
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!
Friday has arrived and it is glorious! The weekend is upon us and for those weekend worshippers, this is their moment.
GOOD DEED OF THE DAY
I keep hammering this over your head, but today is the last day I'm going to talk about it because it's tomorrow! So stretch it out, get limber and loose and then go run for the good of Memorial Park. The 2019 Brunch Run presented by Green Mountain Energy benefiting The Memorial Park Conservancy is April 6th at 8am and proceeds go towards the parks conservatorship in order to help keep the park looking nice and lovely. So have fun helping the city this weekend and then, party on!
WHO ME?
This weekend is a busy one for me, Nerd Thug Radio will be up there at Cox ATA hosting a tournament on Saturday and we'll be doing interviews and hanging out all day so if you're in Conroe and want to see what all the fuss is about come see us. Martial arts is good for kids and helps keep adults in great shape, overall it's a positive thing in someone's life if you're interested in learning a new skill or hobby, this is perfect. Also there will be quite a few nationally ranked martial artists there hanging out and competing. Sunday is of course WrestleMania, it's the big one guys, and I'm fairly pumped for this one and it's going to be a rather long affair. So in the words of one Ric Flair, Woooo!
WHILE YOU'RE RUNNING AROUND
Make sure to come around your local comic book shop and check out the books on the racks. Uncanny X Men #15 is up on the shelves and the return of the X-Men continues, the world is mad at mutants after a powerful mutant had again changed the world and the X-Men were scattered around the world, but Cyclops is back and so is Wolverine and the world needs X-Men. Also out this week is Young Justice #4, the kids of the DC Universe have found their place in the world, and it's together. Brian Michael Bendis continues being the most important writer in comic books as Young Justice returns! Image Comics' Die #5, this is a crazy premise, a group of kids who used to play a Dungeons and Dragons type game when they were kids got sucked into the game and went on a crazy quest. They returned to the real world and then went about their lives, now years later they're reunited and they have to go back into the game. That's crazy.
OPENING WEEKEND
Last year was so close, and the year before had been so amazing, the Houston Astros are back and they are beginning the quest to take back the World Series Championship. With the previous season not finishing how we thought it would, there were injuries to deal with and the city held its breath after we still made the playoffs and even through the wild card round but there the journey ended. This year we have extended MVP candidate Alex Bregman's contract, tearing up the last few years of his rookie control and in return we have him under control for several more years at a fair market price of $100 million dollars. The moves that have been made all extend the championship window and while we've lost a little bit of fire power from the rotation and the bullpen, the hope is still high that we've got another championship run in us.
THIS IS FUNNY
In what is surely a bit of irony, although it's entirely possible that I don't know what irony means, NASA Space Center is airing 2001: A Space Odyssey on their IMAX screen. Come on, that's funny I think, but maybe that's just me. Anyway, it's only $8 bucks and it's a really funny bit that they're doing. If you have free time this Friday, and you're not in a baseball state of mind, then come visit HAL and go on a tour of the majestic space village.
EVEN THOUGH NOBODY ASKED ME
This weekend is WrestleMania and one of my favorite people John Oliver rattled the cage this week by pointing out the delicate labor imbalance that WWE has long profited from. The wrestlers aren't technically employees, they are contract labor seemingly in direct violation of labor laws because they don't fit any of the categories that contract labor is designed to fill. Also they aren't getting insurance or any of the other appropriate federal mandates for employees, other than catastrophic in ring injury the wrestlers really aren't protected at all. Now before we roll our eyes and say so what, they're on TV they're rich. Yeah some of them are, but most of them aren't rich. Even the NFL takes better care of their players than the WWE which is kind of a low bar. The AAF just closed up shop and left players with hotel bills and no means to get home, these organizations set out to grossly profit from the work of these labor forces, but they aren't doing enough to take care of the players or wrestlers.
I'm going to jump out and wish you guys a great Friday and remind everyone to be kind to each other and try a little harder to have a great day! I'm coming back Monday 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.
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It wasn’t just a win — it was a glimpse into the Astros’ future
Jun 27, 2025, 10:43 pm
Two first-place teams, identical records, and a weekend set with serious measuring-stick energy.
The Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs open a three-game series Friday night at Daikin Park, in what could quietly be one of the more telling matchups of the summer. Both teams enter at 48-33, each atop their respective divisions — but trending in slightly different directions.
The Astros have been red-hot, going 7-3 over their last 10 while outscoring opponents by 11 runs. They've done it behind one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, with a collective 3.41 ERA that ranks second in the American League. Houston has also been dominant at home, where they’ve compiled a 30-13 record — a stat that looms large heading into this weekend.
On the other side, the Cubs have held their ground in the NL Central but have shown some recent shakiness. They're 5-5 over their last 10 games and have given up 5.66 runs per game over that stretch. Still, the offense remains dangerous, ranking fifth in on-base percentage across the majors. Kyle Tucker leads the way with a .287 average, 16 homers, and 49 RBIs, while Michael Busch has been hot of late, collecting 12 hits in his last 37 at-bats.
Friday’s pitching matchup features Houston’s Brandon Walter (0-1, 3.80 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) and Chicago’s Cade Horton (3-1, 3.73 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), a promising young arm making one of his biggest starts of the season on the road. Horton will have his hands full with Isaac Paredes, who’s slugged 16 homers on the year, and Mauricio Dubón, who’s found a groove with four home runs over his last 10 games.
It’s the first meeting of the season between these two clubs — and if the trends continue, it may not be the last time they cross paths when it really counts.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -112, Cubs -107; over/under is 8 1/2 runs
Here's a preview of Joe Espada's Game 1 lineup.
The first thing that stands out is rookie Cam Smith is hitting cleanup, followed by Jake Meyers. Victor Caratini is the DH and is hitting sixth. Christian Walker is all the way down at seventh, followed by Yainer Diaz, and Taylor Trammell who is playing left field.
How the mighty have fallen.
Pretty wild to see Walker and Diaz hitting this low in the lineup. However, it's justified, based on performance. Walker is hitting a pathetic .214 and Diaz is slightly better sporting a .238 batting average.
Screenshot via: MLB.com
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