With apologies to Shohei Ohtani and the faithful attending tonight’s contest at Daikin Park, the more significant season barometer will actually be registered approximately 23 miles southwest this evening when the Space Cowboys take the field against the Albuquerque Isotopes at Constellation Field.
The likes of Josh Hader, Nate Pearson, & Tatsuya Imai are each expected in the mix, returning to action and not a moment too soon. For Imai in particular, getting “comfortable” a few days prior to his 28th
birthday is paramount in Houston’s ability to steadily climb the A.L. West standings.
In large measure, the divisional crown will not be measured against Ohtani’s “Unicorn” flashes, but rather, against its rivals within. Control the division, and control your destiny.
In May alone, the Astros have 11 combined games against the Mariners and Rangers. The final week of the regular season concludes with a 6 game road swing against Seattle and those pesky A’s.
Show of hands if you thought by the third homestand that Spencer Arrighetti would have 3 more wins on the year than ace Hunter Brown. Each year, there are surprises. Remember the start Tyler Mahle had a year ago with the Rangers? He finished last April with an ERA of 0.68.
Maybe even a “Spencer” (of a different variety), recall Schwellenbach who opened with the Braves allowing only a single run to be scored during the course of 20 innings? Sugar Land may play as significant of a role in the “resist the rebuild” movement as any. Barring a mega in-season trade, the Astros are a glorified mash unit, waiting to heal and deal.
While the calls for Espada to be removed have a foreboding undertone, who’s available on the managerial docket that would galvanize the fan base and reverse course? Dave Martinez? Skip Schumaker? Yawn.
I’d rather have Julia Morales if we’re going that route, at least she knows the clubhouse and has a grasp on the organizational pulse.
The Astros are far from dead and buried. In fact, they might be ripe for an in-season trade. You know the history. Verlander, Greinke, Bagwell, Carlos Beltran in 2004 or even Randy Johnson in 1998.
As the Brewers continue to occupy 4th place in their division, the tantalizing possibility of Freddy Peralta or Brandon Woodruff linger in the air.
