80 wins may win this division, and it might not be the Astros.
Chas fracture in his right hand.
Very tough year for him.
Hated to see him struggle and hate that his season ended like that.
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Oh man, thatâs a bummer for Chas. And right when it looked like he was starting to put it together and get back to the old Chas.
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All season these guys havenât played like a potential championship team. Hell, they havenât even played like a contending team. Theyâve had a few good streaks but then regress back to crappy.
Being swept by the Reds sounded the death knell.
They were the best team in baseball in the middle of the season.
They just werenât the best Astros team weâve seen.
I do not know how any team could survive the injuries and inexperience they have had. We can still hold and win the weak division, but it is good night after that.
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Yep theyâve been crushed by injuries.
Just hold on and win the division. If they can do that, anything can happen in the postseason. I will never doubt these guys in the postseason, just gotta get there.
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Espada has been under criticism most of the season. Iâm not smart enough to know if most or any of it is justified. What I do know is that it is a major miracle that this team with all its setbacks is playing above .500 ball and leading the division. For my money, Espada is already manager of the decade.
Miller and Murphy are pitching coaches of the decade, thatâs for sure.
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He seems to have the same strengths and weaknesses as Dusty. Heâs not a very good game day tactical manager, but guys will run through walls for him.
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The Astrosâ starting pitching, defense and bullpen gives them a chance against anyone. The question is: will the offense be able to score enough runs?
Also, I seem to remember the same pessimism here last September and somehow the Astros made it within a game of the World Series. Iâm not counting them out until they are mathematically eliminated.
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Brent Strom has entered the chat and says how dare you forget about me. I taught Josh Miller and Bill Murphy the principles they are using today.
From June 1 to today, the Astros have gone 52-34. You donât have a .605 winning percentage over 86 games with just a few good streaks.
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Trying to hold all of this together for a whole season must be an unimaginable grind.
More and more they just look out of it. Detached. Like theyâre playing while drunk or stoned. I think theyâre just exhausted. Totally burnt out. Numb.
This is not a good baseball team, full stop. Not with the talent theyâve actually had available on the field instead of on paper. Actually impersonating a good team for as long as they did is one of the most remarkable achievements of the post-2014 era. These guys will always have my respect for this season, no matter how it ends.
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Yes, exactly. To put it in context, thatâs the third best record in MLB since June 1, ahead of the top four favorites to win the World Series (Dodgers, Phillies, Yankees, Orioles). But of course, the same rings true for the D-Backs and Mets who are the top 2 winning teams since June 1.
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The Astros are good in two of the three phases of the game: Pitching and defense. That makes them a good baseball team. Their offensive issues are what is holding them back from being a great or elite team.
There is only one team in the American League with a better starting rotation, and thatâs Seattle, though you could make an argument for Kansas City, too. The Astrosâ late-inning bullpen options of Hader-Pressly-Abreu-Neris-Scott are also among the best in baseball.
I donât know that Iâd say their defense is good. They have a great left side of the infield, and great range in CF when Meyers is there, but otherwise not very good.