After the first walk-off home run of the season, the Astros have a better record now (31-37) than any other season after 68 games since 2010. If they aren’t careful, they could be approaching .500 at the halfway point of the season.
Here are some thoughts as the weekend gets underway. Feel free to join in and add your comments and complete the sentences.
Too bad…
- George Springer and Jon Singleton didn’t start the season in Houston. What a rookie of the year race that would have been!
- Jeff Luhnow didn’t fire Bo Porter when he had the chance. Now, he’s stuck with him for the season (yes, sarcasm intended).
- Lucas Harrell hasn’t been called up to pitch for the Diamondbacks while they’re playing the Astros.
- Chris Carter is only good for the long ball. Otherwise, he’d be the consummate DH for Houston. Can you say Dave Kingman?
- The Astros didn’t sign Jose Abreu in the off season! Imagine what a Springer-Singleton-Abreu middle of the order might have looked like.
If you would have told me…
- Six weeks ago that we’d be talking about .500 and possibly buying at the break, I’d have asked you to step slowly away from the Koolaid pitcher.
- Dallas Keuchel would be the staff ace by mid-June, it wouldn’t have totally surprised me. But if you’d said he’d also be on pace for 20 wins, now that’s a different story.
- A month ago that Keuchel, Springer or Chad Qualls might be All Star candidates, I’d have scoffed and walked away.
If there’s one thing I’d like to see, it’s…
- A Springer-Dexter Fowler–Preston Tucker outfield next month. With Domingo Santana at DH.
- The Astros on TV!
- Carlos Correa in Corpus Christi.
- Trade rumors swirling about the Astros and it not be about selling off veterans, but upgrading the major league team!
- One more of the future stars tied up for 3-5 years. Matt Dominguez? Springer? Jason Castro?
- Stay the add-a-player-a-month course. Who’s next? Michael Foltynewicz? Austin Wates?
I know it’s a pipe dream, but…
- Could the Astros actually be contenders to acquire major piece a la David Price or Adrian Beltre at the deadline? Nah.
- Is it possible the Astros could live up to Jim Crane’s prediction and finish over .500 this season?
- What are the chances the Astros reach 2 million in attendance?
- Might Houston once again become a baseball town before the Texans find their way again?
- Could this winter be the winter that the Astros are looking for that one player to get them to and over the top?
ALL THINGS ASTROS 
52 responses to “Random Astros’ thoughts and sentence fragments”
just asked this on the last post . any word on altuve?
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negative x-rays. but may not play fri
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One quick note: Houston pitchers have walked only *one* batter in the last two games, none on Thursday. That’s huge! You can a lot of games with those kind of stats.
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Chris Carter hitting consequential homers?!?!?! I’ll have my crow fried please. This is a game we tried so hard to lose and won in spite of ourselves. Other than the Qualls BS the bullpen did a pretty nice job tonight. I think Crane may have been clairvoyant but the momentum may shift appreciably if Altuve ends up on the DL.
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Not only that but Carter’s first walkoff dinger as an Astro comes courtesy of Becky returning. This was a game that the old Astros and the new Diamondbacks lose. I feel their pain!
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Wow how fun is this 14-5 in the last 19. So awesome to see how much fun this team is having right now, Are you kidding me Carter!! Are you kidding me on last couple games springer and fowler catches.. Not to mention 33,000 on a Thursday night , dollar dog or not ,sweet I don’t know what moves we will ,or wont make, , today.im just loving it.,Ok maybe Tucker in left.
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Yes! Those plays in the outfield can’t be overlooked. I believe the second, diving catch that then turned into a DP was in the 8th inning. If that ball fall, Qualms doesn’t even get a chance to blow the save as it would have been a tie game.
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-Exactly! Too bad Springlerton didn’t start the year in Houston. Things would have happened sooner.
-If you would have told me a month ago that someone named Tony Sipp would have saved our tails I would have laughed. Jeff, please help our bullpen, we’re in a race here.
-If there is one thing I’d like to see, It’s Mike Foltynewicz dominate at AAA and force his way onto this team this year and just blow us away with his stuff.
– I know this is asking a lot, but could somebody wake up Matt Dominguez? Maybe the same person who woke up Chris Carter?
-I know it’s a pipe dream, but can the Astros finish ahead of the Rangers in the AL West?
– If Altuve is hurt, who comes in and fills his spot on the roster and at the top of the lineup?
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I know I’m a minority here but Domingo what a horrible game last night and he as pretty much stunk up the last week -ten days. I keep saying what you see is what you get, for every good game or two at the plate next 10 stink. I know it could be worse yada yada but Ruiz in 2016. In the mean time TY baseball gods on Altuve.
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kevin, you have to look at it all in context. Santana hasn’t had *any* protection in the “last week-ten days” (without Springer and Singleton)! Last night, for example, Krauss was hitting behind him! So it’s likely he’s not seeing a lot of great pitches. Now, that said, he has to learn — and will, I assume — to be more selective. That should — *should* — actually make him a better hitter long term, though a young player can easily become frustrated with it at first. He’s only 21, so all in all, he’s looking pretty good to be this close to major league readiness. IMO.
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Chip I love Santa I meant our slumping 3 sacker, sorry for the confusion.
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Ruiz is looking more and more like a solid prospect. His .393 OBP is his best stat. But his .830 OPS as a corner infielder in a hitters league is unremarkable. By contrast, Santana, just a year older and two big levels above Ruiz, has more than held his own against much tougher pitching and posted an .833 OPS.
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Looks like Altuve is going to be OK. I had flashes of Jeff Bagwell going through my mind but looks like we dodged a bullet. What does concern me is that we have zero reserve middle infielders on the 40 man if Marwin had to be thrust into extended playing time to cover someone going on the DL. Not sure who that piece would be. Guzman could fill in at third perhaps but we look pretty thin up the middle.
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Thoughts
– I would put Santana in the OF and Tucker at DH but small quibble.
– Amazing that all of a sudden Carter has more clutch HRs than in the last season or so it seems.
– I was more upset with the lack of situational hitting with the bases loaded twice than Qualls giving up one bad pitch after a month of good ones.
– This young team after expecting to lose as late as the end of April – now expects to win.
– The solid starting pitching is the base of everything to me – when your SPs give you a good base it gives you a shot and they are taking and making that shot most of the time.
– Could this resurgence finally give the team some leverage in the broadcast negotiations?
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Sounds good, but I’d make Tucker the DH and put Santana in the outfield. Unfortunately, Carter will keep the DH job hitting even while hitting .200 as long as he’s leading the club in dingers.
I would not tie up Castro for three to five years. The best thing we can say about his season to date is that has not been on the DL. It’s telling when last years All Star sits against lefty pitching.
Grossman will stay in left for now unless he tanks. So no Wates. If we get a starter to the DL, then Foltynewicz should get his shot, but Tropeano has made a pretty good argument for himself.
And yes, this team could prove Crane right by going .500. It all centers around the starting pitching, and that’s a much easier job when the top of the lineup consistently gets out to an early lead. And as oldpro said yesterday, get a top pen guy from a team that is selling. It’ll take the loss of a couple of high end prospects, but at this point we’re about ready to absorb that loss.
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Yikes Dan, we must have posted our intelligent posts at about the same time.
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Sure thinking the same at the same time….
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If we could get Beltre at 3rd, I would jump on that and then 2 years Ruiz awesome. I know that would cost us a couple young studs, but wow what a first 6 in the batting order WILD CARD
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I have no idea on his glove but in 14 games since Duffy was promoted to OKC his bat is starting to heat up like it was at CC, and he has hit 6 homers in 14 games.
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If Altuve went down the safe play would be to bring up Petit who is older and experienced. Torreyes has been solid but only 21. Duffy who Kevin talks about has played 2nd before and could be a thought.
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I’d bring Hernandez up. Looks like Duffy has made one appearance at second in his minor league career. They’d have to hit it right a him. And at 6’3″ and 230 or so, he might be a bit challenged when trying to turn two, assuming he could make it to the bag on time.
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Big problem with Petit or Torreyes is neither is on the 40 man so if you had to call either of them up someone else has to go. The roster is currently full plus Crain on the 60 day DL.
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Folty is ready, but he might just have to wait for awhile longer……..no one seems to be pitching himself out of the rotation yet! Luhnow might be plotting another trade soon, anybody have bet’s on Guzman getting traded along with Grossman? I wouldn’t be surprised with another trade soon. Besides, I’d like to see what Wates has to offer…..and Grossman is blocking him.
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I’m in. I see the Clemens, Owens, Zeid swap a thon back again LOL
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I don’t think they’ll swap Thon until he recovers from his injury. Man, I miss that guy!
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I think we need Villar to grow a Dickie Thon mustache.
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Yes Becky, I think the roster will look a bit different by the time you get back from your ride on the Orient Express.
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lol i wanna be becky’s travel agent
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I’d be shocked to see anyone step up to the plate for Guzman. He has about 25% the value (IMO) of Brett Wallace…who was not traded but released.
Grossman would interest someone, but I don’t yet see the value in moving him. The return probably is lower than you would want without moving legit prospects too.
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Hey, Roy O started in the bullpen until he got his shot. I’m not opposed to Folty starting there. Most starters aren’t going real, real deep into games most of the time, so there are plenty of innings and I’m as good with Folty pitching in the eighth or ninth to get his feet wet.
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If Folty buys into it, I’d do it tomorrow.
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Carter hitting at home and getting cheered by the fans at home is BIG!
Ironic that Altuve gets hurt after sitting out his first game of the year.
Can the Astros bomb the Rays the way they have bombed us the last 3 years?
Duffy makes Dominguez look like Fowler when it comes to bases on balls. He absolutely won’t take pitches. He has power but not this kind of power. What will major league pitchers do with a guy who has 8 BB in 265 plate appearances, mostly in AA? Maybe I’m way off here but pitchers in the majors are going to throw him their pitches only until he learns to lay off. Pitchers will have the info on him and will know what he can’t hit, and they will hit those spots.
I’m just sayin’!
Nice crowd last night. Are the Astros back in business?
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Be fun to see what Duffy can do this year at OKC ,big kid has to be more athletic than Matt D, Long term It’s Ruiz.(-: . Dicki Thon what a career he could have had, Bummer
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Kevin, it’s pretty obvious by now that you’ve pegged Ruiz as the second coming. I hope you are right. And you’ve made it very clear that Dominguez is not your guy either. But Duffy is in no way more athletic than Dominguez. He’s slow like Dominguez, and is not nearly as talented defensively. Can he put up better offensive stats? Maybe, but let’s see what he does in OKC for a few months before we replace Dominguez with a lesser glove.
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Villar has got to be sent down. He is costing this team almost every game he plays.
I could excuse an error here and there, but the kid is a liability at short stop. PLUS…
he can’t hit the ball. Argue all you want but this kid has GOT to get his head in the game like………YESTERDAY.
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I think he does have a hard time maintaining concentration. He started off really well but as the season has worn on he’s worn down mentally. The problem with sending him down is that there is no ready replacement. We have NO reserve middle infielders on the 40 man roster which is presently full and really is at 41 since Crain is on the 60 day DL. Someone will have to be traded/DFA to make room for him. I think the best therapy for Villar would be a nice two on one session with Listach and Altuve. Bear in mind that as recently as last season Altuve was guilty of mental lapses almost as much as Villar. Villar is our place holder for better or worse. Hurry Carlos!
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Well when Altuve comes back you could start Marwin and sit Villar for a while.
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I forgot to mention that he seems to have forgotten how to bunt for hits. That would be one way to at least put the ball in play and pressure the defense.
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Oops. Posted this in the wrong spot. Here we go again.
After the game a few nights ago, Porter was talking about how if Carter starts hitting it “lengthens” the lineup. In other words, here’s another hitter opposing pitchers must fear. It starts to wear on the opposition mentally as well as in a challenge sense.
Anyway, it’s amazing how quickly our lineup can be shortened. Springer Ks every time up. Fowler doesn’t get on base. Altuve is out with a hurt hand.
As good as we’ve been playing, we’re just an injury and some bad swings away from 2013.
It was one game. But boy I’d hate to lose a series to the Rays
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just a thought, but if a pitcher commits an error, those runs should be earned.
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No! You have to separate pitching stats from fielding stats completely. It does not matter if the pitcher commits the error, the run or runs are still unearned.
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Don’t look now, but Astros have a better record that Boston, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Chicago, NY Mets, San Diego and Arizona. May not get a pick next until the end of the first round.
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Reads better to correct to “next year”
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Today presents an interesting challenge. Tampa Bay’s ace, David Price, against our #5, Brad Peacock. That is the way things fall sometimes but a win with that matchup would be a big boost for this team. Hope the Astros bring their bats and their regular 2B for this contest.
Price is going to come right at them so our ball club needs to go to war. Haven’t lost a series in quite a while. Father’s Day crowd with an excited fan base, I would really love to see them claw their way to a win.
Go ‘Stros!
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Time for Peacock to step up.
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Actually, Peacock has done a pretty serviceable job since joining the rotation. As a starter, he’s just under a 4 ERA, which is not bad for a 5th starter. He’s kept them in games.
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Talk about full circle……..the Astros just signed Jose Veras to a minor league contract. See……..you can have your cake and eat it TOO!! I don’t see him as our closer, but another arm in the bull pen……..or maybe just a cheap pick up.
Yes, Peacock needs to step it up today, but so do the other guys who can hit it outta the park!
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A very happy Father’s day to all you good dad’s on this blog…….and Chip tell your Dad we all send our best! There are a lot of us who no longer have our Father’s with us, and for all of you who have lost your Father’s I hope you will thank The Lord for the gift of your loving Dad’s…….I know I do!!
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I don’t think the Astros were well managed today. That game was ours for the taking and our manager conceded the game before it started. I am disappointed. That is no way to end a homestand. Three of our starters not playing against David price.
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Peacock struggled, but at 91 pitches, I would have sent him out in the fifth. He fought. If Altuve was available to pinch hit, I’m sure he would have preferred to start. I’m still scratching my head over the Sipp business. I think sometimes our manager thinks he’s smarter than he really is.
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Yikes, another golden sombrero for Springer. He’ll be glad to see the Tampa staff board their charter jet.
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It might be time to let Jerome Williams find another home. I cringe every time the guy goes to the mound. Yeah………and I think Bo Porter was trying to show Maddon
he could manage too, only he didn’t. Man, would I love to have Price in our rotation.
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