Bregman is not having a good year and currently in a bad slump, but did nothing especially egregious last night. There are several people who were more to blame than him LAST NIGHT. He made an error but it was on a tough play and put the ball in playbill 6 PA. In the 10th, there was already 2 outs when he got up. It 's nice if he comes through but not expected. Less than 50% maybe 40% leaguewide. He is particularly bad vs LHP this year and all of last year. He was very good priority that but there is enough of a sample now that it's not a fluke. It's time for him to be dropped in the order and even given some off days vs LHP. But that can't happen until there is a viable backup. I would consider benching him today if Pena is OK. Put Kessinger there, who has done well vs LHP so far in his few opportunities and needs to "get back in the saddle" after the big error last night.
Plenty of blame to go around with almost everyone on the team. Too many injuries. Too many players having down years. Blowing 8 run leads. Six run leads. 3 run leads in the 9th. It's a team effort. There are better teams in MLB in 2023. Glad they won it all last year.
Three bad stats... Stanek WAR -0.1 ERA 4.94. Don't think he's coming back in 2024. Bregman for the month of July... .159 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI's. Pena last 28 games... .215 average...2 homers...6 RBI's....OPS .589.
Last night is who we are, unfortunately. I no longer expect anything from this team this season. Too many injuries and too many guys underperforming. Need a new manager too. This has all gone really stale.
Whaaaattt?! I heard Maldonado(45%), Baker(45%) and Julks(10%) are the reason for every time we lose. A (gassed) bullpen that can’t get anyone out. Peña/Bregman are mid Starting pitching held together by duct tape (Duct tape portion has actually done a commendable job) Shohei Ohtani couldn’t save this team.
Seems like this team needs an injection NOW instead of laying back towards the end of the deadline. I remember a couple of years ago when the Astros had a collapse against the Mariners and Click made a trade the next day. This team needs help NOW. The pitching is falling apart.
https://theathletic.com/4694055/2023/07/16/framber-valdez-injury-scare-astros-lose/ …Saturday exposed everything wrong with a thin roster, inexperienced bench, taxed bullpen and beaten-up starting rotation. Depth is dwindling near nonexistence — and the trade deadline is still 2 1/2 weeks away. …Debate will rage about whether Baker could have exercised caution and removed Valdez after the offensive outburst. Houston had a 9-3 lead and nine outs to secure. That the team forced Valdez to skip World Baseball Classic and the All-Star Game epitomizes the extreme measures it is taking to ensure he stays healthy. Losing Lance McCullers Jr, Luis Garcia and José Urquidy to injuries only heightens their vigilance. …The four leverage relievers in his bullpen are already overtaxed after absorbing an unsustainable workload in the first half. Bryan Abreu, Phil Maton, Hector Neris and Ryan Pressly all have at least 40 appearances this season. Each of those leverage relievers threw during Friday’s win. Sunday’s starter, Cristian Javier, hasn’t finished five innings since June 15 and has a 7.48 ERA across his past six starts. Yet, Stanek’s inability to throw strikes or seize control of a four-run game forced Baker to again call upon his leverage relievers. For as dominant as all have been, a four-man bullpen isn’t sustainable for a team that fancies itself a World Series contender. Using them at the rate Baker and Miller are is a recipe for disaster — a fact Brown must understand after Saturday.
Bryan Abreu leads the AL in appearances with 45. I agree....I don't think Ohtani could save the Astros in 2023.
What a weird game. Everything that could go wrong did. Hunter Renfroe walks on strike 3 that would have ended the 2nd inning, then a single and Rengifo hits a 3 run HR that's only HR in 10 of 30 ballparks. After a very lengthy 6th inning that included 8 hitters going to the plate and a pitching change where the Astros took a 6 run lead, Dusty elects to send Framber back out for the 7th. He clearly isn't right or comfortable walking the 1st batter on 3 pitches nowhere close and a pitch clock violation. 2 batters later he gives up another HR. Stanek is awful. After finishing off Ohtani he walks a batter, then gives up 2 singles that each had a 97% chance of being hits. GET HIM OUT OF THERE Stanek is not a leverage reliever and that put the tying run at the plate. Sure enough- a HR ties it. In the 9th. Ohtani's HR only goes out of 10 stadiums. Then Pressly gives up 3 singles that only had 40, 45, and 63% chance of being hits loading the bases. A run scores on passed ball. After a ground out and with 1B empty, Dusty chooses not to walk Renfroe setting up a force and double play- he hits the tying dingle. If any of those plays end up differently, the Astros win in regulation. In the 10th, Kessinger throws away a sure double play ball allowing the winning run to score. That's baseball. It's like the baseball gods were giving this game to the Angels no matter what. It's only 1 loss like any of the other 42. Win today and all is in the rear view mirror and forgotten.
I can't believe Kessinger's postgame trash comment!!!! Holy @#$@, basically said something like we will fight again tomorrow. At least Abreu have said I let my teammates, or team down. No one was rushing at him toward 2nd..... HE BLEW A LAYUP!!!! Correa would make that throw with eyes closed.
“I was ready, loose. Just didn’t make the throw,” said Kessinger, who received encouragement in the postgame clubhouse from Dubón, bench coach Joe Espada and first-base coach Omar López. “Just it happens and tomorrow is a new day. We have to go back to work, that’s all we can do.”
The Astros still have a path to a championship. This team has 7 players who need to be replaced on this roster. Yordan, Altuve, and Urquidy return healthy ASAP. That send Madris, Hensley or Kessinger, and Kuhnel back to AAA. Trade for a RP who can throw strikes and get outs (preferably with control beyond this year). DFA Stanek who is a pending FA and simply can't throw strikes or be counted on to get outs. Trade for a SP that is a clear top 4 rotation piece who can make a playoff start. Send Bielak to AAA and move France or Urquidy to a multi inning weapon who can help save innings on the leverage guys arms. Trade for a LH bat or hitter who hits LHP well. Send the other of Hensley or Kessinger back to AAA. Make catcher a strict platoon where Diaz starts vs RHP and Maldy starts vs LHP. Once Altuve is back, give Bregman and Pena frequent days off vs LHSP and start Dubon to get his bat in the lineup. He should always sit vs RHP though when all starters are healthy. It's only 3 games. The Astros still have the easier schedule and 6 games head to head. Entering turn 3. It's time to start the finishing Kick and walk them down !!
Astros have consistently been the most injured team in baseball and their manager consistently doesn't help much. Rangers are the opposite on both fronts.
