Daulton Varsho, Christian Walker, Cam Smith, Taylor Trammell, and Christian Vázquez were a combined 0-for-18 with ten strikeouts against the Rays on Saturday. It isn’t the only reason that the Astros lost, but it is certainly a key reason.
This lineup sans Yordan Alvarez isn’t a good watch at the moment. There are games even with him present that I don’t actively try to remember this season. Jeremy Peña’s slump, once again, continues. Isaac Paredes, Jose Altuve, and Yainer Diaz did their best to pick up the slack, but it doesn’t help when six of the nine hitters literally put up zeroes other than strikeouts or an occasional walk. The next general manager (please don’t be Jeff Bagwell or Brad Ausmus) is going to have a fun time trying to figure out how to improve the bottom half of this lineup for next season, if or when that happens.
Honestly, I’m not terribly upset with the pitching staff about this loss. Sure, Peter Lambert was charged with three runs, but he did throw six good innings. One of those runs was due to him allowing a leadoff double to Liam Hicks in the top of the seventh before Bennett Sousa entered the game. Lambert was also able to get a nice double play on Junior Caminero in the sixth. Struck out four and walked no one. The bullpen had some issues, with Sousa letting Hicks score, although the run was charged to Lambert. AJ Blubaugh and Bryan King combined to load the bases in the eighth but escaped unscathed.
A little better hitting here or there likely swings this series to the Astros’ favor. Why do I have a feeling that I might be typing out that same sentence in October? That’s encouraging against the best team in the AL, though. In any case, Houston lost a game in the standings, with both the Rangers and Mariners winning. Well, technically, Seattle was winning 12-1 over the A’s in the eighth inning, but it is virtually a guaranteed win for them at this point.
Feature photo from Astros on X
Let’s see the game from the manager perspective. 5th inning Astros 1 TB 0. First batter of the inning reach 1st. base. Another hit, runner on 1st and 3rd. These young players can fly on the bases. Next batter bunt, runners on 2nd. and 3rd. one out, DP is off the table. Another hit, TB 2 Astros 1. Runner on 1st out trying to steal 2nd.
I see a young team running, and a manager bunting, stealing, and using all resources available to him to score runs.
The Astros are made of old elephants, trotting the bases. Hitting a HR or 4 hits in one inning to score one run.
I imagine Espada in the dugout taking notes, rehearsing for the postgame show while glancing at the game.
We’ve become used to Astros outfield ofers (0 for 11 yesterday), but half the infield isn’t producing either. Pena’s in a prolonged slump, and then there’s Walker: .595 OPS/.202 BA in Aug, .476 OPS/.179 BA in September. He’s been awful. In all seriousness, Nick Allen would’ve been better.
After posting the above, I saw a reference in a McTaggart story that Walker is batting .198 since May 4. That kind of performance from 1B is intolerable. Bench him. Who to sub? Wade, Allen, I don’t care. But Walker has to go.