Get better players and play them once you have them is your strategy? I'm all for it! New shiny bullpen just got rolled out and gave up runs in the 9th and 10th. Stupid Hinch? What team could stand losing Correa/Altuve/Springer and not suffer some offensive ineptitude? Bregman and Yuli and Reddick are ice cold recently, who is supposed to carry this lineup? White and Kemp and Gattis? I just don't dig the fact that no matter who is in the lineup they cannot hit at home. I cannot understand why, and this is problematic to me.
The offense has to find a way to score more than 2 or 3 runs a game. The margin for error from the pitching staff is miniscule right now. Other than Verlander’s terrible start on Thursday, the starters did their job in this series. But the Astros hitters need to start having more professional at bats, especially with runners in scoring position. They aren’t working counts in those situations right now. Also, Hinch and Lunhow aren’t the types to panic. Even if Oakland wins today, the Astros are still 2.5 games up in the division, with three games against the A’s in Oakland next week. If I was Lunhow, I’d be on the phone with the Rangers and Giants, working out a waiver trade for Beltre or McCutchen, with McCutchen my top priority.
Relative to the road, the Astros can't pitch at home either. ERA and OPS Home - 3.41 / .651 Away - 2.70 / .609 Here's the batting stats OPS and RS (59 road and home GP each) Home - .718 / 245 Away - .792 / 314 Hitting is the bigger regression at home, but the pitching isn't far behind.
Not making playoffs? Can it be? Who knows, but this is simply sad. But they can get better and sneak in but if it is 1 games playoff sneak then they are not repeating. Too much to overcome. They need to hold on to their lead and win the division. Looked good 4 games ago..... May look good again 4 games later....
I like Hinch's calm demeanour. I can quibble his in-game decisions, but his approach works in the long run to empower the players to perform. It's on the players now to put in the work in the batting cage and film room. The main thing, as you said, is for the hitters to go up there with a plan instead flailing away.
The home era is still the best era in baseball so putting the home woes on the pitchers is silly. The offense needs to get its head out of its ass. They let Mike Leake, Wade LeBlanc and a guy with an 11 era shut them down in this series. Even without McCann, Springer and Altuve, that’s unacceptable. All Lunhow can do is go and get another outfielder like McCutchen to start in LF, or add Beltre and replace Gattis at DH. McCutchen should be their top waiver trade priority right now.
I had to go back and look, hitting better on the road began in 2016 so its not a new phenomena. Team OPS+ is down to 96 from 110 at home last year though. Definitely problematic, but without a discernible source or reason.
I, too, like Hinch’s calm demeanor. It especially helps in the playoffs. And to be fair, as you said, it’s up to the players to get the job done. A manager is responsible for a handful of games one way or another at most in the major leagues. Players decide games, unless you are an idiot like Dave Roberts and use Brandon Morrow five straight games in the postseason.
For those who don’t think this team is in trouble it is time to re-evaluate. We could be only 1 up in the loss column at the end of the day in fact it looks quite likely. Four game sweep. Love my Astros but that sucks. No heart on this.
Some of you criticize Luhnow for not trading for a bat in the offseason. I don't think FO could have anticipated our 3 superstars to go on the DL at the same time. Talk during the offseason was could we afford to retain all of them? A veteran bat would have come at a steep cost. I can understand targeting pitching because that was our vulnerability last year. I know there's a reason no WS champ has repeated since almost 20 years ago. It's damn hard because of the fatigue and wear and tear. FO is still gathering data on how to build a consistent contender. We're still in this race. Only thing we can do is keep believing and supporting the team. Pick yourselves up, 'stros. This is where you separate the men from the boys.
Another observation: Keep Kemp out of the leadoff spot. He clearly plays best when he's batting 9th. Bregman has done fine when leading off, keep him there until Springer returns.
Yeah it’s not time to jump off a bridge. Hopefully Springer and Altuve get back very soon. With the Mariners and A’s playing each other it’s imperative the Astros beat Colorado at home, or else they are guaranteed to lose ground. Then probably the biggest 6 games of the season at Oakland and Seattle starting next weekend. We need to go 4-4 in the next 8 games at worst. Another 6-2 run and all will be well again.
Yes, the pitchers aren’t as good at home either. Fair enough. But their home ERA is still better than any other team’s overall ERA. It’s not the pitching staff’s fault that the team has been mediocre at home. Put the blame where it belongs, on an offense that hits .245 at MMP with a .718 OPS. Finally, expecting any team to maintain a sub-three (2.70) era for the entire season is insane.
And if the hitting wasn't so good on the road, home wouldn't seem so bad. The blame is not solely on the bats. Is it mostly the bats? Yes Is it only the bats? No Rondon hasn't allowed a single run on the road this season. Then today, he blows a one run save at home. Today wasn't his first run allowed at MMP. The real question is, "why does the ENTIRE team regress at home" ?
I'm watching Deep Blue Sea 2, who knew it even existed, but that is hitting rock bottom. Not sure we be there yet.
