What's wrong with the 'stros?

That was then, this is now.

Pitching has descended to just above terrible, which is where I thought it would be.

Hitting has been spotty. Bourn needed to hit more than .200. When Tejada, Berkman and Lee are pounding the ball, things are fine. If not, those crummy pitchers have to keep the other team to three or fewer. That ain't happening.
 
Bob, I'd hate to see terrible.
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Basically the hitting that was supposed to shine to help out the pitching just isn't coming through. Without scoring a boat load of runs you will continue to see them lose. They are not playing up to their potential.
 
As much as I would hate to see it happen, I think the Astros would consider trading RoyO. They have the worst talent in the minors. Ask the Houston front office who their next star is and they will have trouble finding one. Horrible trades and then not signing any of your draft picks tends to do that to an organization. Oswalt is scaring me, I don't know if his hip is really getting to him this year or what. This is similar to what is happening to Pedro Martinez. An undersized, hard thrower who is starting to regress rapidly. The NL Central isn't what it is last year, where a .500 team had a chance to win it all. The Cubs are running away with it and even the Wild Card is fading fast. Someone will give up some talent for him this year and take his contract. Its almost time to rebuild a la Florida Marlins. If they continue to play unenthusiastic baseball then that time will come.
 
I could have seen this 'collapse' coming. It was only a matter of time.
 
They flat out suck. They run when they shouldn't be running, they can't bunt runners over, the pitching is abysmal, they suck.
 
I don't officially "worry" until the last week of June, so they have exactly one week to purge themselves of the extreme suckitude I witnessed in person this weekend.
 
you guys sound like ranger fans with the complaints about pitching. when you have to dip into the minors in May (annual event in Arl) because the bullpen is worn out then you have pitching problems. until then, life isn't as bad as you think.
 
And it looks like their one good player Berkman has cooled off a bit.....just 2 hits and 1 RBI during their 5 game losing streak. BA down 20 points. The Yankees having pitching issues but A-rod is lighting it up and they have won 5 in a row so I think your big bat playing really well or really bad can have a big impact.
 
he astros lineup was hitting .400 and killing the ball

Did you honestly think that'd continue?

The reality is simple....they aren't very good...the lineup is average and the pitching staff sucks
 
No prospects to speak of? That's too bad, because it sure doesn't look like they're going spend the bucks for quality starters.
 
They are experimenting with the tried and true Texas Rangers championship formula. Great bats, no pitching.

Hook em
 
There was no pitching to be had over the winter. Bats were the way to make over.

That doesn't mean it's a great idea. It's gonna be a dry two or three years.
 
I thought this team would be somewhat like 2000, where they bashed the ball but still couldnt win games because of the pitching. In 2000, they scored 938 runs, hit 249 HRs, had 2655 total bases and a team SLG avg of .477. Yet only won 72 games. That season was very frustrating, yet entertaining at the same time. That lineup could explode at any time, which made them fun to watch. It was also the first year over 3M in home attendence. There was a nice buzz in the stands all season -- the anticipation was palpable.

So far this season, while they have the frustrating part down, but not the entertaining part. Except for one nice stretch, roughly culminated by the time Valverde got beaned but stayed out there and got the save, the most memorable moments have probably been big leads blown. They are not much fun to watch. Right now, its painful just to look at them as they carry the weight of losing. Seeing Pence alone frowning and gripping is no bueno. Seems like he's aged 10 years since last season.

I had been blaming the 1-2 hitters' failure to get on base as the main cause of the lack of runs, but neither putting Pence up there nor having Bourn sorta come around has solved that issue. I also blamed Wiggington for everything for about 2 weeks. Wont tell you what I was calling him.

As far as the run scoring goes, averages say they will come around. Its a long season still. Bourn must contunue to improve and get on base more, and the middle must stay healthy. The team has a history of heating up as the summer rolls by. Maybe I am clutching here, but I still think this team has a potentially great hitting lineup.

Pitching, of course, is another matter. Here, unlike the batting where we can point to averages, history, stats, we only have hope. Hope Roy finds his curveball and gets in a groove in the 2nd half. Hope Wandy stays healthy and is all grown up now at 29. Hope Box o Chocolates Backe gets stronger. Hope Chacon goes ahead and does the Casa Ole commercials.

Which is worse -- that Moehler may be the ace of your staff, or that Tim Redding makes your team starting pitching look bad?

Tim Redding 6-3, 4.12, 16 starts, 91.2 innings, 57Ks/34BBs, 12 HRs

Moehler 3-3, 3.89, 8 starts, 44 innings, 18/8, 8 HRs (as a starter)
Roy 6-7, 4.84, 16, 102.1, 80/27, 17
Backe 4-8, 4.99, 15, 83, 57/37, 19
Chacon 2-3, 5.04, 15, 85.2, 53/41, 16
Sampson 3-3, 5.52, 10, 60.1, 29/13, 5

Wandy 2-3, 2.76, 8, 45.2, 36/14, 4
 
It does feel like being a Rangers fan. Losing 9-7 is really no better than losing 2-1, although we thought it would feel better.
 
Get ready for a prolonged state of suck, Astros fans. The teams in Round Rock and Corpus aren't even competitive.
 
Pollyanna checking in here. Superstition is in full tilt. I was being intentionally coy in my earlier assessment of "not being worried until July."
Reason: I have ALWAYS said, the Stros usually suck until the week of my birthday, then go on a torrid pace through July and much of August, then September is a crapshoot.

My birthday is next Saturday. We just took 2-of-3 from the D-Rays. I am ready. It shall be ON.

Mark it down. GO STROS
 
I'm actually pulling for them to lose in the hopes that McLane might let Wade/Smith go ahead and start the rebuilding.

If you're not fielding a team to play for a championship, what's the point? Better to lose and lose big.

What sickens me is that some of the more onerous contracts are unmoveable, either because of collective bargaining rights, or, in the case of Lee's, because no one will take on that much money for a player in decline.
 
Astros and Rangers playing a series to determine who gets possession of Nolan Ryan.

Can either franchise win?
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Payroll --

14 Houston Astros $88,930,415
30 Florida Marlins $21,836,500


Standings --

Pittsburgh 40 45 .471
Cincinnati 41 47 .466
Houston 40 47 .460

Welcome to the suck.
 
they're just finding ways to lose. With the way the front office has handled things re: signing players, farm system, etc.., they'll be the clippers of MLB in no time..future is not bright but hey, they signed tejada but no pitching whatsoever. that'll sell some seats uncle drayton. idoit.
 
Update--
July 11, 2008
Nationals 10, Astros 0

............................I.H.R.ER.BB.K.HR.ERA
Tim Redding (W,7-3) 6 7 0 0 0 6 0 3.85

Tim Redding was the beneficiary of the Nationals' biggest shutout win since the franchise moved to Washington before the 2005 season........ Redding (7-3) allowed seven singles, walked none and struck out six in six innings. The Astros had hits in the first five innings, but Redding consistently wiggled out of trouble to record his first victory since May 19 and avoid running his no-decision streak to double digits.

Redding, whose six scoreless innings anchored the Nationals on one side, forfeited the chance for his 10th consecutive no-decision -- a quizzical form of immortality -- but gained the chance for something even better: the chance to joke.

"It [stinks]," Redding quipped about his win. "I wanted to go into the record book. I told my wife, 'Somehow, some way, I want to go into the record book.' "

The Link
 
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