NERDS AROUND TOWN
Nerds Around Town: The Mandalorian, trouble in Mexico City and X-Men updates
Dec 3, 2019, 8:16 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!
GOOD DEED OF THE DAY
For the next two weeks I'm going to be pointing to the charity called "Let's Bring 'Em Home." They buy plane tickets for active duty enlisted guys and fly them home for the holidays. On December 13th, Nerd Thug Radio and The Adventure Begins will be teaming up and holding the Nerd Thug Takeover to benefit this wonderful organization. Starting at 6pm, proceeds from sales will be going to this 501c registered charity and will be helping to try and bring some enlisted people home for the holidays so they can see their families.
KRAKOA TROUBLES
There may already be trouble in X-Paradise, part of the massive X-Men relaunch has been the new titles with new line ups and new directions. They're already putting one book on hiatus after only two issues and they're bringing more down the way. It's obvious that they haven't found the right line up yet and they're still struggling to find the right mix. Fallen Angels is going to go on a break and Wolverine comes out now at a larger page count, they are also previewing a new book with the most "dysfunctional lineup" ever. I'm not filled with confidence.
TROUBLE IN MEXICO
There's a massive tour going around and the other day they were in Mexico City and the show was cancelled after barricades were damaged and the bands Slipknot and Evanescence hadn't played their sets yet. Some members of the 50,000 strong crowd decided to storm the stage and destroy everything they could get their hands on, which included Evanescence's band gear. They literally watched their gear burn up, that is not how Mexico City should party. Evanescence has been cool about it but bands may want to start renting gear when they play Knotfest.
THE MANDALORIAN
Suddenly there's unhappy nerds with the fourth episode of The Mandalorian. After three episodes of happy nerds in the world of Star Wars, suddenly there's an episode they don't like. It happens to be the episode with a ton of action and an AT-ST walker tank. Who the heck is complaining about this episode and why? Well it turns out, because women help and are bad ass in this episode. Yeah Gina Carano of MMA fame is featured in this episode as shock trooper on the run from her past, and people are mad that she's tough. This is such a joke. Just the casting alone should have been a hint that a character is capable of some serious damage, but then she and the Mandalorian both are on the same page throughout the episode so she's basically set up as a high level mercenary or experienced mercenary of some serious degree so if we've accepted The Mandalorian as an awesome mercenary without any backstory then why are we asking for her backstory before we decide she's awesome too?
NOT THAT YOU ASKED
So in the buildup to Christmas I'm enjoying the access to the entire Marvel catalog and rewatching all of the movies (minus the Hulk and the two Spider-Mans) in chronological order so I started with Captain America. I think of all the intro movies this has held up maybe the best or second best (behind Iron Man). To see young Steve Rogers again, knowing how this all ends and to see the dynamic of the love lost knowing they find each other at the end of Endgame, it makes this movie and the whole story arc for Cap and Agent Carter sweet.
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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