I forgot what tools Steve Berthiaume and Bob Brenly are. Giggling and congratulating Dodger fans on Vin Scully Blvd yelling at our buses, trash cans etc. and Joe Kelly’s “heroics”. What a couple douchebags Dodger fans KNOW we couldn’t use any system during WS home games but as Butt hurt as they are they have to hold onto something to stay in denial that they choked AT HOME in the WS.
I think we have to ask ourselves if we really want to see this sh_tshow in the playoffs. Are we going to be the only under .500 team to qualify?
I thought our offense would be able to make up for our pitching woes and all these rookies being thrown into the fire but it just doesn’t seem like we have it. Not sure what’s to blame but we’re running out of time to get it together.
Sorry but I’m watching the local AZ feed since I’m here. So now these fuucking clowns are saying we (Strom) mismanaged Rondon! LOL. Trying to get him to have too many pitches. He was just fine with his two pitches as a reliever! The saltiness is absurd
Yes I do. If they get their azzes handed to them so be it. They need a gut check. It “feels” like there is some “woe is us” going on. I could be wrong but just a gut feel now.
And despite looking better recently he's had a rough year. ERA currently 6.50, but was above 9 not too long ago this season IIRC.
It's something I'll have to take a better look at, but I've heard some say that Blake Taylor may eventually turn into a pitcher with reverse splits due to the way his pitches break. What is it with Astros pitchers and reverse splits? He still hasn't struck me as particularly better against left or right-handed hitters. Still, he's more than held his own this year, the question is, for him, and these other youngsters, how will the league adjust to them once there's MLB tape on them, and how will they adjust to those adjustments? Still nice to see all the youngsters get their feet wet and see how they're developing.
The Good: I loved watching Greinke deal and get strikeouts. Sadly he had one bad inning, but it wasn't the death blow. Springer had a good day. Wish at least the second of those errors was a hit. Altuve on base twice (double, walk) Tucker and Brantley had 2 hits each (including a clutch RBI double for the former) The Bad: Pen gave up three runs Bregman and Maldonado both 0-4 Gurriel and Reddick also 0-4, but they're in MUCH worse slumps The Ugly: Bases loaded, no outs in the first, and...... three consecutive strikeouts. At least a WP got one guy home, but still frustrating
Team just going through the motions? Woo! On the 18th day of September, the Astros manager had to defend his club’s effort. “We didn’t check out,” Baker said. “That’s the wrong choice of words. It might have looked like that, but there’s no way that that’s possible.” Flashes of Friday’s game challenge Baker’s assertion. The Astros struck out seven times. Six were looking. Baker attributed it to “backwards thinking” and guessing in two-strike counts. José Altuve did not appear to give full attention to Josh Rojas’ ground ball deep into the shift during the fifth. The baseball rolled under Altuve’s glove, which he lazily stuck out. Altuve did not dive for the ball, either — though it was a clear hit. In the eighth, Diamondbacks center fielder Daulton Varsho delivered a line drive to right fielder Josh Reddick. Reddick gathered it without much hustle. Varsho ran hard out of the batter’s box and stretched it to a double. Reddick’s throw arrived three steps too late. The frustrated outfielder yelled to himself afterward. The Diamondbacks dugout erupted in delight. Houston’s sat silent, a frequent sound for most of this miserable September. They’ve scored 27 runs in their last 11 games. In September, they’re averaging 3.7 runs per game. Asked if the team lacks energy, Springer responded “no.” “I think we just need to string together some innings,” Springer said. “We’ve left some guys on base a little bit and when you don’t get it done it is a little deflating, but again, it’s very hard to do. We just have to try to capitalize on our opportunities and see what happens.” https://www.houstonchronicle.com/te...er-Stuck-in-a-sluggish-September-15579728.php Life appears undetectable from the Astros, a team with sputtering superstars and few answers for this miserable month of baseball. Injuries are no longer an acceptable excuse. Neither is the quality of their opponents. Houston is playing pitiful teams and has a full complement of its most established hitters. The product remains putrid. For their final 13 games, the Astros were spoiled with the softest remaining schedule of any major league team. They continued to lose the luxury on Friday, falling 6-3 to the woeful Arizona Diamondbacks at Minute Maid Park. The Astros are again a game under .500 and 6-12 during September. The Diamondbacks are a disaster. They entered Friday with 21 losses in their previous 27 games. Their .678 OPS ranks 28th of 30 major league teams. They are starting pitchers on Saturday and Sunday with ERAs higher than 6.50. Prospects are plentiful in their lineup. Houston’s offense remained incompetent in clutch situations. It took 10 at-bats with runners in scoring position. Two ended in hits. Five ended in strikeouts. Houston struck out seven times on Thursday. Six were looking. “We didn’t check out,” manager Dusty Baker said. “That’s the wrong choice of words. It might have looked like that, but we didn’t check out.” “We’re in the big leagues,” third baseman Alex Bregman said. “This is the highest level of baseball in the world. We got to show up ready to play every single day and get after it, try to work hard.” https://www.houstonchronicle.com/te...ckluster-in-loss-to-Diamondbacks-15579616.php
Someone get Cheo or Casey Candaele to come rally the troops with a locker room rally dance. They seriously need to wake the F up. Maybe old man Verlander needs to come scream at them again?!
I may have said reverse splits...but being closer to even may be more appropriate. His pitches predominantly have good up and down movement that should play well against either side.
