Javier is fine, he's just not an every 5th day starter for an entire season. I for one would hate for the Astros to win about every game this week and management thinking we're good enough as is. It's games like this that motivate trades so something good will come of this.
It’s “cute” when your catcher hits .170 and your team is 17 games ahead in the standings. It’s a glaring **** stain when you’re in second place. plus his defense isn’t good anymore.
I know Madris scored a run in one of our comebacks and walked tonight but still, the definition of insanity is...
This game was extremely predictable. I have been saying it for weeks now - this team has a glaring weakness vs RHP. Tucker, Bregman, Chas, and Diaz are the only current players average or better vs RHP ( and Diaz was on the bench). wRC+ vs RHP , vs LHP = +/- % Kessinger 95 , 242 = (-147%) Pena 69 , 120 = (-51%) Tucker 127 , 182 = (-55%) Bregman 137 , 58 = +79% Abreu 79 , 76 = + 3% McCormick 131 , 189 = (-58%) Julks 94 , 87 = +7% Meyers 84, 121 = (-37%) Maldonado 38 , 72 = (-34%) Madris 57 , -100 = +157% Diaz 129 , 30 = +99% Dubon 69 , 133 = (-64%) Hensley -23 , 68 = (-91%) Getting Yordan and Altuve back will help, but that will still leave over half the roster, below average vs RHP. Outside of Maldy, Dusty started the right 9 guys. And Brown specifically brought Madris up to address this weakness vs RHP so I don't mind the PH move ( which actually got the tying run to the plate). I actually don't mind Maldy starting vs LHP, but until this is addressed, the Astros don't have enough firepower in the lineup to sit Diaz vs a RHSP or play Maldy. Maldy's wRC+ since June 1st is 2 vs RHP. The bigger picture is that this team is going to lose games because they can't score unless this weakness is addressed. 83% of the starting rotations among AL contenders is right handed.
"Then, as the Reds drifted, then nose-dived late in the year, Baker insisted there was no need for urgency."
Eyeballing it, playing Diaz at catcher would cause an above average offense against RHPs because the guys above average are much more above average than the should-be below average starters are below average.
Maybe the sum of the 9 spots is 900 or better, but still 5 of the 9 hitters will do less than an average MLB when going to the plate. Since (outside of homeruns that happen less than twice per game on average) it takes multiple good plate appearances to generate a run, the odds of scoring a run improve with multiple positives rather than a few stars and filling in with negative bats in the lineup. In short: 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 Is better than 80 140 140 80 80 80 140 80 80 Eventhough they both add up to 900.
I care about total runs. If 4 of 9 well above hitters hit so well they help the team score more runs than a team with 6 above average, but less so hitters, I'll take the 4 of 9.
Until this team gets help through healthy players coming back and a trade for additional help, the inconsistency will continue no matter who this team plays. The combination of a weaker roster this year and Dusty being Dusty has been a lot to overcome. The Rangers look like they can still be caught though (Seager and Garcia are now currently hurt) but expecting a deep Oct/Nov World Series run? I don't know. This roster right now is not good enough.
I wouldn't call wants going on now any kind of nosedive. They're doing a decent job of staying close to the Rangers and in a WC spot until 2 All Stars and a starting pitcher returns. Some different lineups could have lead to some wins but maybe a better lineup yesterday means they lose 4-3 instead of 4-1. They're 8-1 against the A's. The Rangers have lost a few games against them.
I agree that the current team has no chance. But it's still July. 1) the 3 (or 4) players coming back from injury could be a huge boon. 2) I fully expect reinforcements in the form of 1-3 significant trades. Brown knows what Crane wants, and knows what happened last year. 3) This team still has 15+ very high level and playoff tested players. The keys are: getting healthy, adding pitching depth, and upgrading the bottom of the roster.
Outside of a 5-13 stretch in June, the Stros have been pretty much consistent despite the injury setbacks.
