Talk about the series here. Please no PBP in this thread. Unless otherwise noted all games are on CSN-H (for about 40% I guess). 9-12 Brett Oberholtzer, LHP vs. C.J. Wilson, LHP 9:05 9-13 Scott Feldman, RHP vs. Jered Weaver, RHP 8:05 9-14 Dallas Keuchel, LHP vs. Hector Santiago, LHP 2:35
The Orange County Angels have been absolutely steamrolling the league. 8 straight wins, and 14 or their last 16. The only 2 losses were to a minor league team that isn't even trying to compete. Seriously I know the national media will never give the Astros even passing praise, but if we take another series from them that would be damn impressive.
It was about at this point last year we went on to lose 15 strait (16 games to go actually). These things are not predictable. Last year, certainly not. No, I am not a doomsayer here suggesting we are ripe for a repeat performance. No. Just, marking our place in the season compared to last. It just as likely we win the last 15 (16) as opposed to losing them. Wouldn't that be something? Still, looking at the calendar, the immanency the end of the season grows near. These guys have played well enough for me not want it to end this soon. Well enough for hope next year as well. Well, its one series at a time in reality. One game at a time. Lets get a "W" tonight.
Uh, yeah, last year's finish was completely predictable, because they sucked. This team has been playing solid baseball for a couple of months now.
Obie doesn't have it anymore... tough luck the last two innings, but the Angels certainly having no problem catching up with his stuff.
He's not bad, he's a definite MLB starting pitcher, but the question is always how much better do you expect him to get... and is he a realistic candidate to be in the rotation when this team is expected to not only be good, but contend.
7 runs in the 5th.... Oberholtzer gave up several, and then Jorge De Leon came in and continued the trend (for 1/3 of an inning at that)
Also...when can they get a new catcher? Who should they get? I've tried nothing and I'm all out of ideas.
Yeah, no kidding Also, for catcher, I have no answer to your question. Last year, it seemed Castro was destined to be our C of the future... heck, his last name is C/Astro. I'm not super familiar with our prospects, but does anyone know anyone promising coming up the pipeline? How is Stassi supposed to be looking?
Jason Castro has had a bad year, but he still has posted a solid WAR of 2.3. Because he has had such a drop off, it feels like he has been terrible. Catchers don't hit much, so even this low OPS isn't far from league average for the position. His .830 OPS last year was clearly out of whack, almost all of us knew he was gonna regress, so we took it with a grain of salt. Likewise I think it's a little shortsighted to see his bad year this year and assume this is all he will be. I still think the real Jason Castro is somewhere in between and he can be a +.700 OPS kind of player. He hasn't always been the high strikeout player, coming up he was a walker, but this recent power surge last year has him trying to be a slugger, I think he needs to go back to his old approach. Not that I think he is a difference maker, I just think we have bigger problems than catcher, although if he posts another bad season next year we can start to look elsewhere.
The problem with him is that the Astros are going to be forced to pay him for somebody who is closer to where he was last year, vs the guy they have this year, and he will be a free agent in 2 years regardless. If Stassi hadn't also had a so-so year, I'd say there would have been a better than 50-50 chance he would be moved. They still may decide to move him if the right deal comes along, and just make Stassi the everyday guy. As you said, plenty of other needs they can address... And the $7 or so million dollars Castro could make next year could help address some of those.
