmost confidence after dribbling the clock down to nothing and taking the shot that apparently he wanted from nearly half court. The other part of this whole equation is now Mr Triple Triple Double Russell Westbrook has proven yet again that Hero Ball doesn't work anymore in the NBA. Oklahoma City is a poorly built team centered around Westbrook and Paul George who gave himself the nickname of "Playoff P". Who by the way finally had a good game and it was in a loss, kind of proving the rule we don't get to pick our nicknames. People are growing tired of Westbrook's seemingly anger fueled style of play where if he isn't talking an obscene amount of trash and pushing around players of noticeably lesser status than him, he's just being an overall irritant to everyone doing their job.
Avengers Endgame
If you're not excited for this movie and if you're not curious how all of this ends, then you aren't even kind of the person I want to hang out with. Do the Avenegrs save the day? How does Tony Stark make it back? What role does the quantum realm play in all of this? Is Clint Barton the coolest guy in the MCU? These are all relevant questions that will finally be answered, and with these answers we can finally move on to the next set of Marvel movies. Before anyone rolls their eyes, don't tell me they aren't excited for whatever is coming next. Marvel has been the best at planning these things out and as DC's movie universe and don't forget Universal's failed monster universe with Tom Cruise's Mummy as the flagship can tell us, it ain't easy. Hats off to the kings of the movie universe and may they enjoy this victory lap.
Has anyone else noticed this?
The new trailer for Hobbs and Shaw is out and some how there's a Samoan Haka in the story? The fast and the furious franchise has grown into this incredible popcorn munching scenery destroying super movie every couple of years and it's honestly, impressive at this point. A movie franchise that starts off with Paul Walker going undercover to find out who is hijacking trucks in the underground race scene and befriending sort of bad guy Vin Diesel, turns into a massive ensemble cast by the fifth one and then Paul Walker actually dies and the movies continue and they film a whole movie with him in it after his death somehow. Now the franchise has grown so much the Rock is now a reoccurring character getting his own spin off with other reoccurring character Jason Statham. The franchise has also featured Charlize Theron and other major stars and seems to just keep going.
NOT THAT YOU ASKED
The other day Donald Trump complained to twitter's CEO that he doesn't have enough followers, and it brought a lot of thoughts to mind but most noticeably it brought to mind that old people just don't understand technology. As the new apps and machines and types of entertainment creep up it becomes obvious again and again that technology will leave you behind in a heartbeat. Ninja the world famous streamer who has upwards of a million people watch him stream at any given time, was paid roughly a million dollars allegedly to stream Apex Legends for set amount of time after it released and for those of you who thought that last sentence was a foreign language, catch up. This is the future and in many ways it's the present, this guy has more effective influence than a Sprite commercial, and yet there's probably a large segment of the population who couldn't pick this dude out of a line up.
I'm going to jump out and wish you guys a great Wednesday and remind everyone to be kind to each other and try a little harder to have a great day! I'm coming back Friday and we'll be bringing more good times your way. Feel free to check out my digital short story The Wilson House or buy a shirt from Side Hustle Ts where every shirt is now under $20 or listen to Nerd Thug Radio or support our Patreon Page. Thoughts, complaints, events and comments can be sent to corydlg@gmail.com.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
___________________________
*ChatGPT assisted.
Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!