Smith hopefully won't be on the team anymore after the deadline and Bielak will be in AAA. Taylor at least has some upside and Pruitt would be best used in games when you're down multiple runs. Adding Baez plus another solid arm (if not two) in a trade is badly needed. Imagine the difference with Kimbrel and a decent Baez in this pen.
From today's Chronicle, Houston has had 12 opportunities this season to finish off a sweep in a three- or four-game series. Seven times, it failed.
Looking for the positive - It's not October when two or three games like this will knock you out of the playoffs.
Meh. I'll take a .666 or better winning percentage in a lot of series. In this case, they were on the cusp of sweeping all 7 games against the Indians... how dare they screw that up at the last second!
I do agree they need to figure out what Pruitt (and eventually Baez) can do. He has a pretty good idea at this point of Stanek, Taylor, Abreu, Scrubb (the presumed current pecking order behind Presly). But they also need to figure out exactly how to use Javier. I don't think he can pitch every other day. But he's been inconsistent (especially when first brought in) with the 2-3 day rest. Does he need more appearances? Set appearances? We know he needs extra time to warm up.
Don't disagree, just think it is human nature to want the sweep when you win the first two (or three) games. Stacking series wins should be the goal, just feels worse for some reason to lose the last one of the series versus the first or second game.
We should look up their record in the next game after they didn't complete a sweep... vs. their record in the next game the 5 times they did complete a sweep. I know it feels worse for fans... but does it feel worse for them and potentially cause a let-down going into the next series? My guess is it doesn't, but would still be curious to know what that record is.
The more Javier relieves, the more he looks like a guy that is just struggling with control. Despite the control issues, he's still not giving up many runs as a reliever, and eating a bunch of relief innings. I think he just needs to pitch himself out of the funk which has mostly been leaving guys on base and not giving up runs.
What sucks is a SS wanting $30-$35 million a season that has hit.... .233 in last 30 games. .113 in last 15 games. .040 in last 7 games, including 12 K's in 25 AB's.
They keep talking about walk off week 1986. My Dad and I were at the improbable Craig Reynolds walk off game and then again 2 nights later when Jose hit the game winner down the line against the expos. Great memories! The Craig Reynolds bomb was so wild. We were up in that game (i think 4-0 at one point) then the hated mets came back to tie it off Dave smith. Then, after 2 quick outs in the bottom of the 9th, Reynolds (who hit 3 homers a year) connected for the game winner over the right field wall. One of the banners at the game read “Good Gooden, Great Scott” That was the pitching match up that night and the Dome was standing room only and the electricity was everywhere. Dave Smith got the win.
He has not played poorly for 30 games, thats some stupid gerrymandered nonsense. He has been in a massive funk for his last 9 games, he was awesome in the 2 months prior.
In his last 25 games, Correa is slashing .212/.327/.412/.739... His offensive funk is way more than 9 games. I suspect some of that is due to his illness, but he had been very mediocre for a while now.