The Astros’ current slide has pushed the conversation beyond this season and into something bigger: where exactly is this going, and does a late push even change the larger picture?
Friday night brought another sluggish showing. Houston gave up six runs, but the offense’s lack of life was the bigger issue, the kind of outing that might have led to different pitching decisions - or at least not using Enyel De Los Santos - if the lineup had done more.
Peter Lambert turned in yet another solid start, only to come away without a win. He hasn’t gotten one since July 11.
That’s part of why the Astros-Braves series has started to feel a lot like the Astros-Rays series: one side is mediocre, the other is very good, and the climb is simply too steep.
Meanwhile, the Rangers won again Friday night and moved back into a tie with the Astros, though the tiebreaker still favors Houston.
But does any of that really matter?
The larger question is whether anyone believes this team, even if it sneaks into the postseason with what could be the worst record ever for a playoff team, would do anything meaningful once it gets there.
Chip sent me this link.
It is beyond belief, really, that a team that, in a recent stretch, went to the ALCS seven straight times, went to four World Series, and held two championship parades has an undesirable general manager.
If that’s true - and it certainly appears to be - then this falls on Owner Jim Crane. He has allowed a shadow group led by Jeff Bagwell, or maybe made up only of Jeff Bagwell, to examine the front office, likely override decisions and definitely hold the inside track to the owner’s ear.
At this point, the only reasonable thing to do would be to put Bagwell in the GM job and let him fail in a way that makes it obvious this is not how to run a ballclub.
The Astros are probably going to fall short of the 2026 playoffs, or if they do get in, they’re likely to be out quickly. Either way, the bigger concern is that the long-term operation of the team appears to have hit a Jerry Jones-sized boulder, and fans may soon find themselves missing the days of Jeff Luhnow and the Astros’ great Renaissance.
In Other News...
Astros Lineup Looked Dangerous Again In A Win Fans Needed
Houstons offense finally looked like the version that has long made opponents uneasy, and it showed up at the right time in a win over the Royals that clinched the home series. The Astros hammered five home runs, their biggest long-ball burst of the season, with Jeremy Pena, Daulton Varsho, Lamonte Wade Jr., Yordan Alvarez and Taylor Trammell all getting in on the action.
For a club that has spent stretches searching for a cleaner, more dangerous lineup, this was the kind of game fans were waiting to see. It also fit a familiar pattern for Houston, which has generally been at its best when the power shows up in bunches, and now the question is whether this was a one-night spark or something they can carry forward. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Bench Picture Just Got More Complicated With Brice Matthews Back
Brice Matthews is back on the Astros roster, and with his activation from the 60-day injured list, the club had to clear a spot by designating Jorge Barrosa for assignment. Matthews missed the last two months with a sprained left knee, and while his return gives Houston another outfield-infield option, his early work at the plate has not matched the defensive value he brought when he was available.
Jorge Barrosas stay with the Astros was brief, lasting just four games before the roster squeeze caught up with him. Now Houston has to wait and see whether another team claims him or whether he clears waivers and remains in the organization, a small but real example of how tight the bench picture can get when a team starts juggling health, versatility and the last few spots on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Suddenly Face A Brutal Final Stretch In AL West Race
The Astros margin for error is all but gone after a 6-3 loss to the Braves left them below .500 and a game behind the Rangers in the AL West. Isaac Paredes drove in two runs for Houston, but the night turned sharply in the seventh when Ronald Acua Jr. unloaded a grand slam off Bryan Abreu, flipping a tight game into a damaging defeat at a time when every inning matters.
Now the schedule only gets tougher in the one place the Astros can least afford it. They still have to finish the home slate against Atlanta, then close the season with six straight road games against division opponents, a stretch that leaves little room for mistakes and even less room for recovery if the bats or bullpen slip again. [Read more 🡒]