Two events Sunday left a mark on my 25-year experience as a Houston Astros fan.
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The Strange Case of the Disappearing Offense
A Team Effort
Seven weeks ago, I wrote, “As the season unfolds, and if the Astros continue to prosper, it should not be surprising if most of the games they lose are tight — their pitching staff should ensure that — but that many of their wins will be by a wide margin — the offense will help out in that regard.”
Winning Big, Losing Tight
A brief losing streak notwithstanding, the Astros are playing precisely the kind of baseball hoped for by fans when the club upgraded its rotation to include Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens. In fact, in losing two of three to the reigning world champions, the Astros played a type of game to which they are well suited — it just so happened that the speedy, defensively airtight Marlins were even better suited to it.
Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction
The Astros’ Sunday loss to the Cardinals, combined with Chicago’s defeat of Pittsburgh, leaves the Astros just one-half game ahead of the Cubs for the Central Division lead. With seven games to play, the Astros have no margin for error if they hope to claim their fifth division title in seven seasons.
Sources of Output Differ, Production Is the Same
Last offseason, the Astros made one of their biggest free-agent acquisitions ever with the signing of Jeff Kent. The former Most Valuable Player was expected to give the middle of the Houston batting order a boost.
Bagwell, Oswalt Keys to Second-Half Push
If Miss Cleo had announced in spring training that, at the All-Star break, the Astros’ No. 1 and No. 2 starters would be 11-14 and the Cardinals’ No. 3 and No. 4 hitters would have 55 home runs, most people would’ve expected Houston to be eating St. Louis’ dust. Instead, at 50-44, the Astros sit precariously atop the Central Division, leading the Cardinals by one game and the Cubs by three games.