Here we are again. On the one hand, we should feel good as Houston Astros fans that we are currently 8.5 games ahead of any other team in out division.
On the other hand, I do not believe any Astros fan is going to try to tell you this team is playing good baseball, because we're not.
I honestly do not know the root cause, I just know we've been underperforming on offense all season, especially in the dreaded at-bats w/RISP!
Now, suddenly, our defense has begun to falter. This is actually much more troubling to me.
The comforting thing for fans is Dusty not going to alter his lineup. Not yet, anyway.
So where does that leave us as fans? All we can really do as fans is be fans. I know, I suck at it. I have multiple opinions about everything. I'm convinced to a moral certainty if Dusty would simply move Bregman and Gurriel down to the bottom of the order with Maldy that would have a magical effect on production, I know in my heart the problem is running deeper this time. Gurriel suddenly got old. Bregman has been a mere shadow of himself in 2019. Yeah, it's actually been a while.
And what Maldonado and Castro are not doing at the plate is borderline criminal.
What do I want? Simple, I want a major upgrade at catcher. I want Willson Contreras. I'm not worried about CF. If Dusty would revert giving the lion's share of PT back to Chas McCormick that would be immediate improvement, and I could live with waiting for Jake Meyers to come around. Sorry, but I can't tell that Mauricio Dubon brings anything to this team, and while Siri is a fabulous defensive outfielder, he's a wet noodle at the plate.
We've just got to get better than what we're not getting from Maldonado, Castro, Siri and Dubon. I just want Bregman and Gurriel's spots in the lineup adjusted. I want those 4 guy relegated to occasional substitution duty.
Contreras would actually be affordable this season. It's whether or not we want to sign him beyond that makes it more of an open-ended question.
After all that, all I really want James Click to do is go get Willson Contreras. If he can get us a LHRP and maybe another arm, that would be okay too.
I want Dusty to put his big boy pants on and do some of that stuff managers have to do sometimes, tell a couple of their players (Bregman and Gurriel) whatever they doing isn't working.
In Bregman's case, I think he's become so enamored with hitting home runs he has sold out his swing to hit inside pitches to the LF line. He's simply not going to get back to being Bregman if he doesn't change is approach. At some point being the guy who walks a lot isn't enough. Thing is, Bregs is a gold glove caliber 3B, he could be that dude again if he would get someone to help him change is approach at the plate.
I'm still in his and Gurriel's corner btw, where's I've gotten off the bus is at catcher.
Pitching matchups for the series:
Today, 7:00 pm, Arlington
Cristian Javier, RHP, 3-3, 3.22, 56 strikeouts
vs
Taylor Hearn, 4-4, 5.40, 47 strikeouts
Tuesday, 7:00 pm, Arlington
Jose Urquidy, RHP, 5-3, 5.04, 43 strikeouts
vs
Dane Dunning, RHP, 1-4, 4.41, 64 strikeouts
Wednesday, 1;00 pm,
Luis Garcia, RHP, 3-5, 3.60, 60 strikeouts
vs
TBA
Of course, like clockwork, Dusty sends Mauricio Dubon back in CF. Honestly, there is no justification that that move at all.
As always, go Astros!
On the other hand, I do not believe any Astros fan is going to try to tell you this team is playing good baseball, because we're not.
I honestly do not know the root cause, I just know we've been underperforming on offense all season, especially in the dreaded at-bats w/RISP!
Now, suddenly, our defense has begun to falter. This is actually much more troubling to me.
The comforting thing for fans is Dusty not going to alter his lineup. Not yet, anyway.
So where does that leave us as fans? All we can really do as fans is be fans. I know, I suck at it. I have multiple opinions about everything. I'm convinced to a moral certainty if Dusty would simply move Bregman and Gurriel down to the bottom of the order with Maldy that would have a magical effect on production, I know in my heart the problem is running deeper this time. Gurriel suddenly got old. Bregman has been a mere shadow of himself in 2019. Yeah, it's actually been a while.
And what Maldonado and Castro are not doing at the plate is borderline criminal.
What do I want? Simple, I want a major upgrade at catcher. I want Willson Contreras. I'm not worried about CF. If Dusty would revert giving the lion's share of PT back to Chas McCormick that would be immediate improvement, and I could live with waiting for Jake Meyers to come around. Sorry, but I can't tell that Mauricio Dubon brings anything to this team, and while Siri is a fabulous defensive outfielder, he's a wet noodle at the plate.
We've just got to get better than what we're not getting from Maldonado, Castro, Siri and Dubon. I just want Bregman and Gurriel's spots in the lineup adjusted. I want those 4 guy relegated to occasional substitution duty.
Contreras would actually be affordable this season. It's whether or not we want to sign him beyond that makes it more of an open-ended question.
After all that, all I really want James Click to do is go get Willson Contreras. If he can get us a LHRP and maybe another arm, that would be okay too.
I want Dusty to put his big boy pants on and do some of that stuff managers have to do sometimes, tell a couple of their players (Bregman and Gurriel) whatever they doing isn't working.
In Bregman's case, I think he's become so enamored with hitting home runs he has sold out his swing to hit inside pitches to the LF line. He's simply not going to get back to being Bregman if he doesn't change is approach. At some point being the guy who walks a lot isn't enough. Thing is, Bregs is a gold glove caliber 3B, he could be that dude again if he would get someone to help him change is approach at the plate.
I'm still in his and Gurriel's corner btw, where's I've gotten off the bus is at catcher.
Pitching matchups for the series:
Today, 7:00 pm, Arlington
Cristian Javier, RHP, 3-3, 3.22, 56 strikeouts
vs
Taylor Hearn, 4-4, 5.40, 47 strikeouts
Tuesday, 7:00 pm, Arlington
Jose Urquidy, RHP, 5-3, 5.04, 43 strikeouts
vs
Dane Dunning, RHP, 1-4, 4.41, 64 strikeouts
Wednesday, 1;00 pm,
Luis Garcia, RHP, 3-5, 3.60, 60 strikeouts
vs
TBA
Of course, like clockwork, Dusty sends Mauricio Dubon back in CF. Honestly, there is no justification that that move at all.
As always, go Astros!
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