Hard to argue with this. It also reminds me that Verlander and Cole should both already be 20+ game winners but have gotten pathetic run support throughout the whole season in most of their starts. The division race shouldn't even be close, but we've had A LOT of games where the bats only put up 0 or 1 runs this year. The strange, unpredictable offense is going to make for a strange, unpredictable postseason. (Rondon's not free of blame, though.)
At this point, it should be Sipp/Smith/Pressly/Osuna in the 7th-9th in tight games. Rondon needs to get himself right again. I never would've thought Sipp and Smith would be 2 of our best relievers this season.
Maybe nobody would have expected it in May because he got off to such a poor start, but we gave Smith 15 million dollars for a reason, he's pretty good. Rondon's funk has officially gotten ugly. 5 straight outings in which he has given up multiple baserunners, and 11 appearances since his last clean inning. We really need to see some decent innings from him before the postseason. He's still on the roster right now, but if he keeps struggling in every outing a place on the roster shouldn't be guaranteed.
i appreciate what rondon did when giles was struggling, but I don't want to see him again going down the stretch in a close situation. I think he'll get right but there is not enough time in the season. It's hard with relief pitchers because even the good ones go through funks.
Happy to have gotten my ring and one for my dad. But that was a bummer of a game. Just boring other than the defensive wizardry of the up-the-middle defenders. Jake was awesome but so were Correa and Altuve. The real bummer of the night was sitting in row 1 down the 1st base line and to have continued my (absolutely based in fact) theory that I am baseball repellent. Also in the wonderful human being that was the fat c*** who wouldn't move from right in front of our seats just before game time...thinking that she was somehow still going to get an autograph. She cussed us out when we showed the security guard our tickets and she was told to move...flipping us off while with her small children as she walked away. Because, you know, it was our fault that we purchased good seats.
We were in Section 129. While the lack of Astros hitting made the game boring, one thing I was upset about was how slow Valdez was pitching. Throwing so many balls slowed the game down, but he also took way too long in between pitches. You'd see Correa and especially Altuve just lose focus and stand on their heels waiting for Valdez to pitch. Such a huge difference between the fastballs the Astros were pitching and the M's pitchers. But the M's starter was moving the ball around and the Astros hitters struggled against a meh pitcher. Ball seemed dead coming of the Astros bats.
We were in 128. It was a painful game to watch. Didn't help that I had played 18 holes in the afternoon so I was already zapped.
Yeah, crappy performance from the offense and Rondon, but today brings new opportunity. Let's get a win and force a rubber game on Wednesday.
I've been to a lot of offensive turd games at MMP this season... they are bummers.. hoping the offense will do something...
I actually haven't been to a game this season because of this. Of course I wanted to go see our World Series championship team that I've been following my whole life play at home. But the sad lack of offense at home showed up early in the season, and not even dollar hot dog night was enough to overcome the "Ehhhh, what if they just put up another frustrating, lackluster performance at home?" The family and I are going to the last home game. My nearly-3-yr-old niece is in town, and it will be her first baseball game. Plus, we can get our replica rings, and finally look like hundreds of thousands of other Houstonians. --- Btw, does anyone have any advice on how early to get there on a ring giveaway day? I know everyone gets one, but I don't want to be standing in line while the game is going on.
We got there around 6:15 and didn't have any major issues. There was a line at the home plate entrance but it was moving all along.
We got there early, about 5:15pm, so no lines. Made it a complete date by getting dinner at the park (Street Eats... I had the Chicken Waffle Cone, the Mrs. had the fancy nachos). We had thought of going to ShakeShack but even at 5:30 there was a huge line.
I've gotten there about 15 minutes before first pitch and have missed the first inning on several occasions (didn't bother me that much, so decided not to get there earlier). It was irritating how many line cutters there were and how few Astros employees there were to organize the line outside the park, i.e., before the metal detectors. If you don't want to miss first pitch, I'd get there no later than 6:30, and more preferably, 6:15.
Was last night five in row of Seattle over Houston? If so, six in a row must not happen. It just must not. Psychologically, this is a critical game. Seattle has not been eliminated.
He's still one of the best options when he is pitching well. It's not like McHugh, Devo, Peacock or Harris have been lights out lately either. I think the pitching staff will be comprised of JV, Cole, Keuchel, Morton, McCullers, Sipp, Smith, Peacock, Pressly, Osuna, Rondon and McHugh. I don't think Harris or Devo will make the cut, barring injuries. Valdez and James are also on the outside looking in.
I'll own up...I said I thought we'd win 94 games...you said you thought we'd do a "little better"....what remains to be seen is what a "little better" is.
