The losing streak should be a blip on the radar

Recent slump aside, things are looking up for the Astros

Recent slump aside, things are looking up for the Astros
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

While last week's seven-game losing streak was tough to endure, there are plenty of reasons to believe that it is not something the Astros will have to re-live the rest of this season. Not only is the team getting healthier, but the poor performance of last week was a complete abnormality and not the symptom of a failing team.

Sure, Houston does benefit from playing in one of the more winnable divisions, but even if they didn't, I wouldn't be hitting the panic button on Houston after last week's slump. Here are a few reasons why:

Altuve looks to be 100% 

One of the biggest takeaways from yesterday's game that ended Houston's losing streak was that Jose Altuve looked like himself. It started with him hitting the leadoff home run to start the game, showing that he's still got the power in his swing. Then, in his next at-bat, he could have settled for a single but instead was aggressive on the basepaths to leg out a double, showing that he isn't scared to run at full speed.

Another positive sign was that Altuve was able to string together four straight games with a hit by getting one in each game in New York, showing that he is seeing the ball well again. A dangerous, healthy Altuve could prove pivotal for the Astros, who will need that to keep the top of their order as one of the toughest for an opposing pitcher to face.

Springer is coming back, Correa to follow 

The Astros will get another key piece of their lineup back this week in George Springer. Springer has been out of Houston's lineup since May 24th when he suffered a hamstring strain. He began a rehab assignment in Corpus Christi this past weekend where he looked great, hitting a couple of home runs in his first game on his way to a .400 average over his three rehab games.

That will leave one last major piece of the batting order missing: Carlos Correa. Correa likely won't go on a rehab assignment or rejoin the team until after the All-Star break, but it shouldn't be too long before Houston has their entire lineup intact and back in action. He was flirting with a .300 average before being sidelined, currently with a .295 average including his eleven home runs so far in 2019. Getting him back in the lineup somewhere around Michael Brantley and Yordan Alvarez will further bolster this potent lineup.

Arguably even more importantly, Correa's return will provide a significant boost on defense. Having Carlos back at shortstop will allow Alex Bregman to move back to his normal position of third base, and move Yuli Gurriel back to first base. That alone will solve some of the defensive issues that have fallen on the Astros in recent games due to players having to move around and play some somewhat unfamiliar positions.

Better pitching to come 

Another proponent of last week's struggles was some poor pitching for Houston, something they haven't had to deal with that much in 2019. First, it's important to note that some of the pitching issues were not long-standing issues. Roberto Osuna's struggles that resulted in the loss in Cincinnati on Wednesday were anything from normal; it was only Osuna's third blown save and first loss of the season. He should be given the benefit of the doubt to get back on track as the closer the next time the Astros need him in a high-leverage save situation.

Another low point of the week was seeing Ryan Pressly allow the go-ahead runs to the Yankees on Saturday. That too was abnormal, as Pressly just recently ended one of the most impressive streaks of scoreless innings ever. The eighth and ninth innings for the Astros should go back to being locked down the next opportunity they get to test Pressly and Osuna.

Another benefit to the pitching staff will be the return of Collin McHugh. McHugh, like George Springer, is nearing the end of his rehab assignment with the Corpus Christi Hooks. While it's unclear where McHugh will fit in the pitching makeup for Houston upon his return, he should provide a lift overall as it will give the Astros another arm to get into the fold.

In addition to all of this, the Astros are still the beneficiaries of what should be considered one of the best 1-2 punches in an MLB rotation in Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole.

Let's not forget about Alvarez

That brings us to one of the best things that have resulted from recent injuries: Yordan Alvarez. Even when some of Houston's typically hot bats looked cold in this past week, Alvarez continued to show his potential, hitting more home runs and racking up more RBIs in his short twelve-game season so far.

Alvarez now has seven home runs in his twelve games to go along with 16 RBIs. He has been just as dominant at the major-league level as he was in the minors, and it creates a great problem for Houston once they have Springer and Correa back: how do they configure this lineup? No matter what order they end up in, it's no question that the rest of 2019 and in the playoffs, the Astros will be a tough task for any opposing pitcher.

So again, while the losing streak was a bleak spot on this season so far, there are just too many positives about this team to believe that there will be any stretch of games that go as poorly as those did again this year. The potential for this team has been, and remains, that of a potential World Series champion.

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Houston is back in action on Friday night. Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images.

Despite a last-minute comeback attempt by Gonzaga on Saturday, the Cougars defeated the Bulldogs and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the sixth straight NCAA Tournament.

Houston will face the No.4 seed Purdue, who made it to the championship game last year.

The Boilermakers will be one of the toughest opponents the Cougars have faced thus far and will essentially have the home-court advantage with the game taking place in Indianapolis.

Despite the daunting matchup on paper, Houston is currently an -8.5 favorite to win this game. The Cougars should be able to handle Purdue so long as their offense stays hot and they continue to play defense at an elite level.

Keep the offense flowing

Houston guard LJ Cryer matched a career-high with 30 points against Gonzaga and has been the offensive focal point of this team.

This season, the Baylor transfer has averaged 15.6 points per game and has stepped up to be one of the unquestioned leaders of this team.

In addition to Cryer, the Cougars have Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp, who can carry the offensive load as they did during the Big 12 Tournament and against SIUE on Thursday.

J’Wan Roberts is another key factor for Houston’s success. The senior forward seems to have recovered from his ankle injury and has been a productive player since returning to the lineup.

Roberts leads the team in rebounds and is one of the most efficient scorers for the Cougars, averaging more than 50% from the field over his last five seasons.

Houston’s dynamic offense and elite defense makes this team one of the toughest to beat during the tournament.

Containing Purdue’s stars

The Boilermakers have two proficient scorers on their team, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Braden Smith, who each average over 15 points per game.

Kaufman-Renn scored 22 points in his previous game against McNeese State and has been one of Purdue’s best players for most of this year.

Roberts and Joseph Tuggler will likely be assigned to the junior forward to slow down his offense, forcing his teammates to step up.

Smith is Purdue’s second-leading scorer, averaging 16 points per game, and has the most assists and steals for the Boilermakers this season.

Both Uzan and Cyrer, who have been elite parameter defenders, will cover the Purdue guard and limit his production.
Containing both Kaufman-Renn and Smith will be Houston’s top priority and the key to come away victorious.

Play Cougar basketball

Head coach Kelvin Sampson has now made it to at least the Sweet 16 six consecutive times and has his team well-positioned to make another deep tournament run.

Since arriving in Houston, the 69-year-old coach has turned this program from an afterthought to one of the best basketball teams in the country year after year.

Sampson’s key to his success is instilling a defensive-first mentality into his team and getting the best effort out of his players.

This season is no different, as Houston has the number-one ranked defense in the nation and is holding their opponents to 58.4 points per game on average.

If the Cougars can create consistent offense and continue playing defense at an elite level, they should win this game with ease and advance to the Elite 8 for the first time in three years.

The Houston-Purdue game will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium on Friday at 9 pm. The winner will play either Kentucky or Tennessee in the next round.

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