The Astros’ frustrating 7-2 loss Friday night to the Mets, in which they were held to 2 runs despite putting up 12 hits and four walks, left the Astros at 40-41. After talking to my CPA and a couple of Nobel Laureates, it was revealed that 81 games mark precisely the halfway point to an entire 162-game season.
Here are some thoughts after 81 games:
- On the plus side, the Astros have made good progress lately in digging out of the very deep hole they were in – 10 games back a couple weeks ago. On the negative side, after a seven-game winning streak, they were still 5-1/2 games back of the Mariners entering Saturday’s game.
- So, are the Astros the team that has made up 4-1/2 games in a hurry or are they the team, that if they repeat their first half and the M’s repeat their first half – they will end up 11 games back?
- Performing the unscientific method of doubling everybody’s halfway stats – here is what the Astros’ hitting leaders would look like at the end of the season.
- Runs – Jose Altuve – 100 runs / Yordan Alvarez – 90 runs
- Doubles – Alvarez – 38 doubles/ Altuve – 34 doubles
- Home Runs – Kyle Tucker – 38 HRs/ Alvarez – 32 HRs
- RBIs – Alvarez – 82 RBIs – Tucker and Yainer Diaz – 80 RBIs
- Stolen Bases – Altuve – 26 SBs / Tucker and Jeremy Pena – 20 SBs
- Walks – Tucker – 92 BBs / Alvarez – 62 BBs
- Sacrifice Flies – Diaz – 10 SFs/ Alvarez, Pena, Mauricio Dubon,Victor Caratini – 6 SFs
- Hit by Pitch – Alvarez and Jeremy Pena – 10 HBP / Pena – 8 HBP
And on the negative side
- Strikeouts – Altuve – 134 Ks / Pena and Meyers – 108 Ks
- Grounded into double plays – Diaz – 22 GDP/ Pena and Alvarez – 16 GDP
- Caught Stealing – Pena – 8 CS / Altuve and Meyers – 6 CS
- Continuing the un-science experiment for the pitching
- Wins – Ronel Blanco – 16 wins / Framber Valdez – 12 wins
- Innings – Blanco – 180.2 IP / Framber Valdez – 161.1 IP
- Saves – Josh Hader – 22 svs / Ryan Pressly – 4 svs
- Shutouts – Blanco – 2/ None
- Strikeouts – Hunter Brown – 178 Ks/ Blanco 168 Ks
And on the negative side
- Losses – Spencer Arrighetti – 12 losses/ Brown and Valdez – 10 Losses
- Home runs – Blanco – 26 HRs allowed / Brown – 24 HRs
- Some things that stand out from those stats
- One of the things that stands out like a sore thumb is that no one is on pace for more than 82 RBIs. This meets the eye test for a team that has not scored runs in line with their other batting stats. Of interest, last season they ended up being led by Kyle Tucker (112), Alex Bregman (98), Yordan Alvarez (97), and Jose Altuve (90) – all far above that 82 RBI number. This is an area to watch closely in the second half of the season.
- Their walk rate, as we noted below, is pitiful compared to the excellent numbers Tucker was putting up before his injury.
- That 22 saves by Josh Hader is a really low number, but not really his fault. He has saved 10 of his 11 chances (and moved that to 11 of 12 on Saturday). That will hopefully be on an upper arc.
- Raise your hand if you thought at the halfway mark that Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier would not be leading the team in wins, innings pitched or strikeouts.
- That potential 80 RBIs for Yainer Diaz is a big number for a team that has historically gotten very little from their catchers.
- If Kyle Tucker is out much longer, what was a top 2 or 3 season in the AL will drop down to a top 10 or worse. That is unfortunate for him, but perhaps it will help whoever wants to sign him next.
We all know that if the Astros only double their wins in the second half, they will be at home watching the playoffs, just like all of us. Their recent play gives us reasons to feel encouraged. They just need to keep it rolling and pray that the injured return before more of them go down.
ALL THINGS ASTROS 
61 responses to “Astros at the halfway mark”
Good morning!
The tropics are brewing in unprecedented fashion, but thankfully well south of our little speck in the big ocean, at least for the time being anyway.
The Astros have another pretty big hill to climb before the respite of the All-Star break. Shawn Dubin gets the start today. Back on July 2 of 2023, he gave us 4 innings of one run ball against the Rangers. I’d sure take that today. We might have enough guys to give us the other 5. But then we’ve got 7 games without a day off against the Jays and Twins. That will be tough with a four man rotation and a well used pen.
But looking at the larger picture going forward, we just don’t have enough horses in the starting pitching department. We can’t let Blanco throw 180 innings of regular season baseball. Hunter Brown might be able to double his 80 innings to 160, but he was admittedly gassed down the stretch in 2023. Can we expect 130 innings from Spencer Arrighetti? He threw 125 minor league innings last year, but those are not the same as high leverage ML frames. We will have to shut some guys down at some point. Framber is a tank. He can throw 200 again if he does not freak out once a month. But who knows what we’ll get from him?
Jake Bloss, Justin Verlander, Luis Garcia are all expected to pitch again but when and how much and how effectively? So far Dana has not been able to pull off a deal for a five inning guy or a marquee guy. That might not happen until the deadline, if it does at all, and at significant expense to our thin minor league system. I guess we’ll know better in a month if it will be worth it.
I think we’ll continue to produce runs, especially once Tucker gets back. That might be post the break though. And with several guys knocking the ball around in Sugar Land, one might hope that someone will get called up and have a positive impact.
But heck, I just don’t see a solution to our lack of pitching in 2024.
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Worried about y’all this year, daveb – the tropics are heating up early – I know this one is rolling south of you, but there are a couple behind it.
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Thanks Dan,
Seems like we’ll be ducking quite a bit down here over the next few months.
Had Diaz been catching Framber, it’s likely that Yordan would not have been in left.
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We will have to shut some guys down…Exactly what I eluded to in a post yesterday. Brown and Franco are prime examples of why this org needs to be judicious in protecting P in their first yr in the Show. Being cautious with Bloss a smart move. JV & Garcia will eventually add to the rotation but this will not be enough to cover the loss of Blanco/Arrighetti, maybe Bloss near seasons end. Why is no one inside this org or very few pundits outside it, bother to speculate or question the possibility of Lance McCullers return? Seldom is his name ever mentioned, why?
I, for one, am not keen on the idea of blowing up the farm for any marquee P or reclamation projects. It is time for this org to Let’s Make a Deal with some of the proven talent we have who will walk for free or not get paid by Crane.
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SCHN obviously has serious prostate problems. They can’t keep their stream going. So I’m stuck listening to these NY assholes again.
A reminder of the purple pulsing hatred I have for everything north and east of Ohio. Hey, Mohammed. Go ahead and blow em up. I don’t care!
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I’ve got the same problem down here in never never land.
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That “27” on his jersey is his IQ. 😦
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I’ve never had such an affection for such a terrible baserunner. In fact, one day he might be the worst baserunner to ever enter Cooperstown.
So far this pen game is working better than anyone could have hoped. Need 12 more outs boys.
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I know what you mean. It’s impossible for any sane and reasonable person to not like him. But sometimes, I just wanna slap him like he was my red-headed stepson. Thank God I don’t really have a red-headed stepson……
Yes, the pitching has been a pleasant surprise so far. But I’ll still be happier if they score 10 runs before they slowly pull away.
Seen this movie before.
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I’m with Tuve all the way here! That was off his foot!
Damned DEI hire umpire screwed us big time! This shit has gotta stop…..
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If at first, you don’t succeed, throw another fat meatball down the middle of the plate. Another loser named Abreu…… 😦
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That non HBP looms just a bit larger now, doesn’t it? I hope the team uses it as a motivator for a massive rally now that Tuve is ejected.
But I have serious doubts.
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Abreu managed to transform what was a very nice catch in left center by Jake into a moot point.
Now watch Pressly come in an put it completely out of reach….
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Charlie Foxtrot is now playing in right field….
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Even if he comes back with a lame bat, we need Tucker back to play right field. These rookies are just plain not very good.
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Pretty pathetic.
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Go ahead and rain it out, Lord. I’d much rather walk outta there with a tie game than watch Hader give up a walkoff home run to some NY asshole…..
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Radar looks like it’s gonna be until at least 1800 hours NY time before this game can resume. I’ve read more than a few radar screens in my day.
I think we oughta just call it a draw due to unanimous apathy. I’ve seen groups at senior citizen assisted living homes that were more fired up than these Astros today.
Not as a resident. Just observing! 🙂
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Looks like the ground crew should be rolling up the tarp and grabbing their squeagies (sp?) any minute now. If anybody cares. I don’t.
Tomorrow, I’m going to search for a Bluejays livestream. Then I’ll be sure to find the SCHN crew! _:-)_/
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Well, at least the kids want to win even if the old vets don’t care anymore. That’s good.
I couldn’t reacquire a stream, so only saw it on gameday. Nice going, Joey and Trey!
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That was a heck of a win. Lot’s of individual efforts added up to an unlikely extra inning outcome. Plenty of new names helped. And I’ve got to add that Pressly had his sixth or seventh good outing in a row.
I’m not sure what other choice Joe Espada had, but Tayler Scott pitched in all three games, including 1.1 innings yesterday and 2.0 more today. We’re only halfway through the season. We’re going to keep burning through guys if we keep using the staff the way we have. I don’t have an answer, but I’d hate to see any further injuries.
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I shouldn’t have closed that stream during the delay. Must have been exciting to watch. Oh well.
Pressly hasn’t blown a lead in a little while. That’s true. But to me, he’s always going to be the Caucasian version of LeTroy Hawkins. Every time you get a little bit of confidence in them and put them in a high leverage spot or two, they’ll let you down.
Every time I see him on the mound, I reach for my bottle of heart meds and say a prayer! 🙂
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Check his career post season record out. It probably won’t change your mind, but it’s there.
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It’s not in my mind. It’s in my gut, Dave. Hard to quantify.
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The Twins beat Seattle today as well. 3.5 games back going into Toronto.
Kind of amazing really…..
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I noticed that Michael Papierski played for Tacoma yesterday in Sugarland. Papierski spent a number of years in the Astros minor leagues. It was a blast from the past to see that he played for Tri-Cities, Quad Cities, Fayetteville and Sugarland. He is now 28 yo. Somehow he never got to the Hooks.
By the way, how in the world has Mickey Storey managed a 53-28 record and a first half win in the PCL with that pitching staff?
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Thoughts
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I think I mistakenly credited that catch to Meyers. My mistake. Mea culpa.
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“So, Hader warming up before the rain delay kept them from using him afterwards?”
Awfully fragile young man, isn’t he? Pfffft. These guys are all pussies.
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I don’t know if he’s still alive. But I’d love to hear some reporter ask the great Jack Morris what he thinks of a pitcher who can’t go into a game because he’s all worn out from warming up before a 2-1/2 hours rain delay.
Personally, I’m wondering what color panties Hader was wearing and whether they matched his bra. What a punk.
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Bregman leading off? Oh boy. I hope he can get at least one out of the infield today……
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Well, Toronto is DFL (that’s not Democrat Farmer Labor) in the East. So now they’re probably gonna make this Rodriguez kid look like Walter Johnson.
Please pardon my pessimism. We’ve seen this movie before.
Crane & Fertitta insist on using AT&T equipment at SCHN, so their braodcast stream is garbage. Again.
So now I’m stuck hearing a bunch of @#$*&%^%@@$% Canucks. Grrrrr…….
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Canada day. BFD. 31 million Texans DGAF
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I guess a girly fly ball technically counts as “out of the infield”. Nice going, Mister Breggy bomb bobsled dance…….
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Four strikeouts in 3 innings and not even a sniff of a hit. Right on track. This Rodriguez guy is NOT that good, guys. You are that bad.
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Five strikeouts through 4. Meyers being 2 of them already. The kid is starting to look more like trade bait every day.
The on air Canucks are talking about this being a pitching duel. Not exactly. More like a mutual exhibition of batting ineptitude.
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Oh, my aunt Minnie’s mustache. Singleton adds to the carnage. Six Ks through 5.
This is like watching two kids fighting in a special ed classroom…..
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56 P beginning the 6th with the Stros swinging early and often. Jon had him on the hook for a walk his last AB if he takes the outside slider. Dubon swung at every ball he threw. We’ve seen this movie before. They are not making Rodriguez work at all. Lucky for the homer
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Told you they were gonna make another mediocre pitcher look like a future HOFer. The Dugout Dancer finally hit one out of the infield all to no avail. Now he’s just another in a long line of LOBsters……
This team is dreary indeed. Except for one inning out of the last 3 games, they have completely stunk up whatever stadium they were in with their bats.
Just pathetic.
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Abreu again. That’s nice.
Is Espada capable of learning from experience? Chimpanzees are. Cheese and rice!
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Espada has all the imagination and craftiness of a fruit fly. But like his mentor DFB, he’s one lucky son of a bitch!
But also like DFB, he is a lousy manager.
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Thank God for Yordan! Jake – what kind of swing is that, boy? Embarrassing is what I’d call it.
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Nine strikeouts. Two thirds of them from Meyers and Singleton. Just pitiful.
Yet still in position to win if our Victoria’s Secret model doesn’t blow it again. Lady Luck must want Espada to keep his job is all I can figure.
It sure ain’t skill!
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He’s definitely wearing the matching pink lace set with color coordinated stockings today. Nice going, Hader. Good thing we have Yordan.
Now go get yourself a fresh tampon, Josh. You’re starting to smell bad again.
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Tof, are you off your meds again? That’s 10 of the last 11 with just four starters and Tucker still out.
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Real bad day IRL here today. Insurance claims agents, property (mis)managers, and invisible roofers were p___ing me off all day while I was trying to watch a ball game. I apologize for letting it get to me.
But there are a lot of people in the world who are alive solely because it’s illegal to kill em. My mood is that foul today.
I’ll light up a little medication and it’ll be ok in a little while.
But seriously, I wouldn’t crow too loudly about June, Dave. Baltimore was really the only very tough competition they had all month. Yeah, they did well that weekend. Very well, even.
But it’s only one weekend out of one month of a long season. If you crow too loud now, you risk looking like our 3rd baseman the Dugout Dancer when a sudden gust of gravity brings these guys back to earth.
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TOF, fire up! I won’t be getting overly excited about 17-8 for the month of June nor winning 10 of the last 11. But I’m also not looking for style points right now either. That record was the best in MLB for the month, regardless of how they got there. But at the same time, I’m still half expecting a pitching implosion. It’s hard not to notice Martinez and Abreu taking a full week off in the middle of the season. Simply rest, or minor injures that they decided to work those two through rather than putting them on the IR? I saw Abreu throw a fastball at 94 today. That’s not normal for him. I don’t want to see any more of these guys have a serious injury. I think they are trying to squeeze too much out of the pitching staff. I’d rather not see any October baseball this year and have a healthy core group to start 2025. We’ve already got too many guys that won’t be ready to pitch when next season comes around.
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“I’m still half expecting a pitching implosion.”
Oh, my friend, I fully expect it! What we are experiencing is the same DFB hangover the Cubs, Giants, and Nationals experienced after their DFB Experience. A completely worn out, used up pitching staff that was mismanaged, poorly utilized, underdeveloped and which took years to rejuvenate/rebuild.
The only thing different now is that the face of the idiot in the dugout has less melatonin and doesn’t have a toothpick hanging out of its piehole. The space between the ears is still empty.
Over the off season is when we will see whether Espada is as lucky as his hero DFB. The players always seemed to bail him out by performing just well enough for him to get his job.
Let’s see if they will do the same for Joe.
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to keep his job rather
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got to admit that TOF will get you laughing with his commentary. I wonder if he could get with Blummer and TK for an inning or two. Never a dull moment. On the other hand a win for the good guys.
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I actually did radio PxP for KRWC AM1360 in Buffalo MN when I was in high school. Local stuff. Mostly high school football and basketball games as I was a farm kid and busy during the summer months.
Wanted to go into broadcasting until I found out how much (ie: little) it paid!
Glad you get a chuckle or two. That’s how it’s intended.
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test
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worked
About a B+ I’d say….
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https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-injuries-and-roster-moves
“Manager Joe Espada said on Monday that the Astros aren’t ready to put a timetable on Verlander’s return.”
Why bother, Joe? Nobody’s gonna believe it anyway.
None of what I hear and roughly half of what I see is what I’ll believe, thank you very much.
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Will we be buyers or sellers? Does the road to the playoffs still go through H-town? Who knows?
A down year for Astros
Felled by injuries
Down year for Astros
Fouled one off the knee (shin! foot!)
Asked the Lord above for mercy
“Heal them, if you please”
Countdown to trade deadline
Try to grab some guys
Countdown to deadline
Any good arms to buy?
Nobody seems too worthy
Will teams pass us by?
We’ll go out to Sugar Land
Take my field scouts by my side
Go out to Sugar Land
Look at prospects on the rise
You can still roll the dice, baby
On kids with upside
Make a run, make a run
Said my friend ol’ Dana Brown
Run, make a run
Not much time to fool around
Astros standing at the crossroads
Retrieve that AL West crown
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When the Astros became a losing baseball team in April and May, I expressed my dismay and dissatisfaction.
When they turned it around I decided to just watch and wonder how they were doing it.
They have managed to turn it around, despite some poor individual performances and boatload of injuries.
I consider the turnaround to be a small miracle and hope to see more of Houston winning individual series at home and on the road. The O’s and the Mets were both red-hot and lost series to the Astros. That was really something!
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Steven, I am very content that Robbie Grossman and Jake from State Farm have both been able to have careers in MLB. They have done us proud as Astros fans.
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My late BIL (who was an avid Twins fan) really liked Grossman as well. So do I. He’s a good ballplayer and a right guy from all accounts. And Jake? Very promising young man.
Astro now. But TBH, I don’t think that will be long term. Time will tell.
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Joey starting in right tonight with Jon S at 1b and Salazar behind the dish. Otherwise the standard lineup with Tuve leading off.
So they all made Rodriguez look like Walter Johnson yesterday. Does that mean they’re all gonna look like Barry Bonds against Berrios tonight?
God only knows. That 21st century schizoid analogy still applies to this team!
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Whatever!
https://www.mlb.com/astros/roster/transactions
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Neither one of those kids are capable of batting their way out of a wet paper bag. What’s the point? Is that really the best we’ve got?
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