The Astros’ hitting woes continue.
Excluding the month of June, the Astros are about a .500 team. When you look at the run differential, they are about a .500 team for the season. Yet, they remain three games ahead in the race for first in the AL West.
But compared to tonight’s traditional AL East rival, the New York Yankees, who had a similar record as the Astros going into the game, the Astros looked every bit the .500 team playing a legitimate playoff contender.
We fans can’t blame injuries very
much anymore. The Astros ace, Framber Valdez, was shelled relentlessly by a stacked lineup. And the Astros, who did choose to rest Yordan Alvarez in this first game of the series, continued their recent pattern of offensive impotence despite significant trade deadline acquisitions.
Maybe it was a good night for Valdez to give up six runs in five innings pitched. Actually, I thought he looked pretty sharp, although the sinker sometimes lacked movement. But the Yankees’ bats simply looked that good. All the Yankees’ runs were scored on home runs: first, two by Jazz Chisholm Jr, a two-run shot against Valdez in the first, and a solo homer against Steven Okert in the eighth.
But the big blow was a grand slam by Brent Grisham in the fifth inning, which followed three singles. Although Valdez got eight Ks in his five innings, he also allowed eight hits and a walk.
But has been too often the case for the Astros since August, it really didn’t matter how the staff performed. Five singles producing one run just won’t get it; it doesn’t matter how good the pitching is. The only Astros run came on a sixth-inning fielder’s choice. Give some credit to Yankees starter Max Fried, who has allowed only two earned runs in his last three starts.
The Yankees have won eight straight at Minute Maid/Daikin Park, and have won eight of their last nine games. The Astros still have time to get hot, but I think if they keep playing .500 the rest of the way, they probably won’t make the playoffs. Nor should they.
