Houston Astros: Jose Urquidy should be the 4th starter in ALDS series

Houston Astros pitcher Jose Urquidy auditioned last night for a postseason roster spot and he has earned the 4th starter status. What’s going on?

Houston Astros fans — our team has done it. They’ve clinched a postseason slot, they’ve won more games than any other team in franchise history and now they’ve earned home-field advantage throughout the AL side of the playoffs.

What the Houston Astros have accomplished is not an easy feat and you must tip your cap to such a tremendous effort that this team has exuded in order to be the best of the best.

All kinds of records have been shattered in terms of hitting, pitching, strikeouts, home runs, there’s just too many of them to name. We just have to accept that this team is not only one of the greatest in Houston Astros‘ history but a case could be made that they could be of all-time. That’s a discussion up for debate because baseball has been around for a span covering two centuries but it’s definitely a topic that’s worth a discussion.

I’ll have to save that for another time but let’s get down to the nitty-gritty in terms of who will be the starters for the upcoming ALDS series next week.

We know that Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke will get things started. For most of the season, the presumptive starter was going to be Wade Miley but after a horrible September which involved him giving up a ton of runs, the question of who will get the start has now come into question.

After pitching just 80.1 innings last season with the Milwaukee Brewers and 157.1 innings in 2017, he has pitched more time than has within the last three seasons (167.1). He pitched 166.0 innings with the Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles in 2016.

One could make a case that his arm may be dead but he’s pitched this many innings before in his career, so it’s hard to buy that argument. He’s having trouble locating his pitches and that’s not all a physical aspect of the game.

Unfortunately, Miley picked a hell of a time to lose his mojo, especially when this a moment of the season where there’s a bit of taper to prepare for the postseason.

Because of the uncertainty, Miley should not start in a potential Game 4 of the ALDS and the ball should be given to Jose Urquidy.

Urquidy earned it last night. Although he racked a lot of 2-0 counts working through the power-area of the Los Angeles Angeles lineup and only notched two strikeouts, he was able to minimize runs, being able to do his part to help the Houston Astros succeed in a 4-0, shutout win last night.

He also allowed just three hits and walked just one player in his 6.0 inning outing. The numbers aren’t necessarily great but this team needs somebody that can find a way to get outs and keep those runs off the board. Urquidy is that man.

The 24-year-old has come a long way, having been signed as an amateur free agent back in 2015 within the Houston Astros‘ farm system. He made his debut back July 2, against the Colorado Rockies, when there was an injury crunch of pitchers.

He had a quality start, allowing just two earned runs and tossed four K’s through 3.2 innings pitched. However, in his next start against the Los Angeles Angels, he gave up five runs, which was not a good follow-up.

He improved in his next start and had some solid outings in the month of July but once the trades

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were made for pitching at the end of the month to land Greinke, Aaron Sanchez and Joe Biagini, Urquidy was sent back down. He has re-emerged in September as a hopeful to help the Houston Astros win the postseason and that’s an incredible story to follow.

The batters that he faced in September have a .161/.200/.274 line against him through 18 innings and there has been a dramatic decrease in the amount of success that they have against his fastball, which has made a difference in his success.

As a result of his strides to earn a postseason spot, I unequivocally endorse Urquidy to be a part of this postseason roster as a potential starter. He’s earned it and I want to see him crush it on the mound.

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He’s been waiting for this opportunity for his whole life and there’s no way in hell he’s going to screw this up.

We’ll have to see — let’s go Houston Astros!

Urquidy has posted a 2-1 record, a 3.95 ERA while tossing 40 strikeouts to 18 earned runs with a great 1.10 WHIP and 3.69 FIP through 41.0 innings in nine games — seven starts — in 2019.

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