Yankees: 8-7 Dodgers: 6-9 Cubs: 7-7 Nats: 8-9 Astros: 10-7 Oh well, I'm guessing they all should/could/will play better. eta: and yes, I am as frustrated as anybody else about watching crappy baseball offense.
Everyone's also gunning for you and more likely to bring their A Game. Opponents are going to have extra adrenaline trying to take down the WS Champs. This will especially be true when we play NYY and LAD later this year who we delivered heartbreak to in 17. So you have to elevate your game... Let's hope this turns around starting tonight!
Yeah and maybe a little bit of a hangover too. Everyone on the team claims they weren’t going to be complacent, but no one really knows every little thing they’re doing to prepare. I’m sure they are trying just as hard as ever and if not will be from here on out. I really do think other teams are adjusting to our style of hitting and it’s up to our guys to adjust as well.
I agree, the WS hangover is real and they will come back to life. I think what is also frustrating is how we didn't really address our needs in the off season. DH, LF, and the bullpen (mainly a LHP) were our needs and still are. I was in favor of signing Tony Watson who was the last quality lefty to sign. He's got a 0.00 era and .90 whip in 6 appearances with the GIants and signed for 3 million a year. We still don't even have a lefty in the pen with Sipp on the "disabled list." Jake McGee was another lefty option but more pricey at 3 years 27 million. He's got a 2.25 era in 8 appearances and a .625 whip and that's pitching in Coors Fields half the time. Then you look at hitters and Melky Cabrera who hit .285, 17 hrs, 85 RBIs is still unsigned... He would look pretty good in LF considering what we are getting from Fisher, Marisnick, and Marwin.
Nah, it was always there. It's just something that I wouldn't prefer in someone I cheered for. Doesn't mean I hate him for it either.
While I wasn't totally happy with the off-season (ecstatic about Cole, but unimpressed by the other moves), I think Luhnow and Co took a very measured and reasonable approach to addressing those "needs". -There's pretty much zero reason to expect that over the full season Evan Gattis won't be an upgrade over Beltran. Even with Gattis struggling now, he's going to get better; there's plenty of data to suggest that. -For LF, there's a ton of upside for the organization to see if Fisher is an everyday player. They badly need a cheap every day player to balance out the increasing money paid out to the Core. -Bullpen: they actually spent a fair amount on Joe Smith and Hector Rondon. I consider the bullpen upgraded from last year. Especially with Peacock and McHugh taking 2/7 spots, they definitely shored up weak spots (other than Tony Sipp/LHPs). The only move in hindsight I absolutely think they should have made would be going after Tony Watson if his price to the Astros was truly in that $3m range. Even then that would leave the team paying $9m total for their one lefty reliever (assuming they cut Sipp afterwards). What I think Luhnow intentionally did was roll the dice on internal options knowing that the market for bat-only DH and LF's is super shitty right now. So if he wants/needs to acquire one at the deadline, it's not going to cost much. That's smarter than just throwing an extra $8m at Carlos Gonzalez. And at least offensively, the buck stops with the Core 4: Springer, Bregman, Altuve, Correa. If all four of those guys are hitting, that's more than enough to carry the team offensively given the quality of our starting pitching. It doubly stings that Marisnick, Gattis and Fisher are struggling but I'm not gonna blame the 7-9 spots for the offensive troubles.
Altuve playing his 1000th game as an Astro tonight. He has 362 career multi-hit games - 7th in team history.
I dont think so. But he is making guys rethink what they are doing at the plate by moving them around a bit. A psychological tool if nothing else to get guys to snap out of whatever groove they were falling into. A change in perception is often a good thing when you have been struggling.
Lulz. "Panic" **** don't work for 10 days, manager tries something different for 1 game, and it's "panic". Love it.
LOL @ multiple posters -- the usual suspects -- crucifying a fellow poster for wanting to move Springer from leadoff, then acting like nothing happened. Hypocrisy at it's finest. Post more
