GAME REACTION: Houston Astros Struggle at Home vs Oakland Athletics — Can Injuries Explain It All?

GAME REACTION: Houston Astros Struggle at Home vs Oakland Athletics — Can Injuries Explain It All?

What a crap crap weekend for Astros baseball. I don’t know that it could have been. I guess if they got shut out yesterday, it would have just been worse, but that was as bad a series against a not very good baseball. Listen, they got a lot of good young players, but to be pitching this offense is this Astros offense isn’t good. It’s terrible. It’s terrible. They’re beaten 32 to7 this weekend at home by the A’s. That’s terrible. I mean, they’re five and 11 in their last 16. And at home now again with the home, they can’t win at home. They can’t win at home anymore. That’s done. That’s over. I mean, so, you know, but I got to tell you, it’s funny. I I I’m just a glass half full person. That’s clearly what I am because I, you know, I was so disappointed. But I’ve also but like realistically and I told you this already. I don’t see this as a World Series contending team. It’s just you know somebody asked me about it. It’s a it’s a great story. It’s a phenomenal story and I’ve been very excited to you know I don’t know about very excited but I’ve been happy to go along with it and let’s let’s see what happens man. You know, you always have the, you know, in your in your back in in the back of your mind, you’re like, well, you know, maybe when these guys come back or if they even come back. But, you know, there’s a lot of people I made a comment on Twitter about just how disappointing this was, how it doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence going, you know, getting beat 32 to7, 32-6 at the time when I posted the Astros scored a run in the bottom of the ninth, you know, meaningless run yesterday. And I had a few people who jumped out and like nah this is well they said they said what’s true this just a regression to the mean this is we’ve been playing way over our heads this was bound to happen and that’s true that’s true and that that I completely concur with and expected this to happen at some point not you know it looks it’s a little rough when it’s four straight at home like yeah you’re getting to the record that looks like a regression to the mean but the way you do it is still pretty brutal losing four at home in a So, uh, you can’t all of a sudden you can’t win a game at home at all. No. And but you know, but but there was a couple people said, “Nah, this is no big deal.” I mean, Pñena is going to be back. Yordon’s going to be back. All these starting pitchers are going to be back. Well, there is a lot of optimism out there now. I know. No, there there is. And maybe, and I want the record to reflect, I’m hoping the optimistic people I’m not one because I’ve seen this this whole getting guys back from injury thing. I This is This has been going on for freaking ever. I’m pretty I’m just over it now. You know, Yordon’s got Yordon can’t hold a bat without his hand twitching and damn near falling off. Uh Jeremy Pena now we’re in a pretty good run of Jeremy Pena being out by the way. Have you Have you re Have you recognized that? Yeah. I mean, this is this is longer than I was expecting. He got hit by a pitch and Jeremy’s been out what, three weeks now? Cracked Listen, a cracked rib. I was back on the radio the next day, but that’s me. Yeah, that’s you. I’m different. Okay. I’m built different. You’re built different. Yeah, he is taking a lot like I cracked my rib. Uh maybe you didn’t get hit by a pitch though. There was something. Yeah, but I was It was worse. I got stabbed by a stair and uh wine glass in my arm. And you know, listen, you fell. You slipped and fell on a stair that on the stairs and broke a and cracked a rib. A crack rib is a crack. I was playing golf again that like three or four days later. Oo. See, that’s what I’m talking about. Yeah. How’s Jeremy not playing shortstop? That’s what I’m saying. That’s what I’m saying. He’s going to lose his job to Zack Short if he’s not careful. Again, I’m built different. Okay. And maybe he should drink alcohol like I did just to ease the pain. That’s what that’s what that’s why that’s why I got back out there. Um but but yeah, but listen, this this team isn’t as good as being the best because they at for for a hot minute, a hot minute up until the night games, they had the best record in the American League and then that fell apart and then and then they were tied. Do you remember that when they were the best team in the American League? Yeah. Now they can’t win at home again. Listen, this team is probably regressing to the main where it should be. I think people are probably right. This team should not be, you know, not not as composed. This is this team should not be. But but here comes the cavalry. Jeremy is coming back. Eric Getty’s got one more start in the minor and then he’s coming back. How about that? Yeah. How big is that? And he should be the first pitcher to come back. Yeah, he should. He absolutely should be. And then Christian Javier, not far behind him. Lis Garcia. Luis Garcia uh having some some nice outings. Um and then not a not a great outing, too. But here’s the deal is is that that that they’re just not very good right now. And they’re back to listen, this started this started a while ago where they can’t win at home. And it’s back now. They turned that tide this year. Okay, that home thing is over. Couldn’t beat Detroit at home. Couldn’t win. Couldn’t beat the Rangers at home. You just I mean you just it’s just been ridiculous how much you can’t win at home and and and how bad this team was at home and they’re back to playing that baseball again. I’m glad they’re hitting the road. I’m glad they’re hitting the road right now. Oh no, they still got Washington for three. They got Washington for three. Crap. Yeah. And then they they’re at Boston at Miami. Aren’t they the ones that swept us last time? Aren’t the Yeah, Washington. Well, let’s not let’s face that. That was two 2021 won all four games. Didn’t Washington come in and sweep us not that long ago? Uh here. No. No. Cuz this they only come here once a year. Yeah. I could feel like we just got swept by them somewhere. Well, maybe it was. I I don’t remember. Do they I mean they’re not a good team, so they might I don’t remember. Yeah, they’re not a very good team. Not a very good team. Um but no, I think this is this is this this is the only time you play them here. So here’s the deal. Yeah, they’re a crap team, so they’ll probably come in and sweep. Well, I listen after that Arizona series, I knew I I to the morning of I said, “Uh this is bad. This is bad. Athletics coming in here. This is bad.” And and not 32 to7 bad though. I mean that’s almost ridiculous. It’s almost ridiculous how bad with Hunter Brown on the mound. Okay, Colton Gordon pitched. He pitched well enough. They’re they’re just ridiculous. I mean, Jason Alexander I mean pitched okay. You lose five to two. You actually had the tying run at the plate in the eighth inning and that was so weak that Jose Altuve popup that swing was so bad. This everybody is just really really terrible right now. And I don’t know Joe I know maybe listen it was only a week one weekend series and and Joe Aspata still got him 14 games over 500 but this that the way that they’re looking right now I thought Joe was a lock for manager of the year maybe not so much and some people are starting to I saw yesterday I don’t know who was it Michael Schwab Michael Schwab was out there hey if this is on Jim and Dana for doing absolutely nothing so far and not helping this baseball team I I’m I’m torn on this one. I’m torn on this one. I don’t agree with it. I don’t think you just do stuff just because you have injuries. These aren’t season ending injuries. Well, they’re not supposed to be. Peris probably is. Pretty. Yeah. I mean, it Yeah. Golly. I mean, it sounds like the way But have we gotten any? No. Did he crack a Is is there a bone that’s cracked that they haven’t that’s swollen and they can’t see? Did he tear his hamstring off his bone? I don’t know. It looked like At least there at least You know what? At least maybe they’re doing this. Oh, it’s terrible. It’s back. And he’s back in two weeks because they just want us to Let’s not take any chances, guys. Well, or Oh, see you guys. See, we’re not We didn’t underestimate this time. We actually overestimated this time. And look, he’s back. No, they ain’t doing that. To Pedes is And listen, Ryan McMahon, he signed the the Colorado third baseman signed with the Yankees. Y’all can have him because the only time I mean you y’all can have a guy that’s hitting 260 in Colorado or whatever he’s hitting and I don’t I’m I’m I wasn’t a big fan. Um Luheno Suarez would be would be nice. Josh B is plus 750. He’s third. AJ Hinch minus 105 is second and John Schneider of of Toronto is the favorite for Well, he’s Yeah, he’s got the best record. So manager of the year minus 12. He’s got the best record. But Jo Espatada Joe Joada not having more love than than than than AJ is kind of ridiculous. I mean, I I guess they’re just not looking at what AJ’s doing with with the players that he’s doing it with. Of course, the Astros go into nose dives, but listen, everybody’s gone in nose dives this year. I mean, there’s no dominant team. There’s no dominant American League team. Detroit went into a nose dive. The Dodgers have been in a nose dive. The Yankees have been in a nose dive. The it team, you know what? That’s just it’s baseball. That’s just baseball. That’s just what happens. Except the Astros do it at home against really crappy crappy teams. I don’t have I don’t I don’t know what kind of hope you have for this Washington series. They’re really not a good team coming in here. So, they probably sweep or win two out of three. There was a time when the Astros went 13 straight series without losing one. Now they can’t even Now they can’t even get a win in a game against against crappy teams which is which is really really tough to it was that was a terrible I mean okay Nick Curts is a good he he is a he’s a really good young player but you made that dude look like Babe Ruth this weekend. Well he was Babe Ruth one game. Well, he was the four. Let’s cover that. If he was better, he had the greatest rookie game in baseball history in the history of the of the sport that seemingly has gone on for 200 years. Right. Right. Four He had four home runs, eight RBI’s. He was six of six. Like, I don’t know how he only had eight RBI’s to be honest with you. If you have four home runs and you have six hits, Yeah. that you typically are going to end up with like 10 RBI’s. Well, Listen, he was that guy. I I’m just That is just ridiculous letting him just just walk him in the last at bat. I don’t I know it’s 14 to1 or 14-3, whatever it was. Walk him. Do not let that dude hit four home runs off of you and you look like you look terrible. All right. I mean, we That was That was a weekend. They deserve to get blasted. You know what? They’re they’re better than they’re supposed to be with at 14 games over 500, but boy oh boy did they look did they look inept. Come on. The A’s aren’t the A’s aren’t good enough. The A’s have some young guys, but they’re not I mean, you know, your pitching needs to be better. Cole Hmel got his first appearance this this week on Friday. Cole Hmel made an appearance on the Nice Cole Hmel. Congratulations on your gave up a bomb. Sucked as well. He should. That guy’s got that guy just doesn’t know how to locate his pitches and they took him yard. Yeah, Nick Curt’s got him. I mean, for the most part, you had I mean, you for most of the game you had three hits against the A’s. I mean, this pitching this is Are you kidding me? Are you really kidding me? Ken gave up three hits, four strikeouts, no walks. You just looked as incompetent at the plate. All All four of these games you looked incompetent at the plate. These aren’t killers that are throwing on the mound for them either. No, no, no. All right. Well, that’s the Astros. All right. That there that was just as pitiful a weekend as possible. I don’t Yeah, listen. We’ve had worse weekends, I guess. I guess there have been. But I guess this is how the Dodgers felt when the Astros left. Except the Astros at least were one of the top teams, right? Yeah, but they did get beat by a bunch of nobodyies. Yeah, really. They did. I remember Zack Short made his first appearance in that series. Uh yeah, and destroyed them. And destroyed them. I mean, listen, this that was they got beat by by the the space Cowboys at home. I It had to feel like that for the Dodgers, right? Only they they play only the Astros play in a real stadium at home. You You lost to a team that has a real stadium. The A’s don’t even have a real stadium. Yeah. They play in Sacramento at some high school or so it seems. It’s not actually one. I just like to say that. No, it’s a Well, that’s a minor league stadium. It’s about I don’t know how much better it is than some high school stadiums. I’m sure in Allen, Texas, they have a nicer stadium. I’m sure that there’s a better baseball stadium than than the one they play in in Sacramento in Allen or somewhere somewhere in Texas. I’m sure because that’s what we do. We build really nice stadiums. Of course, football’s m really nice football stadiums is what we

⚾️ The Houston Astros faced a challenging weekend at home, dropping a tough series to the Oakland Athletics. In this game reaction, we take a closer look at what happened, how the team performed, and whether there’s still reason to believe in a postseason push.

The Oakland Athletics came in strong — with rookie Nick Kurtz delivering one of the best games of his career, looking like a seasoned vet against Houston’s pitching. Just days ago, the Houston Astros held the best record in the American League… but this weekend raised new questions.

🔙 There’s still hope on the horizon. Key players like Jeremy Peña, Spencer Arrighetti, Christian Javier, and Luis Garcia are on track to return from the IL. And while Joe Espada may no longer be in the Manager of the Year conversation, his leadership through adversity has been nothing short of impressive.

💭 Should Astros fans be concerned — or confident — as the season continues?

🎥 Watch the full breakdown and join the conversation.

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