Astros’ six-game losing streak is officially no fun

We knew this, but it took Josh Reddick to make it official relative to the Astros’ current six-game losing streak. “It’s zero fun, I can tell you that,” Reddick said.

There you go. It was not just our imagination.

The Astros’ streak, which has included the last game of a successful homestand against the lowly Blue Jays, a road sweep at the hands of the mediocre Reds and the first two road games against the high flying Yankees has covered all the bases in the world of stink.

  • Do you want blowouts? 12-0 against Toronto will do.
  • Do you want close but no cigar? All three games against Cincinnati were 1 run losses.
  • Do you like blown saves leading to an opponent’s walk-off? In the last game against the Reds, closer Roberto Osuna took over a one-run lead, allowed a leadoff double, came back with two strikeouts and then allowed two singles with an error attached to the first to lose the game.
  • Do you want a bullpen meltdown? You have Cionel Perez letting the Blue Jays torch him for seven runs in a prolonged sixth inning.
  • Do you like the elements affecting the head of a starter? Here’s Framber Valdez pitching great through 3 innings in the opener against the Yanks and then allowing three homers and six runs in the rain during the fateful fourth.
  • Do you like bad offense? In all six games, the Astros did not score until the fourth at earliest and in four of them, they did not score until the sixth at earliest.
  • Do you like bad offense (part 2)? The Astros only scored 14 runs in the six games and if you drop the six they scored late in the already lost 10-6 opener against the Yanks, they only scored eight in five of the games.

This could go on and on. Luckily, the closest competitor to the Astros in the division, the Rangers, has only won 4 of their last 10 while the Astros have won 3 of their last 10.

The good news is that some of the cavalry is coming. Jose Altuve is back and had 3 hits and a walk in Friday night’s game. George Springer is playing at rehab and should be back next week. Collin McHugh and Joe Smith are both in rehab and if there are no setbacks (McHugh came out of Friday’s game as old pro pointed out after only a couple hitters for no reported reason) should be back soon. Carlos Correa and Aledmys Diaz are a little farther down the line. Oh, and a big piece of the cavalry is Yordan Alvarez, who has appeared with 9 runs scored, 5 HRs and 11 RBIs in only 10 games.

The Astros still have a 7.5 game lead in their division, but they have really been playing shaky during this losing streak. Can they turn it around quickly? The return of George Springer, who is the heart of the club and the key to the offense may tell us a lot.

So, is this just a little bump in the road or something more systemic to be concerned about?

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116 responses to “Astros’ six-game losing streak is officially no fun”

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  1. Right now I see the Astros battling it out with the Mariners for the cellar in the West. However, it will take 20+/- straight losses by the Astros (which is possible). And 20+/- straight wins by the Mariners (which has a chance of one in that sideways 8.)

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  2. I went and took a look at individual batting stats for the last seven games and it is depressing. Players with any kind of Batting average have no RBIs and players with RBIs have no batting average. Bregman’s slump is significant, but if you want to summarize it correctly, virtually the entire team is in a slump with the exception of Yordan Alvarez, and he is somehow still hitting despite seeing very few pitches in the strike zone.

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  3. The offense is the main culprit and the real stinker has been Alex Bregman who has failed to step up and lead. For all of his bravado and posturing his performance has been meh despite his overall good numbers. He is hitting a mere .222 with RISP for the season and .154 overall in his last seven games. I understand AJ wanting to get Jose back up and running but putting him in the 3 hole after a month off seems pie in the sky. He did have three hits yesterday but none were rockets. The only guys I have any sense of anticipation about when they come to the plate are Brantley and Alvarez. Time for Bregman to put up or shut up and for Reddick and Chirinos to chip in. Yuli doing something when it matters would be nice too. I hope we are not getting complacent because of our lead. It may not matter for the division but nothing less than home field advantage in the playoffs through the ALCS should be paramount and home field through the WS most desirable.

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  4. Baseball is one of those games where if you try harder, the game gets harder. But let’s face it, team slumps are great for the blogging business.

    I was looking at an Astro page on FB last night while Myles was looking at pitches. Some guy on there was redressing other bloggers for calling Tubby tubby. It was a proud moment, because I’m pretty sure I first affectionately gave my tubby nephew the name Tubby. I’ve even seen some of the Crawfish Box customers using the same moniker for him lately.

    But this slump business is tough. A week ago Hinch was golden, today he’s making wrong moves. Most of our 25 man roster has screwed up something or another lately. That tends to make a slump more efficient. Do you think someone might turn on Alvarez if he goes down looking to end the game again tonight?

    In the meantime, Luhnow is dutifully going about the business of making some acquisitions in the next few weeks and determining what guys he’ll no longer need around. I don’t think he’s worried. I hate that we picked a four game set against the Yankees to really fully establish this slump, but it’s actually a pretty good time to be slumping. We’re still 7.5 up.

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    • As to Straw, I could not believe he took 3 strikes and is yet to use his bat. I am not sure what he thought he was seeing, but it was not what was being pitched.

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      • 45, he actually took 4 strikes. The man in blue gave him one when he should have been punched out the first time. That’s why I was shocked he took yet another strike 3.

        Reddick swung at a bunch of balls that should have been ball 4, but the ump had given Britton a strike on a pitch way low that should have made the count 3-0. At that point, I really could not fault Reddick. He was not going to go down looking on yet another bad call by the ump.

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  6. I think we are seeing the down side to “launch angle.” Brantley has 90 hits to Bregman 70. But total bases, Bregman is within 3 So Bregman has a higher slugging percent and a much lower batting average. That pushes Bregman’s OPS to .923, second to only Springer on the team. And Bregman has 10 more home runs.

    And Altuve has only 39 hits for the season.

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  7. A runner on 2nd no out…..somebody had better bunt that guy over, or I’m going to throw a brick at my TV. Good luck fellas, PLEASE give Wade Miley some run support!!

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  8. The Yankees are definitely defensively inferior to the Astros, especially once we get our guys all back, but they are making plays right now that are killing us.

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  9. What the hell happened? I leave the room for a few with Yanks up, no outs and bases empty. Come back to bases loaded with no outs.

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  12. I called it. I called it. I called it! (To myself of course). This kid is special and Hinch can’t keep him out the lineup with hits like that

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  13. Alveraz is trying to give them a reason to be happy……but just like that we are back in a hole. Springer and Correa can’t get back here soon enough. 7 to 5😠
    I’m done…..so is this team.

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  16. Round Rock got beat 6-1 tonight in a 5 inning game shortened by rain.
    RR had only two hits, but the first one was a home run by Josh Rojas off of Craig Kimbrel.

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  18. I’m sure there was a closed to the media clubhouse tonight. How odd was this game tonight. Two errors on the same play was unbelievable, and watching Marisnick’S body language told you everything you need to know about how these guys are pressing. The Yankees aren’t a better team than these guys are. They were without their two big bats for a month too, and now that they have them back healthy they are playing very well. Until a few days ago when Altuve got back we were without *3* of our core 4. I think our missing piece is in Corpus, and when we get him back things are gonna be bleak. I hope like heck they can win Verlander’s game tomorrow, we know he will go out there and be lights out. He deserves to win his start tomorrow….the guys OWE it to him *big* time.

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  19. The CC Hooks won in 11 innings on a walkoff HR by Osvaldo Duarte. The Hooks were 2 for 16 w/ RISP with Duarte’s HR being the second of the two, only because in extra innings each team starts the inning with a runner put on second base. The Hooks had 8 hits and were walked 13 times, while Springfield had 6 hits and 1 walk.
    Springer was 1 for 3 with an RBI but they walked him 3 times. More importantly, he stole a base. Apparently he feels ready to go.
    The real hero for CC in this game was Brandon Bailey who pitched the final 5 innings giving up no runs on 1 hit and no walks.

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  20. Pressly now has 3 blown saves. Our bullpen won’t make it to September with all the use and plugging in AAA pitchers. Rondon continues to be Rondon. When Tyler White has a better WHIP than Corbin Martin, Brady Rogers, and Guduan – and he is tied with Cionel we can safety say “Call a guy up” is not working.

    Astros have gone from tied for fewest errors to 3rd fewest (31). But the Mariners continue to amaze – played 81 games and committed 82 errors.

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    • 45, we’ll likely have McHugh and Smith and a new guy off of the GM shopping list for the pen. And I’m pretty sure there is a starter on that list too. And with Yuli struggling almost as much as Tubby, defensively too, we might end up with a first baseman. I’ve never seen Taylor Jones play, but he has started 31 games at first on the season, without an error. It might not be until September, but we should see him at some point. Our club will look and play quite a bit different later in the summer.

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    • Bill, they really do have a bunch of hitters on that club. But we have not gotten to their pen early enough. They have weaknesses there. And they are not very athletic in the field. Most MLB defensive rankings have them close to league bottom. But they have made most all the plays so far this weekend. We’ll be a different club next time we meet them. This weekends exercise can only make Luhnow more aggressive in whatever acquisitions he’s got in mind. So maybe that’s one bright spot out of this slump business.

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  22. Wow!. Foltynewicz is still listed on the Braves’ depth chart as their #1 starter, but they are optioning him to AAA. He was an All-Star last year and finished 8th in the CY vote.
    Wow!

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  23. Peyton Battenfield(I misspelled his last name the other day), who made only one start in his three year career as a reliever at Oklahoma State, will make his first start for Tri City today. He made his first appearance in relief last week. He was drafted less than 3 weeks ago.

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  27. Is it just me or are my eyes playing tricks on me? High heat outside the zone. Those magnetic pitches have eaten Yuli’s lunch & it’s painful to watch him pop up time and again chases those pitches. More often than not guys either SO or pop up chases those pitches. Unless the ump is calling them for strikes, why bother swinging given the high rate of swings, misses & popups? Jake just proved my point.
    Don’t mean to nitpick but given our recent state of play it would be nice to see guys give themselves a better chance at making contact than simply giving away outs

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  31. We just can’t let the Bronx Bombers bomb their way back into contention. If there’s one thing those guys can do is hit HR’s. Glad Happ is being generous today.

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  32. 45, I’m a bit worried at this point. You called a 6 run lead for goodness sake. I wanted to poo-poo you on that but did not want to hurt your feelings. Problem is that everything is going so well right now. I’d feel much better up 9 zip.

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  38. Mr. Bill I won’t feel comfortable until this gm is over with the Stros in the lead. As we saw yesterday no lead is safe with Yanks given their penchant for HR’s. But I certainly hope this slump is officially over.
    During Hot Stove I thought it would be nice to pick up EE, Cruz, one of those heavy hitters. But the Stros had their man all along, YA. I know its still a small sample & he has yet to hit that proverbial wall but as much as I dote on this kid I sincerely believe he has the stuff to hit not only for power, but for avg as well. I can’t recall a young guy so cool at the plate.

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    • He just looks so composed – turns on pitches – goes the other way – goes back up the middle and he has a good eye too. Just fun to watch the first major leaguer with 7 HRs in first 12 games.

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  39. Who fired up the DeLorian? Felipe Paulino is now officially in the game, trying to close it out for Round Rock Express.

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  40. During Lunhow’s pregame interview on 790 he intimated that Tucker would be up well before September, that he was certain that Tucker’s 2nd try at MLB level would be “golden” and that he wanted to see what a Tucker/ Alvarez combo could do to this lineup.

    Tucker was pulled from today’s game in the 3rd inning. Springer is scheduled back for Tuesday so I’m not sure we will see Tucker unless Kemp is traded (unlikely) or Marisnick/ Reddick come down with some type of “mystery soreness” that gives them a 10 day rest (possible).

    Tucker by month:

    April .165/.211/.388 .599 OPS 5 HR
    May .333/.429/.741 1.169 OPS 11 HR
    June .351/.412/.757 1.169 OPS 7 HR

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  41. The Astros have several players who have what I call generational talent, the kind that only comes up once in a lifetime. Bregman, Alvarez looks like one already (look at what he’s done in the minors not just based on his poise he’s shown so far), and I have a feeling Seth Beer is going to be one of those too. I thought Altuve was going to be that guy too but injuries are starting to affect his ability. Correa has the talent but is so fragile that Kaz Matsui is shaking his head in shame

    I think Alvarez is going to end up being our Mike Trout, for what it’s worth.

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    • Billy, I think Alvarez has the ability to be a really good hitter. He will probably turn into a serviceable left fielder in the future. He has average speed for a big man and an average arm.

      Beer is a really good hitter and I think he will see time with the big club next year. I’ve seen him play a fair bit and I can tell you that he is the slowest and least athletic baseball player I think I have ever seen. Which is weird, because he looks like a guy that would be super athletic. Right now his defense is pretty poor, but I think he can become a serviceable first baseman. He will be a fence post on the corner with very limited range.

      Tucker has the ability to be every bit as good as Alvarez, albeit with a little less power. He has above average speed, above average arm, and average overall defense that may or may not get better.

      Toro could very well end up being as good or better than any of them.

      I’m excited about our young talent, but not ready to compare them to Mike Trout. Trout has an elite arm, elite speed, elite glove, elite range, elite average, elite power and pretty much any other thing about baseball you can think of.

      I think a better comparison is that Alvarez and Beer could possibly be our David Ortiz.

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      • I have given this some thought and decided the only place Beer would work with the Astros is at DH, probably no earlier than 2021. There is room for him there if 3 or four of the Astros RH hitting core players are here, namely Springer, Altuve, Bregman with Correa as a maybe.
        With the players the Astros have under contract I have thought that Toro’s place on this team in 2021 is 1B. I saw Alvarez in LF and Tucker in RF.
        The key to this whole deal, at least to me, is to get Springer or Correa to agree to an extension(that’s four “to” usages in one sentence). Too Many?
        It will be important to have a very good fourth outfielder so that the three starters could be rested and rotated at DH. I’m talking about a fourth outfielder who can actually hit and is out of our own system so that we have him for years at a good price.

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      • Actually I used “to” five times in that sentence and they all are needed. English=weird.

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      • Excellent points 1OP. I too feel that Beer is best served as a DH. Alvarez will probably get the bulk of DH at bats and fill in in left. Toro is a better 1B than either will ever be and adds versatility in being able to play 3B, and possibly 2B. I do however think Beer gets some ABs with the big boys next year (if not traded this year) to see how he hits and possibly build trade value.

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      • I picture Beer as DH and Yordan in left. Kyle Tucker will end up replacing Reddick in right if Springer ends up staying with us in center. Straw backup in cf and SS (another typical brilliant Astros move; he’s looked good there so far). I also think this will be Yuli’s last year as a starter. Utility guy next year and gone after work that. Toro at first. Yeah this is a deep team, one that dynasties are made of. We need to start developing pitchers though.

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      • Toro being as good or better than any of them? Meaning he could end up being a better hitter than Alvarez? I like Toro quite a bit. And he’s just 22 too! That’s why I’ve thought about the potential loss of Correa without great concern. Toro can get better at third. But if he ended up being a better bat than our new cleanup hitter, then that would totally blow me away. Alvarez will turn 22 this week. He looks like a 32 year old veteran in the box. And the thing is, he hits all kinds of pitches. I don’t know what his weakness will be at the plate. He’s one of the best we’ll ever see. Abraham has a chance to be pretty good. Guys like these make me feel good about the future. Now it’s time to see some of those arms step up.

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      • Daveb7, did not so Toro would be better hitter than Alvarez. I said he could end up being as good or better than several young Astros. I like bats, but somebody has to bring a glove. Toro could be a guy that brings both.

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  44. Not only is Tubby eating, but now his bat is starting to eat. I hope the bat gets bigger as fast as Tyler got bigger. He owes his second chance to injuries and he better not let this one slip away. I think the odds that he would clear waivers are getting lower by the game.

    I’m still not convinced he sticks when CC and Diaz get back. I just don’t think he makes this team better by being on the roster and I don’t see him taking ABs at DH away from Alvarez.

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    • If there is a trade to be made I see the possible candidates as White, Kemp, Straw, Beer, and a high prospect so as to get that “arm” that we’ll need. There’s going to be some logjams so there will be expendables that have been getting a lot of playing time during this stretch. We have a lot of guys who could be starters for other clubs so who knows. At least we will before the end of next month.
      On another note Keuchel’s line with the Braves the other night:
      5IP, 8H, 4R, 3ER, 1HR, 0W, 3K’s, 5.40 ERA, 1.60 WHIP. And he took the loss.

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  45. Alvarez has torn up the league and should have been up sooner. However, by delaying his service clock until after super 2 cutoff, the Astros gained 1 full year of control before he is eligible for arbitration. That single year of control could be worth upwards of $10M in arbitration dollars. Kind of seams unfair to the player but gives the teams more flexibility in spend.

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  46. Spent the day on the Island enjoying some good seafood, and we listened to the game with all of those GLORIOUS HOMERUNS!! When we went in to eat it was still 9-0. Verlander wouldn’t be himself if he didn’t give up a homerun…thank goodness the guys gave him some runs to work with! Every pitcher knows the first 10 wins are difficult to get to….but the next 10 will come faster. I love that we have Verlander for two more years, and what else can you say about Michael Brantley. Good game guys, now sleep late tomorrow and go to dinner with Springer!

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  48. Yordan has started off his MLB career in a good way. Projecting his start out to 162 games he would hit 95 HRs, knock in 216 runs and score 162 times.

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  49. Hoping that after the All-Star break the Astros lineup can look like:
    Springer CF
    Altuve 2B
    Bregman 3B
    Alvarez DH
    Correa SS
    Brantley LF
    Gurriel 1B
    Reddick RF
    Chirinos C

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  50. In the Roster Resource Power Rankings, which rate the performances of all minor league players for all teams for the season through 6/21, the #1 ranked player in MILB was Yordan Alvarez. The #3 performing player in all MILB was Kyle Tucker. The 8th best performing player in all of MILB was Josh Rojas.
    Following those three were:
    #29 Abraham Toro
    #39 Brett Conine
    #43 Jose Urquidy
    #49 Christian Javier
    That’s 6 of the top 50 performances by minor league players in one organization.

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    • Why can’t I get the details right? Hell, I put the list out there and then miscounted. That is actually 7 of the Top 50 performances by minor league players so far this season. You are getting old, 1oldpro!

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    • So let’s see – the Astros (1 of 30 teams) account for about 3% the total minor leaguers in the world, but have a slice that is almost 5 times that (14% of the minor leaguers) in the top 50 in Power Rankings. That is impressive.

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      • The Yankees have one in the top 50 and the Red Sox have none.
        By the way, Seth Beer’s performance so far this year is #72, giving the Astros 8 of the top 100 performers in the minors this season.

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