With the astros finally putting some runs on the board, and Phil Garner getting the lifeless crew to show some emotion, do you feel the Astros have a legit chance at the wild card?
I pretty much don't care about this year's standings anymore... I'm just happy to see them finally put SOMETHING together. This is definitely the "hottest" stretch this team has gone thru, since the beginning of the season (where it seemed like we'd experience an entire year of that sort of play). If anything, it has kept me optimistic of what a team next year could do, with a healthy Pettite and Miller, as well as possibly breaking all banks to somehow keep Beltran... which becomes more unlikely in terms of $$$... but his experience in winning with this club these last two months could go a long way towards him liking what he sees here, and wanting to be the "leader" of the Houston Astros for the next decade. He couldn't get that title anywhere else... and he's more than happy with feasting on this NL pitching, and running on these NL catchers.
The next 14 games are all against Cincinnati or Pitsburgh. Anything less than 12-2 and the odds will be pretty damn slim, considering we finish with 9 games against St. Louis and SF.
i dont think stl would play their starters in the last series of the season, were gonna be playin a bunch of scrubs, i hope at least
Actually, you may be able to bank on that... especially if it meant that the Astros could keep the Cubs out of the post-season. That's how much the Cubs and Cards hate each other... that's exactly what LaRussa would do to avoid the possibility of facing their pitching staff in the playoffs. (although, w/ the way the Astros handled them this weekend... the Cards offense could very much take care of themselves). But, before we get to that point... we have to somehow win games that Pete Munro and Brandon Backe are starting. Backe may have just had an off day against a great Cubs lineup last time out (I have faith w/ his stuff against the lineups of the Pittsburghs and Milwaukees of the league)... but w/Munro, you pretty much know that he will be average, and possibly awful. Also, will our new bullpen be better than the old? Qualls, Springer, Wheeler, Miceli (when he gets back) to Lidge... its better, but we really don't know how it will hold up.
If this team can some how win 83- 85 games this year after everything they went through I would be very happy with that. Many thought this team would finish under .500 It may be tough to catch the Cubs/Padres but it will be nice to finish up the season strong.
While the Astros are tearing it up right now, the numbers just don't add up for them. I said it a month ago, and I'll say it again - if they were behind only the Cubs, I'd give them an even money chance of making the playoffs. However, as it stands, Houston would have to pass Florida, San Diego, San Fran, and Chicago. I think I read somewhere recently that the largest deficit on September 1 that's been made up by a wild-card winner since its inception is 2.5 games.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2767950 Scrap Iron knocks off all the rust By RICHARD JUSTICE Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle Maybe the least- important thing the Astros got this weekend was three victories. Maybe somewhere amid the late-inning tension and inside pitches and clutch hits, something even more significant happened. Maybe they became a team. Did you see what happened immediately after Cubs reliever Mike Remlinger beaned Lance Berkman in the eighth inning Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field? Jeff Kent ripped a single to left, and when he reached first base, turned toward Remlinger, stared and said something unprintable. That wasn't the end of it. An inning and a half later, new reliever Dan Wheeler retaliated for Carlos Beltran and Berkman getting hit by plunking Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee. The Astros had a seven-run lead at the time, and Wheeler was promptly ejected. No matter. With that one pitch, he sent a message that he wanted to be part of the team and that he intended to protect his teammates. Welcome aboard. It starts with the boss Some in baseball say such gestures mean nothing, that the good teams are the ones that produce in clutch situations. Sure, but along the way, there's a process of team building that has to happen. The New York Yankees have tons of talent, but look beyond the payroll and superstars to how they actually win games. They've come from behind 51 times this season. They've come from four or more runs down eight times. That resilience is an indication the Yankees have a heartbeat. Joe Torre is baseball's best manager because he has been able to convince a bunch of guys with large salaries and even larger egos to play as one. Phil Garner might have succeeded in giving the Astros a heartbeat. In the first half of the season when they were absolutely lifeless, a veteran National League scout pointed to the two dugouts during a game against the Rangers. On the Texas side, the young Rangers were on the top step rooting for one another and acting like kids. The Astros, meanwhile, were sitting back watching the action, maybe figuring they were too cool to cheer. This weekend in Chicago, the Astros made it to the top step. Television cameras caught Garner and his coaching staff screaming, pumping their fists and exchanging high-fives. By Sunday afternoon, even the players had caught on. Willing to show emotion In the 42 games Garner has managed the Astros, his players have seen him throw and kick various objects, scream at a variety of people and run up and down the dugout exchanging handshakes and offering congratulations. He's so emotional that he constantly reminds his coaching staff to help him keep track of game situations. As he said one night: "If he hits a home run, I'm going to be too busy celebrating." Nothing wrong with that. I once asked an NFL general manager why he considered Pittsburgh's Bill Cowher the league's best coach. "Because winning games is the most important thing in his life," the guy said, "and he has an ability to communicate that to his players. If you're around him very much, you're afraid not to care as much as he does." Garner has done more than that, too. He has made the Astros more aggressive on the bases, just as the coaches have been more aggressive in their instruction. Garner would be the first to tell you that cheering and being proactive wouldn't mean a thing if the players who were supposed to produce hadn't started producing. They finally have. Beltran is a monster in the No. 2 hole. He's stealing bases, driving in runs and keeping constant pressure on opposing pitchers. Maybe he finally has elevated the lineup the way the Astros thought he would when they made the trade for him in June. And Jeff Bagwell is once more Jeff Bagwell. He was 10-for-18 with two home runs and seven RBIs in the four Chicago games. He has vowed to rework his swing this winter to compensate for that bad shoulder, but this weekend he again looked like the guy headed for the Hall of Fame. Speaking of Bagwell, did you see that kid from the Lamar National Little League team who copied his stance and swing? Man, talk about a perfect imitation. If he'd had some ragged facial hair and a pair of pants that didn't fit, he might have passed for the real deal. Each time he came to bat, I imagined a few hundred people sitting down and writing letters to the editor urging Drayton McLane to show him the door. With Bagwell and Beltran hitting, a lineup that had been mostly Berkman and Kent is suddenly tough to pitch to. Carlos Hernandez has given the starting rotation depth, and general manager Gerry Hunsicker's tinkering has improved the bullpen. Now four games back in the wild-card race, the Astros will at least play important games in September. Beginning tonight in Cincinnati, they play 14 straight against teams with losing records. Of their final 32 games, 23 are against losing teams. Their situation is made more difficult by the fact they trail three teams in the standings. And despite winning 11 of 14, it could all be tem- porary. Nevertheless, they've given themselves a chance. A week ago, who would have thought that was even possible? richard.justice@chron.com
Go 'stros. But, do I prefer a run from the local baseball nine or a fine deal to complete the Rox roster? I'd take hardwood talent. I don't want to have to notice the 'stros 'til Independence day!
It will certainly be tough, but the Astros are essentially tied with Florida and are 3 losses behind SF. Since they play SF 3 more times, their "destiny", with respect to the Giants, is in their own hands. Chicago is still the problem. They have a 4 game lead and only have 6 games left against a team with a winning record (Florida).
That is all true, but Florida and San Diego have both been as hot as Houston recently (all three are 7-3 in their last 10). I'm not saying it's impossible, but there are a lot of things that have to go right for it to happen.
I'd believe if we were in second in the wild card and four games back, but we don't just have to pass the Cubs, we also have to beat out the Giants and the Padres. I think it's just too much to ask with 32 games left.
What I hope for the rest of the season: The continued re-surgence of Carlos Hernandez, so that he may be a definite option as a 5th starter next year (not just a possible option). The emergence of SOMEBODY out of this "new" bullpen, so that one of the main off-season priorities can be a little easier. Can Wheeler or Qualls continue to give quality appearences? Can Miceli's arm, now that it finally gets some time to rest, return to the level it was at throughout the first half of the season? Granted... Gallo, Bullinger, and Springer are not long term options, but maybe just one of them could stick next year as well. Possible increased playing time for Jason Lane, so that in case this team does not sign Beltran, he can be a viable option as a starter in the outfield next year. Anything else that happens over this stretch run is just gravy. If the Cubs and Marlins split their 6 games (while the Astros continue to roll), we'd essentially overtake or tie those two teams. Then, they have the Giants to contend with... and as somebody already mentioned, our final 3 games helps us control that destiny. The only team left then is the Padres... who probably are my favorites to win the wild card anyways (assuming that the flubs continue to play such idiotic baseball... squandering all their awesome talent by hitting guys near the head, and dropping fly balls in the outfield).
