THE NERD REPORT

Nerds Around Town: Cancer sucks, mountain bikes and...cricket?

Nerds Around Town: Cancer sucks, mountain bikes and...cricket?
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!

It's once again the most important day of the week, it is Monday! So let's set this week up for success and make sure that we crush this week!

GOOD DEED OF THE DAY

This week, we're going to scale it back a little bit and get personal again. One of my buddies, a guy I've had many crazy drinking adventures with is having a benefit thrown for him to help him pay for dealing with cancer. Exit 73 will be hosting a BBQ benefit event this Sunday May 19th, starting at noon. There will be live music, you'll be able to buy plates of food and there will be an auction, all of this being done to benefit Michael Almendarez and help him deal with his battle with cancer. Guy is married with three daughters, it's a real issue to be sick these days and it's just unfortunate. #NerdsUnite

COMICPALOOZA WAS THIS WEEKEND!

Oh man, it was an absolutely amazing weekend. I hosted three panels with my Nerd Thug Radio team, we had an absolute blast. I interviewed Kim Phan, Director of Global eSports for Blizzard, because ESPN was there hosting the first ever College eSports Championships which I will write more in depth about elsewhere. Emilia Clarke was awesome, she stayed late everyday so everyone could get their pictures in and talk to her and have the rewarding fun fan moment that people hope to experience when they pay for those extra things. Overall it was an amazing experience and even though I work these events I also am still a massive nerd and enjoy the hell out of these things and have my fun fanboy moments. I hope I don't live long enough for this to ever get boring.

TWO WHEELS NOT TWO FEET!

While I was walking what had to have been literally 40 plus miles over this three day weekend, the event is all three floors from end to end of the convention center, I started thinking how awesome it would be to bike around on the convention floor. By day two this joking became an intense desire to not be walking what seemed to be a million steps and I googled best mountain bikes under $500, not realizing how many variations and kinds of bikes exists these days. I didn't realize there was more than like one or two bike styles. When did this happen? When was the revolution on bike variations and what was I doing instead that week? Anyway, see if you can name more than three types of mountain bikes, seriously, try it.

SIGH, I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M EVEN TYPING THIS...

Listeners of Nerd Thug Radio have probably heard my co-host Joey Savage mention once or twice that due to him watching a Netflix documentary one night when he couldn't sleep, he is now a cricket fan. He's been yelling out nonsense like "sixer!" sporadically over the last eight weeks and I have no clue what's going on honestly. His team of choice is the Mumbai Indians and apparently they were in the Indian Premier League finals, which was probably important to all of sports betting India but not so much to me, they did win by 1 though, so that's cool. Sometimes I think it wouldn't surprise me to find out he was so low for a gambling fix that he wasn't searching India horse racing sites for a fix like an addict. Honestly he yells "sixer!" at the weirdest times…

NOT THAT YOU ASKED

Ok last time I'm going to mention this honestly, tomorrow we move on to new business but even the massive, awful rains couldn't keep people away from Comicpalooza. Overall I'm super proud of our city, Houston represented itself well, the floor had a great positive vibe, the stars were friendly, the events were great there was a ton of stuff to do. For those who don't know the city of Houston has been involved in the convention for the past few years and took it over completely last year and honestly they didn't do the best job running it. They more than made up for it this year, they did a good job with the kinds of guests they brought and the kind of vendors they brought it in. It can be a really tricky thing when a convention doesn't go right, I've worked events where things have been an issue, ask me in person, I have some stories, but thankfully this one went great.

I'm going to jump out and wish you guys a great Monday and remind everyone to be kind to each other and try a little harder to have a great day! I'm coming back Tuesday 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 some proceeds help fight cancer or listen to Nerd Thug Radio or support our Patreon Page. Thoughts, complaints, events and comments can be sent to corydlg@gmail.com.

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Houston's pitching is leading the way. Composite Getty Image.

A month into the 2025 season, the Houston Astros have emerged as one of MLB’s most confounding teams. Their offense ranks near the bottom of nearly every key category, yet they remain competitive thanks to a pitching staff that has quietly become one of the most formidable in baseball.

Despite winning back-to-back games just once this season, Houston’s pitching has kept them afloat. The Astros boast a top-10 team ERA, rank seventh in WHIP, and sit top-eight in opponent batting average—a testament to both their rotation depth and bullpen resilience. It’s a group that has consistently given them a chance to win, even when the bats have failed to show up.

Josh Hader has been the bullpen anchor. After a rocky 2024 campaign, the closer has reinvented himself, leaning more heavily on his slider and becoming less predictable. The result has been electric: a veteran who’s adapting and thriving under pressure.

Reinforcements are also on the horizon. Kaleb Ort and Forrest Whitley are expected to bolster a bullpen that’s been great but occasionally spotty—Taylor Scott’s 5.63 ERA stands out as a weak link. Lance McCullers Jr. missed his last rehab outing due to illness but is expected back soon, possibly pairing with Ryan Gusto in a piggyback setup that could stretch games and preserve bullpen arms.

And the timing couldn’t be better, because the Astros' offense remains stuck in neutral. With an offense ranked 26th in OPS, 27th in slugging, dead last in doubles, and just 24th in runs scored, it's clear the Astros have a major issue producing consistent offense. For all their talent, they are a minus-two in run differential and have looked out of sync at the plate.

One bright spot has been rookie Cam Smith. The right fielder has displayed remarkable poise, plate discipline, and a polished approach rarely seen in rookies. It’s fair to ask why Smith, with only five Double-A games under his belt before this season, is showing more patience than veterans like Jose Altuve. Altuve, among others, has been chasing too many pitches outside the zone and hardly walking—a troubling trend across the lineup.

Before the season began, the Astros made it a point to improve their pitch selection and plate discipline. So far, that stated goal hasn’t materialized. Many of the players who are showing solid discipline—like Isaac Paredes or Christian Walker—were already doing that on other teams before joining Houston. It raises the question: are the Astros’ hitting coaches being held accountable?

The offensive woes are hard to ignore. Catcher Yainer Diaz currently owns the second-worst OPS in baseball, while Walker ranks 15th from the bottom. Even a star like Yordan Alvarez has yet to find his groove. The hope is that Diaz and Walker will follow Alvarez's lead and trend upward with time.

With so many offensive questions and few clear answers, a trade for a left-handed bat—whether in the outfield or second base—would be ideal. But with the front office laser-focused on staying below the tax threshold, don’t count on it.

For now, Houston's path forward depends on whether the bats can catch up to the arms. Until they do, the Astros will remain a team that looks good on paper but still can’t string wins together in reality.

We have so much more to get to. 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.

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