House of Houston
Fansided

Houston Astros: Don’t Touch That Panic Button!

By Brian K. Patterson

Jul 10, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch (14) looks on during the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 10, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch (14) looks on during the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

What a difference a season makes for the Houston Astros.

This goes from being a shake of a lamb’s tail away from beating the then-World Series runner-up Kansas City Royals to the current muck of inconsistency this team in mired in this season.

It hasn’t been all that fun to watch and can be quite cringing at times when we leave guys on base or fail to convert whenever there’s an opportunity to score.

You’d think after the performance they had in last year’s postseason that things would continue to trend upward.

The core of this team has returned — with a few additions — but yet it’s like this team is figuring out how to win all over again.

It’s a tedious process but I think they’ll figure it out soon enough.

They’re already headed in that direction.

So far, they’re 8-5 for the month of May versus a horrible 7-17 April which certainly was a situation where we were scratching our heads.

Although they’ve seemed to stop the bleeding with the frequent losses, there are still problems that this team has all over the field.

More from House of Houston

The biggest problem is the runners left in scoring position.

Unlike last year when the hitting was inconsistent at least the Astros made the most of their opportunities.

They’re currently second-to-last (14th) in the American League as far as batting average (.232) and 10th in hits (237) so the fewer moments they have to make it count, they’re not doing it.

You don’t have to take my word for it either.

The Astros are currently dead-last in the AL as far as Team RLISP at about 3.81 per game.

In 2015, the Astros were 6th — and a lot better — holding down a 3.26 Team RLISP.

You combine all of these funky stats together and it’s no surprise that we’re not winning games.

I haven’t even gotten to the pitching yet but let’s talk about it.

More from Houston Astros

You know something’s wrong if Dallas Keuchel continues to struggle on the mound, he, in fact, is looking like the 2013 Keuchel where he was still clean-shaven, trying to find an identity and fans were still trying to figure out how to pronounce his last name.

Although none of those variables are applicable now, it still makes you begrudgingly reminisce about the days when the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner was just a intriguing prospect.

His ERA is up to 5.58 now versus a steady 2.48 back in 2015.

Yes, it has more than doubled!

Alarming?  Yes.

But I have no doubt that a guy of his pitching caliber will get it back together soon enough.

The rest of staff needs work too as every member of the staff has a had some sort of a struggle at some point this season.

They’re currently ranked 13th in the AL in ERA at 4.50.

So that’s inherently the problem, this team gives up a big lead, has to play catch up and although it may work on some nights — like last night’s 7-6 win over the Boston Red Sox — it’s not a tried-and-true formula against the stronger competition they will face over the season.

Live Feed

Astros appear to be content to let the rest of the league pass them by this offseason
Astros appear to be content to let the rest of the league pass them by this offseason /

Climbing Tal's Hill

  • 5 Astros players that are primed for a much improved 2024 seasonClimbing Tal's Hill
  • Could Ohtani contract deferrals set stage for Astros with Alex Bregman?FanSided
  • World Series Odds: Which Teams Have Value after Shohei Ohtani Signing?Betsided
  • 5 Astros relievers who will have a much bigger role in 2024Climbing Tal's Hill
  • 3 rumors that would be disasters for the Astros with Ohtani off the market Climbing Tal's Hill

    • I swear they’ve started out like the Houston Rockets, wildly fickle and you’re not quite sure — no matter the opponent — if they’re going to get the “W” any given night.

    But thank goodness for Jose Altuve.

    He continues to be consistent in making plays for the Astros when nobody else can and is vastly underpaid, working off a four-year, $12.5 million extension he signed back in 2013.

    He leads the team in hits (49), batting average (.338), OPS (1.064), doubles (17) and home runs (9).

    As far as the big picture in the AL, he’s tied for 1st in hits (along with Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado), 1st in doubles, 2nd in OPS and 8th in batting average.

    Wow.

    I’d have to wonder what worse shape this team would be in without him.

    Perish the thought…

    We can only hope that guys like Carlos Gomez get it together and Ken Giles finds his way once again.

    But all-in-all, it’s not time to push the panic button yet as the Astros are slowly climbing back in the picture, having the third-worst record in AL at 15-22.

    Next: Have The Astros Finally Found A Spark?

    Astros’ fans — this will be a true test of our optimism this season and it remains to be seen if they can dig themselves out of the hole their in and start making some noise.

    We’ll have to see…

    Go ‘Stros.

    Home/Houston Astros