Not sure why many of them even watch the sport... but I'm sure that's just me being hyper-critical and elitist.
I care too much to keep watching right now. Not healthy. I don't expect to watch tonight's game. I need a break.
Well it feels over because they been in first place for 85% of the year but there is still plenty of games left for being 1.5 games out. They have a 3 game home stand coming up too so hopefully they will take care of business.
Home stand is 9 games (3 Oakland, 3 Anaheim, 3 Rangers). Finish with 6 on the road (3 Seattle & 3 Arizona). Have to hope they regain the lead and get a couple of games up before going on the last road trip.
Yeah, its more of a case with on paper... the season is far from over. On paper... Chris Carter should be producing. On paper... this team should have a much better record than they are showing. But what I've seen from them on the road since APRIL... and what I've especially seen this last week.... is that despite the vast statistical metrics/nuances and 162 sample game sizes that make this game quite unique compared to the others... the guys on the field right now look shell-shocked, inexperienced, tight, and in some cases worn out and injured (career highs in innings from Keuchel, McCullers... career high in games played for Correa..... Conger has never caught this much at any point, for good reason... Chris Carter and Jonathan Villar are being forced to take meaningful at bats in pseudo-playoff games...) Then again... On paper... this team is still far from being complete. On paper, this team's minor league system "should" allow them to improve the MLB club for several more years (whether by flipping them or having them develop well). When your best player is still not 21 years old left... it doesn't feel that hopeless.
Mathematically not over, but momentum-wise.... The 6-game road trip to finish the season will probably doom us. Sorry, I'm a fan, not a cheerleader.
If they win tonight, it's back to a .5 game - and the pressure remains on the Rangers to maintain this level of play, which is really hard to do. And every step they've taken this week can be undone with a sweep in Houston next week. This hasn't been a fun stretch, obviously - but having that lead for so long still, IMO, gives the Astros the advantage.
And even if they do collapse, I'm guessing Crane has enjoyed the taste of success and will let Luhnow continue to take chances/spend money to improve the team. This team is really close; they need an upgrade at 1B/3B and I'd love to see them add a big bat in LF. I wonder if Seattle would deal Cruz within the division? Absorb that $42MM and send them building block young players?....
I'd expect payroll to go in the $80 million range for next year. Crane is making more money now than when he first bought the team (TV rights deals actually getting paid, attendance and merchandise sales up), which still ultimately will dictate how much can be spent. They raised ticket prices... which is the expected move with attendance anticipated to be even higher next year. On the flip-side, I expect Seattle and Oakland to be better. Seattle is either going to spend even more... or dump it all... but I expect them to try and figure out how to win within the rest of Cano's prime (or they basically become the A-Rod Rangers). Luhnow also will have more of an urgency in his prospect for established player trades this off-season... will strive for better than Valbuena/Gattis upsides.
Frankly, by having a deep team with versatility that enabled AJ Hinch to play a variety of line-ups that took advantage of match-ups and hot streaks... that's all been taken from him; the Astros are down four everyday starters. The timing couldn't have been worse but... If they can get healthy in the next 1-2 days, they get back home, they get three more with the Rangers... This is NOT over. Win tonight and all the Rangers' surging will result in a .5 lead.
Even going into full-blown optimism mode (because yes, the season is far from over)... I would not be "thrilled" with getting throughly flogged in Toronto during an ALDS series. A division title and getting trounced in a short series will not change my outlook on this season (or my optimism for next year) compared to it just ending now with this September fade.... and it will be slightly more embarrassing on a national level. I do not think they will get over their road woes "this" year. Its gone beyond this being just a bad stretch or something that will regress back to the mean (and yes, this Texas series has pretty much clinched that for me).
Don't we have like a six game road trip to end the season? That's not good. The Astros for sure need to win most of their home games that are left. They can't afford to lay eggs again when the Rangers visit Houston. I don't think they win if they lose the home Ranger series. But, even then, if they don't play better on the road to end the season, then it is going to be over and we all know it.
