What can you say about baseball? Whatever you think at any particular time, wait around a bit, and you will likely be thinking very differently.
Four days ago, the Astros had just lost a series to the below-average Minnesota Twins. And though their pitching had been looking up, their offense had hit the skids. They were 6 games back of the “This Spots for Rent” A’s and 5 games back of the Rangers for the last Wild Card spot.
Then they went to Chicago for a weekend series and rode strong pitching, including 11 shutout innings combined by Spencer Arrighetti and Kai-Wei Teng to take the first two games of the series. In the finale, they fell behind 3-1 to the Cubbies but came roaring back and held on for an 8-5 win and a sweep.
The only other sweep on the season was a first-week snot-knocking of the Red Sox, which seems like a decade ago.
The Astros had momentum coming out of Chicago but were staring at starting their version of a “Cooler” on Memorial Day. (Fans of William H. Macy will get that reference). And in this case Macy was replaced by another 4 letter name in Imai….Tatsuya Imai.
Astro fans were hoping for something like five innings, and three runs out of Imai, with maybe less than five walks based on his lack of control and poise to date in a handful of starts.
That hope was on the skids early as Imai walked the first two Rangers and three of the first four South Oklahomans who batted. But a double play helped him slide through the first without giving up a run. And this is where baseball be cwazy.
Imai settled down hard – stomping on the Rangers’ collective necks and leaving after 6 hitless innings and only one more walk.
Steven Okert came in for his umpteenth appearance of the season and though he gave up a walk, he too left after a hitless frame.
The Astros were meanwhile piling up the runs helped by poor fielding by the opponents and homers from the usual suspects, Yordan Alvarez and Christian Walker. Even Nick Allen who hit his first homer in a year and a half against the Cubs continued to contribute like Dick Allen with a couple RBIs. (Well not actually hitting the ball as hard as Dick did.)
Then entering the bottom of the eighth, baseball be cwazy some more.
In a no-hit situation, the Astros sent a young 23 year old (his birthday 3 weeks ago) rookie named Alimber Santa out to the mound for his major league debut. Santa was signed as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic at 18 in 2021. After he had early success in the rookie league, he mostly had his ears boxed about by much older competitors as he climbed up the ranks (facing health issues along the way).
But in 2026, he was pitching brilliantly out of the bullpen at AAA and one thing Astros’ fans will tell you – we have not seen too much pitching brilliance this year.
Santa went out there and did so well in a 3-up-3-down eighth inning that he finished off the Rangers in the ninth inning on 24 pitches and 16 strikes total. His sweeper swept. His slider slid. And all he did was show a coolness and a sharpness that gave his teammates and his new set of fans only positive feelings. He had to wait for an ABS check on his last pitch, which became his first MLB strikeout, but that came almost as quickly as seeing him get mobbed at the mound.
Baseball be cwazy. The Astros are now 3.5 games out of first place and 2.5 games out of the Wild Card. Hunter Brown started his rehab and may be 2-3 weeks away from returning. Josh Hader is a couple of appearances away from a green light.
The team may come back from the near dead here. Baseball be cwazy and I swear I saw Tatsuya Imai smiling last night. I was, too.
ALL THINGS ASTROS 
21 responses to “Baseball: It be Cwazy”
Dan, we’re still in May, it’s not even hot yet and a lot of America isn’t focused on baseball yet. It’s just the hard-liners and diehards that are paying attention.
So…most people probably won’t even notice the Astros horrid start if the team can recover here.
Shoot, your Astros are 12-11 in May and that’s without Hunter, Hader, a consistent batting order.
Espada deserved more votes for MOY last year — I know, I know, I’ll get shouted down here — but if he can pull off a division crown with this shipwreck of a roster, he’s likely to get an extension.
Oh yeah, do we need a (pick one).
A. New owner.
B. New GM.
C. New manager.
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D. New players? Well, we have a few of those.
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Espada is fine if things are settled. Right now he looks better because he is getting a few QS from the starters, but he is not a lemonade out of lemons guy. I honestly think he is just a run of the mill guy. Nothing wrong with that when your roster has 6-7 everyday, dependable starters and your rotation is settled and just doing it’s routine. I think he is ill equipped to handle adversity. He is like most managers, looks good when players are playing good, looks bad when they are playing bad. I have real questions in how he handles a challenged pitching staff. Why is he constantly switching peoples roles, at times doing it before they even have a chance to get adjusted?
Pitching staffs work best when 5 guys are doing the circle and the other 8 know exactly what is expected of them. Today, we are down 6-1 in the 4th, we know its probably 2 or 3 innings from the 8th guy down there time. It’s 5-4 lead in the 7th, its the 3rd guys time. Guys know what they are focusing on, pitching coaches are working in what they have command of or preparing them for longer stints seeing guys a 2nd time, how they prepare for a 20-25 pitch outing is different than a 35-40 (or more) pitch outing. You can’t just go out there on pitch 32 and keep throwing fastballs, the hitters in the other dugout are taking notes and comparing after every pitch.
I haven’t given the AJ Blubaugh update in a few weeks – in pitches 1-25, he has a .200 BAA and .624 OPS. After that, .304 BAA and a 1.017 OPS. He has a .059 BAA in RISP with 2 outs situations, a .167 BAA late and close, .100 BAA in high leverage, a .202 BAA the first time facing a batter that day. His year is being lost to the general public because he is being miscast as a long reliever. He is mowing guys down early and when it matters, and then he is out there throwing too many pitches and getting got.
But I’m the first one to admit more of this on Brown and Crane. You pay some guys a bunch of money, then you have to kind of fill the gaps around it with underperforming young players and journeymen and not many of those guys are giving real performance cheaply. A few are. Spencer has been great, and he isn’t making money. Peter Lambert came off the scrap heap. Teng isn’t making any money. But Javier and McCullers are eating your options. Correa is making a lot of money to cheerlead, but we’ve seen this before with Uncle Mike. Walker is finally doing something, but not doing it last year cost you a playoff spot. Isaac isn’t making a ton of money, but he isn’t doing a ton of hitting either.
I was done with Brown the day Nolan Arenado saved them from themselves, but I suspect that was more a Bagwell “back of the baseball card” special. The Correa trade, back of the baseball card special. The only reason to acquire a player is what he is going to do, not what he has done.
So Espada, yea he got hindsight picked apart. It comes with the territory. But I don’t really care if he comes or goes. I would like to see someone different than Dana Brown controlling the roster.
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I’m hoping Santa Claus did not experience his career highlight on Monday evening. But what fun to watch Alimber have that moment. I think Imai is a bit of a fragile specimen. I want to see him come out of the gate against a solid team on the road and take control just once. I’m not convinced he’s got it in him.
Indeed though, baseball is nuts. The Cubs have now lost 10 in a row, and 14 of 16 after winning 17 of 20. They are going through the same stuff with injuries that we seem to specialize in. I almost feel sorry for them. But I don’t. Some of their fans require mental health evaluation at this point.
Dan, it’s far too early for me to look at how close we are to a Wild Card slot or being within a couple of games of first in the West. I still think we’re a .500 team and I still think a team like Seattle will at some point awaken from their slumber.
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Thoughts
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Yordan is an alien. That’s really all I have to say today. Man isn’t human. I was finally able to settle back in my routine and watch the Astros after missing most of this winning streak. Great game to come back to, because the alien did alien things. Yordan is the answer to are we alone in the universe. And it’s funny to watch the national media start to pay attention to the alien we have playing in the blue and orange. We’ve always known that if he isn’t being nagged by things like sore hands that he is ever as good as any hitter in the game.
He is having an age 28 season for the ages.
OK a little more. Burrows did not look tight. He pitches like he is that one screw you didn’t put tight enough in the bottom of your new piece of furniture and now it doesn’t sit quite right. Like, you know, the furniture piece could be better. It might also fall apart. You have to locate and work on that screw. That piece of furniture might be in your house for the next 5 years. He certainly, physically, looks like a pitcher. I just don’t understand why he can throw 4 good pitches in a row then throw a 5th that is center cut at 94 straight down the middle. But he found some of that last night, he made mistakes, the Rangers helped him out by missing most of them. But he didn’t make as many last night as he had been. Baby steps. He has been 20% of the this teams problems. Can he be 20% of the solution like he was last night?
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He’s frustrating. Is he really focusing on every pitch he throws, or does he take a pitch off every now and then? Maybe he’s just not fully committed. I’m sure it’s not intentional, but we’ve seen it over and over.
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Good morning. When Yordan hits two more and Burrows goes 7 and Hader is due back next week, one does start thinking that maybe this club might just be in the early stages of a positive correction.
We still have an athletic outfield of guys that don’t hit much, but at least our guys are athletic. No Cooper Hummel’s in this group.
Who is this guy wearing Cedeno’s number? Shewmake, at least so far, looks like a guy that might contribute off the bench. Heck, he had a sac fly last night. I give points for that stuff. Interesting that he’s being used as a defensive replacement for Issac. I don’t recollect Paredes getting pulled for a better glove last year. Of course Issac was hitting a bunch of dingers a year ago. This year? Bat speed 4% percentile, hard hit 7th, arm strength 17th, sprint speed 6th. He’s never had impressive stats in these areas, but maybe the Red Sox and others just did not think Issac had a whole lot of value. Is Issac worth ten million plus next year?
Not to pile on Joe, but Brian King might just be next to have his arm fall off. But as far as Joe goes, he’d be at the bottom of my list to send home right now. Maybe at the end of the season though. Thing is, Dana hands him a roster to deal with. And that roster has some big holes in it. And some of the same holes we’ve had for a few years now.
Is it a total coincidence the Astros are playing better baseball with Jose not trotting out to second base daily? This is a question for the next three years.
Yainer Diaz does not seem to be missed a whole lot right now. Not a mention of the guy. But Christian Vazquez will start hitting like the real Christian Vazquez pretty soon. Same for Nick 115 OPS+ Allen. I’ll say this though. Vazquez has been a very solid, much more economical replacement for our friend Victor Caratini who continues to struggle earning his 7 million dollars.
Regardless of all the warts, our Astros keep sucking us back in. They don’t fall off the deep end. We’ve got our present ace on the mound tonight. And then we get three against a good Brewers club.
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Thoughts
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The Alien, if healthy, will continue to keep his OPS in the 1.000 range. At some point Walker has to correct a bit though, doesn’t he? On the flip side, some folks seem to think the ABS has benefited him. And it’s got to be nice having Yordan in the line up with him everyday.
I also think Vazquez has earned the right to play half the games behind the plate when Yainer gets back, at least until Diaz demands more playing time by hitting like we’ve seen him in the past. I love those pick off throws we’re seeing from Vazquez.
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About Alvarez, I mentioned to the wife, last night, enjoy him while we can. We will blink and then the time that he is on the team will be gone.
It was the same with Bagwell, Berkman, Bregman, Oswalt, etc.
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Vazquez’s bat isn’t that important if he is batting 9th, actually can drop a bunt, and can have a pinch hitter if its late/close. I will say this, he changes his approach when he needs to. I remember a few weeks ago they had the bases loaded with no outs and he was batting, he really switched that approach to make sure he elevated something into the OF. You could see in his body language that he was extra focused on not striking out there. Unfortunately, in that at bat, it wasn’t deep enough to score the run, but that happens. You know who didn’t change their approach batting behind in the leadoff spot with bases loaded and now one out? Altuve, who was promptly struck out on an outside slider. I would concur that his brain and experience are more necessary right now to this pitching staff then Yainer’s just let it roll attitude even if Yainer carries much more offensive potential. But it probably has to be a 50/50 split as the dog days come due to the age factor.
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Good morning,
That was a Major League catch by Cam last night. One of the best of the season.
Bryan Abreu has not given up a run in May. His WHIP over the past 28 days is 1.038. He’s still not the guy we’re used to seeing. How did he suddenly lose all that velocity and still be healthy? I’m not sure he’s 100%. Seems like he’s still aiming the ball. Assuming he’s healthy, I think having Hader back will only help him further.
Our ace threw like an ace again last night. Spencer only walked one guy. The 5.0/8.2 BB/K stat is not great, but he’s only given up two dingers on the season. His hard hit rate is 30.3. ML average is 40.0. That’s a big stat for a guy that had a 45.1 last year. The BAbip of .212 is not sustainable, but he’s an All Star in 6 weeks if he keeps his game steady.
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Cam is an amazing athlete. I had to rewind and watch that catch 3 times.
He is also still learning. I remember watching a game where he, the centerfielder, and Altuve were all merging on a shallow fly ball, he calls, and doesn’t get there. He might have cost us a game a few weeks ago letting one bounce off the heel of his glove focusing on the throw before the catch. But man, when he does amazing, he does amazing. Kyle Tucker had a great reputation out there in RF, but I don’t ever remember him making a catch like that.
The Astros are being extremely patient with him. Maybe Dana has too. It’s not like he has a competent choice behind him, though it will be interesting to see who is the odd man out when Loperfido returns. But if I were the Astros, I would keep trotting Cam out there. And I would keep focusing on his plate discipline, it’s no coincidence that when he goes on one of those heaters he is spitting on a lot of close pitches. He just isn’t visiting heaterville often enough yet.
I also hope they continue to trot Dezenzo out there. I think you and I are both semi-fans of Zach. Of all those young hitters they had that just seem to be the .260 with 18 HR and a 60/100 ratio in the minors – the Dezenzo, Whitcomb, Loperfido, Cole, Melton, etc, he was the one that I thought had the bat to ball to maybe be a big league hitter. I know he is defensively challenged, whether it be 3rd or the OF, I beat he would make a heck of a first baseman though. But I think out of a whole bunch of marginally challenged hitters that we have “developed” he has the best chance, but he only gets that chance if he is given the chance. I’m glad to see the Astros get him a lot of PT and see if he can get comfortable, in a routine, and do something big. He may bust like a lot of them, and his young career he already looks a bit fragile, but maybe.
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Joe has done a pretty good job getting playing time for all those outfielders. Trammell and Loperfido probably won’t take at bats from Zach. As you say, hopefully he’ll get a long look for the first time in his career.
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Just realized that with Loperfido on his way back, Zach is likely odd man out again.
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Maybe a week from that decision, but it would seem Dezenzo would be the guy back at AAA. Allen has no options, neither does Trammell, Brice has the flexibility of all 3 OF positions and 2B (and even 3B in a pinch). I know Zach can play the corners, probably all 4, but given they have looked about the same at the plate and Brice brings so much more athleticism to his game, I would have to think Dezenzo will be at AAA this time next week unless another injury happens. Jake Meyers can get hurt walking to CF.
If I were Dana I would be shopping Jake for some 18 year old with a 98 MPH fastball at A ball no one is paying attention to. At least get you a lottery ticket. For all we know no one is returning his calls for Meyers though.
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I think Dana has been trying to move Jake for more than a year. Right now, we’re kind of stuck with him.
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Speaking of alien like performances, do we really have a Cy Young contender on our staff not named Hunter? Is this really whats happening? Am I just hoping beyond hope in a way too early hope? Did I just jinx it?
At this point, it’s not him running into a game or two of good performances. You don’t go 7-1 in 8 starts with a 1.34 ERA because you have a 3 start run where the ball feels good coming out of your hand. Hitters are just not picking up that curve and he is really pounding the bottom of the zone with it. It looks like a strike out of his hand and its landing 2 inches under the box and hitters are just getting jacked up. And he is really locating the fastball, and when you have to sit on 95 because he isn’t leaving it in the middle of the plate, you just find yourself not ready for that 75 MPH curve that looks like its there and then disappears. He is what you thought Imai was going to be, and Imai is what you thought Spencer was going to be. Funny game sometimes.
Spencer still needs to throw more strikes, but he is getting enough soft contact that he ends up with a lot of 3 pitch outs to make up for all those 3 ball counts that are running up his pitch count. I don’t know that this can continue at 5.0 BB/9, but he is trying to make it continue start by start. I loved what Joe said last night – it was basically, yea, he started in the minors, and now he is up here and he is all business, and that’s the biggest change he has seen in him. He is pitching like he has something to prove. As much as some people may want to point at Dana and say you can’t find pitching but you started with this guy in the minors, I don’t know that we have this version of Spencer if he started in the rotation to begin with. Maybe. Maybe not.
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I’ve noticed that Branden Shumake has been hitting the ball well but is not getting anything for his efforts. Last night a couple of warning track flyouts and I believe he’s had a few in previous games. Maybe a lower trajectory with line drives would give better results but I’m impressed with his hitting and a 17% K rate. I’d like to see him break out and up that average and ops.
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Z, his BAbip is .268, so hopefully a couple of those shots to the track will start finding gaps.
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