Good pitching, bad hitting. Good hitting, bad pitching. At least the Astros are consistent at something this season. And injuries. Shame on me for forgetting that crucial aspect of last season and this one. Add all of those factors together and you unsurprisingly get a 12-21 record on May 2.
The next month to six weeks are shaping up to be quite consequential for the Astros, in both the short- and long-term. We’ve already seen two struggling clubs with high payrolls and postseason aspirations fire their managers in Boston and Philadelphia. And, my apologies to Dana Brown, his recent vote of confidence for Joe Espada likely doesn’t mean much. Like Espada, Brown is also in the last year of his contract. Fair or not, his words are ringing a bit hollow when his own long-term status is far from settled.
Looking ahead, the month of May might make-or-break this season for Houston. I don’t like throwing that term out there early in a season because there is a lot of baseball left. But a similar .375 winning percentage across the next 28 games, including today’s against the Red Sox, will likely seal this team’s fate. And possibly cost some people in the organization their jobs.
How the pitching staff performs will greatly dictate their fortunes. Saturday’s starter, Spencer Arrighetti, has helped stop the constant bleeding from the rotation with a 2.00 ERA in 18 innings (3 starts). Whether he can continue at that pace is a good question. Until Hunter Brown returns this season, even if he does, Arrighetti is probably the Astros’ best starting pitcher at the moment. Any hopes for a May turnaround, however slight, begins with Arrighetti continuing to throw well.
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Spencer wont let us down