The struggles at home shouldn’t be a shock. It’s been that way all year this season. The best they can continue to do is get splits at home. they did their job on the road. Now you “steal” one at home when you get 4 chances there. If you can’t even get one out of 4 chances at home yeah you don’t deserve the WS opportunity as much as stros fans would love to see them there
Very disappointing showing last night but the team is still alive and we still have a chance so that's all you can wish for really this time of year. The bats didn't show up and it was essential they did with a guy like Framber on the mound. Framber pitched well for his standards this year but he can't be expected to shut anyone down with his roller coaster emotions. Don't know how many teams in history have won a championship with a losing record at home. What a strange year. I wouldn't be shocked with any result tonight.
Well on the bright side: 1) No Framber on the mound tonight. 3 of their 4 postseason losses have come with him as the starting pitcher. 2) It's incredibly unlikely that Montero or Stanek are used out of the bullpen unless this game goes well beyond 9 innings. 3) No Montgomery or Eovaldi against the Astros. 3 of their losses in this series have come with them as the starting pitchers, and they damn near lost Game 5 which Montgomery also started. 4) It's incredibly unlikely that Jon Singleton will pinch hit. Dusty is stubborn, but his skull isn't THAT thick. 5) Bryan Abreu might not be available tonight. Oddly that could be a benefit for the Astros. He has not been good in this series from Game 3 onward. The Astros might've lost Game 5 had he not been ejected. Obviously the offense has to show up, but those factors alone hopefully limit the Rangers' run production and at least keep the game close.
It ain't helping matters that in Game 1, Maldy was at the plate and in Game 6(after Dubon's pathetic at bat) it was Singleton. Dusty is choosing to put the worst hitters in those situations.
It is pretty simple in my mind. We yacked up a furball last night. Tonight. Scherzer. That dude is going to do EVERYTHING he can for redemption. He is a professional and has pride. If you expect him to screw up. Think again. We HAVE to get to him early. Or he settles in. That means one of Abreu, Tucker, or Pena has to wake up from their freaking coma and actually hit the ball like their season depends on it. Because it does. If they allow Scherzer to settle in I am very concerned that the Astros will be watching the World Series from their couches. We earned the right to have 2 shots at home to win one by taking all three on the road. DON'T THROW IT AWAY!!
One reason our home record is bad is because we are facing the teams best pitchers in games 1/2… and those have been at home. Scherzer Is not the elite pitcher anymore and has 70-80 pitches max in him. We can get to him and get to Rangers bullpen. Javier needs to continue to be a big game pitcher. We score 5-6 runs tonight and we win… and we will win tonight.
Diaz/Chas had those chances in game 2. Nobody has come through. Would have preferred a proven MLB hitter in that situation last night.
There was a part of me that was relieved when the Astros won the division. Dusty managed better in the postseason in past years and even with Maldy catching, Astros are the best AL team with the current roster. There was a brief window that I let myself lie to myself that Dusty wasn't going to do anything stupid besides start Maldy. I'm sure a lot of it has to do with how great the Astros players are, but Dusty has been the most frustrating manager this season.
Bregman and Tucker need to figure it out tonight. Singles, walks… whatever. Just get on base and create traffic
That's one of the few things that's keeping me hopeful for tonight. They've been shut down at home this postseason by Lopez, Montgomery, and Eovaldi. All solid pitchers. None of whom will be on the mound in Game 7. And Framber won't be starting for the Astros.
The team has gone 2-17 with RISP and left 21 men on base at home in the LCS. Narrowing it down to 1 or 2 at bats or pinch hit decisions feels like it’s missing the point. They’ve had plenty of opportunities and outside of Yordan basically no one has done anything with them (Bregs, Dubon, and Brantley each have 1 RBI and Bregs was a solo HR).
Baseball isn't played in one game takes all for a reason. Saying Diaz/Chas had their chances in Game 2 is putting way too much on one game. Diaz and Chas earned spots as starters this year and deserved more (and in DIaz's case better) chances to come through. We don't know what Chas and Diaz would have done with more playing time. All we can know is that they played well enough this year to have played more than they have in both the regular season and postseason.
This is baseball. Any and every individual PA or IP can go either way. There is just too much randomness to count on any specific instance going your team's way. That said, this team has been Jekyll and Hyde all season. Who knows what we will get? I think Javier will be good. I think Scherzer will be better than game 3 but not that much better. I hope and think they will pull it out, but anyone who has paid attention all season can't have much confidence. My prediction: Very close, low scoring game through first 4-5 innings then Astros put up a crooked number and hang on 6-4.
Relax. Not trying to trigger you or blame them... just saying its been an equal opportunity chance amongst all candidates. No, baseball is played over a large sample size. But you're not going to get that in the playoffs, thus every moment gets scrutinized. I'm on your side with all of this... but do you think he or the pitchers are going to have Diaz start games now? And he's basically drawing straws in the decision-science between Brantley-Chas-Dubon, except when its obvious (i.e. - they have a lefty starter).
Game 7…. With the opportunity to go to our 5th World Series in 7 years! We take this all day every day at the start of a season. So for those who are too afraid to watch tonight for fear of losing… this is the game we dream about playing in as kids. Game 7 is must watch TV…. And the Astros are in it. Can’t wait!
