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2018 Houston Astros Season Thread

Planet Houston

By Planet Houston
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UTexasFight

UTexasFight 9551

Posted
Posted

Kaplan. 6 questions heading into postseason

Last pitcher:
If LMJ, then Smith or James
Last position:
Stassi or Straw


BALTIMORE — No baseball was played at Camden Yards on Thursday night, where rain pushed the opener of the Astros’ final regular-season series to Friday. The newly crowned AL West champions will play a doubleheader against the hapless Orioles on Saturday before closing out their schedule on Sunday.

For the most part, the games will be meaningless. Sure, the Astros would like to notch the three wins needed to set the franchise’s single-season record. But they’re more so focused on setting themselves up for their best-of-five clash against the Indians that begins next Friday at Minute Maid Park, which is why every regular will get at least one game off in Baltimore.

But with still a week left until the most important series of their season, several questions surrounding the team remain unanswered. Let’s run through the six most prominent.

Will Carlos Correa find a rhythm at the plate?

Correa’s progress, or lack thereof, is the most important storyline of the next week. Since he returned from the disabled list in August, the shortstop has struggled mightily at the plate and fallen from fourth to sixth in the Astros’ lineup. If there’s any chance he can find even a semblance of his usual swing post-back injury, it has to happen very soon.

Correa is scheduled to play three of the Astros’ four games in Baltimore this weekend, at-bats more important for him than any other player on the team. He went 1-for-4 with an infield single and three strikeouts in Wednesday’s series finale at Toronto, which dropped his season line to .239/.322/.398.

Defense hasn’t been an issue for Correa. Only on his swing has his back affected him, and particularly on swing and misses. Despite his three strikeouts, he viewed Wednesday as a positive because of how he felt. Whether it shows in the results moving forward remains to be seen.

Will Charlie Morton be ready to start a potential Game 4?

Morton is expected to rejoin the Astros in Baltimore this weekend following the birth of his fourth child on Thursday in Houston. The team will evaluate his readiness upon his return, but he’s tentatively scheduled to pitch in Sunday’s regular-season finale.

Having exited his last start (Sept. 23) after only one inning amid diminished velocity, Morton would reassure the Astros if he pitches like his usual self Sunday. The recent shoulder issue he’s battled is not considered serious, but he still needs a solid showing to cement his availability for a potential ALDS Game 4 if the Astros don’t bring back Justin Verlander on short rest.

Have the Astros fixed Héctor Rondón?


Rick Yeatts/Getty Images
Rondón was arguably Houston’s best reliever for much of the season before a terrible September inflated his ERA to 3.26. He rebounded with a scoreless eighth inning Tuesday against the Blue Jays, a few days after identifying a mechanical flaw in his delivery that wasn’t allowing him to get as much extension. “If that’s the key, then everything else will take care of itself,” manager A.J. Hinch said.

The Astros’ coaching staff and Rondón both came out of Tuesday’s outing encouraged, and the veteran right-hander will pitch once more this weekend. How he looks could help dictate how much trust Hinch has in him come the ALDS.

Will Lance McCullers Jr. cement his spot in their seven-man bullpen?

McCullers is scheduled to make his second and final relief appearance of the regular season on Saturday or Sunday. A strong outing in which he spins his curveball like he did Wednesday but shows better fastball command could seal his spot for the ALDS.

The only reason McCullers isn’t a lock for a spot is because he returned to the active roster only Monday from the forearm strain he suffered Aug. 4. He threw 11 pitches in his scoreless inning Wednesday, which featured a strikeout of Kevin Pillar on his trademark curve.


“I don’t think you can be too picky the first time out,” Hinch said of McCullers’ fastball command. “I think the next time out will be very key. Mostly I wanted to see the sharpness on his breaking ball. That’s really going to be the key. I’m not saying he’s going to throw 27 in a row like he did last year [in Game 7 of the ALCS]. But I think he’s going to throw enough to where that’s going to be his dynamic pitch that he needs to get specific hitters out.”

McCullers said he felt comfortable in Wednesday’s outing and liked the way his pitches moved. He added that he didn’t feel hesitant on the mound, either. His next appearance, which could extend slightly beyond an inning, will be pivotal.

If McCullers is on, who’s off?

Josh James and Joe Smith would be the most vulnerable to be omitted in a roster configuration that included McCullers.

If on the roster, the hard-throwing James could be used as a multi-inning relief weapon. Smith, the sidearmer, would serve as more of a right-handed specialist to face the two powerful right-handed hitters in the middle of the Indians’ lineup: Edwin Encarnación and Josh Donaldson.

Which is more expendable?

Stassi or Straw?

The final spot on the Astros’ 25-man ALDS roster is expected to come down to catcher Max Stassi and outfielder Myles Straw, who would serve as a pinch-run specialist.

The case for them to carry Stassi is so Hinch can have the option of pinch-hitting or pinch-running for Martín Maldonado and Brian McCann in the same game. The case for Straw is he’s one of the fastest players in affiliated baseball and his speed could make the difference in a crucial situation.

 

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Simon Honeybone

Simon Honeybone 113

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Posted
2 hours ago, Scraps said:

Only thing that would make this better is if Carlos fucking Blomez hits a ph homer off Giles

I was about to ask why the fuck you are at a Rump Rangers game then I forgot he was a Boras player and thus the perfect matrimony of dog shit was ended and he is now on a decent team. What a traveshamockery

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UTexasFight

UTexasFight 9551

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at this point, the best we can hope for is that he has a big moment or two and becomes some great comeback story.
"can you believe just a couple weeks ago, this guy couldn't hit a lick, and now..."

at this point I’m hoping for a Beltran postseason performance... Beltran game 4 of the 2017 LDS, that is.
I think one clutch hit is about all we can expect to see from him this postseason
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Gut Wagon

Gut Wagon 8087

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8 hours ago, WBT said:

For who?

 

Adam Everett? Probably could still pick it and hit .200 for a month. For that matter, Roger Metzger's just rocking on the front porch in Brenham, waiting for a call. Either might be an upgrade at this point.

Back issues obviously are no joke, even if you're not playing shortstop on a team trying to win the World Series. But I've all but given up hope on Correa for this season. I'm thinking we're much more likely to get a hot month from Springer, Gonzalez or even Gattis than we are to see him finish 2018 strong. But sure hoping he pulls out of this funk.

 

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henrygandorf

henrygandorf 29197

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Posted

the edge correa should have on an adam everett type, is that he has the ability (somewhere down deep) but is like a wounded animal.  if some reliever thinks he's gonna go quietly, and gets lazy with him, he can certainly make you pay.

like roy hobbs in the maternity ward:

"you could get into the game.  you could wreck it, with an unexpected blow."

"well that would be the beauty of it."

 

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henrygandorf

henrygandorf 29197

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12 hours ago, UTHornFan014 said:

The decision between Straw and Stassi shouldn't be a difficult one. Straw should be a no-brainer. Just look back at Fisher pinch running in game 5 of last year's WS. If that was anyone else on the base paths (other than Marisnick and possibly Altuve) that game may still be going on.

the fact that gattis, in theory, could be a 100% emergency 3rd catcher makes this an easy call.  every base in the postseason is gigantic.  that's why maldonado is so big.  and straw on the other side.

the question is with kemp's recent struggles, does he have a place on the postseason roster?  not sure he fills a need that isn't filled elsewhere.

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