NERDS AROUND TOWN
Nerds Around Town: The 100, Cobie Smulders and Netflix making changes
Sep 4, 2019, 7:06 am
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 and Sports. Check out the podcast replay of the FM radio show at www.nerdthugradio.com!
Look at that, we're already half way there!
GOOD DEED OF THE DAY
With Hurricane Dorian going strong, and the first images coming in from the Bahamas, its important to be donating to the Red Cross and other aid agencies around the country. These guys are going to need it.
NETFLIX IS CRAZY
Netflix has announced it's going to start moving away from binge releasing it's shows. It wants to try a weekly release format and see what the results of that are. Overall I think this is a mistake, because if they had stayed with the binge watch format they would be basically the only one doing that, giving them a distinct advantage and differentiator from the other services. Part of what's coming next is who offers what, and what features and libraries they have. I personally think it's a mistake because making the shows bingeable lets the writers of the shows develop stories and have arcs and episodes that don't necessarily "drive" the plot. If they move to a weekly release format, I'm not sure they'll be as rewarding overall.
OLD SHOWS MAKING A COMEBACK
Right now I'm watching The 100 for the first time, it's ok but it's fun to find new things to watch and get into. This is one of those shows that maybe I've should have been watching when it started but I totally missed out on and now I'm picking up. One of those that people may not know about is Steven Universe, a great animated series that just released a movie on Cartoon Network, lots of big name RB stars and other stars are involved in the project and there's tons of great characters and music in it.
IMPRESSIVE
It's really impressive that somehow Netflix was able to secretly film a Breaking Bad sequel starring Aaron Paul. No one knew it was happening? No one knew it was coming, nothing had leaked and I keep an eye on all the good rumor websites. Filming a secret movie for such a popular franchise is super impressive and deserving of recognition, so I'll say it. Great job Netflix!! Now here's hoping it doesn't suck.
NOT THAT YOU ASKED
The show Stumptown looks great, I'm really excited for it to come out. Cobie Smulders seems great in it and I'm starting to really enjoy her in roles. After a great run as Maria Hill, which I'm guessing she's coming back to in the near future, she was also great in the Jack Reacher sequel and really nailed the action parts. I'm looking forward to seeing her in this role next and hopefully it's as good as these others have been.
Feel free to check out my brand new comic book Another Day at the Office or buy a shirt from Side Hustle Ts where some proceeds help people struggling with cancer or listen to Nerd Thug Radio. 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.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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