In late July, I predicted by this time in August, it'd be clear as to whether the Astros' season was still alive, or in the gutter. Looks like I was wrong. Things are still unclear in Houston.
During the last 13 games, the Astros have played some important series that were crucial to the continuation of the team's season. The team lost eight of these games, and blew some games they easily could have one. The team was hit with injuries too, plenty of them.
With two months of baseball remaining, there's only one way the Astros can make a run at the playoffs. They'll have to outplay every one of their opponents. The team hasn't played to this form all season, so it's unclear as to whether they can no.
In 2004, they took off on the sort of run they will need to reproduce this year. Back then, they had only two good starting pitchers - Oswalt and Roger Clemens. They had to depend on the offense to win the other three starts in the rotation. This year, they might just have three dependable starters if Oswalt and Rodriguez can stay healthy and Bud Norris continues to pitch well. Brian Moehler is a 50-50 proposition every time out.
The 2004 run was aided largely by the explosive bats of Lance Berkman, Carlos Beltran, Jeff Kent and Jeff Bagwell. A lineup of Berkman, Carlos Lee, Miguel Tejada and Hunter Pence can go on a similar tear if they can just all hit at the same time and rediscover how to get a clutch RBI.
The trade deadline came and went without a deal. The August waiver trade period will likely end the same. But the Astros are still capable of making a run if the bats come alive in the clutch and they get better starting pitching.
The only reason I wouldn't give up on Houston just yet is simply for the fact that it seems they've pulled it together so many times at this point in the season. Their problem in 2009 is the depth of their division and they'll literally have to play their best baseball of the season, as they can't count on the crumbling of any of their foes.
There are still reasons to watch the Astros and not emotionally quit on them. But it is "put up or shut up" time. They need to get hot and it needs to start now.
During the last 13 games, the Astros have played some important series that were crucial to the continuation of the team's season. The team lost eight of these games, and blew some games they easily could have one. The team was hit with injuries too, plenty of them.
With two months of baseball remaining, there's only one way the Astros can make a run at the playoffs. They'll have to outplay every one of their opponents. The team hasn't played to this form all season, so it's unclear as to whether they can no.
In 2004, they took off on the sort of run they will need to reproduce this year. Back then, they had only two good starting pitchers - Oswalt and Roger Clemens. They had to depend on the offense to win the other three starts in the rotation. This year, they might just have three dependable starters if Oswalt and Rodriguez can stay healthy and Bud Norris continues to pitch well. Brian Moehler is a 50-50 proposition every time out.
The 2004 run was aided largely by the explosive bats of Lance Berkman, Carlos Beltran, Jeff Kent and Jeff Bagwell. A lineup of Berkman, Carlos Lee, Miguel Tejada and Hunter Pence can go on a similar tear if they can just all hit at the same time and rediscover how to get a clutch RBI.
The trade deadline came and went without a deal. The August waiver trade period will likely end the same. But the Astros are still capable of making a run if the bats come alive in the clutch and they get better starting pitching.
The only reason I wouldn't give up on Houston just yet is simply for the fact that it seems they've pulled it together so many times at this point in the season. Their problem in 2009 is the depth of their division and they'll literally have to play their best baseball of the season, as they can't count on the crumbling of any of their foes.
There are still reasons to watch the Astros and not emotionally quit on them. But it is "put up or shut up" time. They need to get hot and it needs to start now.
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