April 25, 2025 • 30 mins
The Astros on a roll after sweeping the Blue Jays, with the offense starting to pick up. Zach Dezenzo has been emerging as a spark that the team really likes. And the pitching staff has been nails, with Hunter Brown becoming a strong ace of the staff.
The Crawford Boxcast is presented by Karbach Brewing and the Crawford Bock! Hosted by Chris Gordy & Ross Villarreal.
The Crawford Boxcast is presented by Karbach Brewing and the Crawford Bock! Hosted by Chris Gordy & Ross Villarreal.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Astros fans cheers, wacky Lucky.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to the Crawford Box Cast as crowd leadboard for
you by Crawford Bach from Carmack Brewy.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
You're getting bear.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Oh my goodness. The Crawford Box Cast starts now Here
we go. Here's Chris Gordy and Ross Viarel.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
It is an all new edition of the Crawford Box
Cast presented by Carbock Brewing and the Crawford Bach and
Chris Gordy here with Ross Veriel. And how about those
red hot Astros coming off the series win over the
Red Hot San Diego Padres, taking two out of three
against them, they go and sweep the Toronto Blue Jayson
And behold your Houston Astros are back above five hundred
(00:57):
and thirteen and eleven and off day to day, starting
up a series in Kansas City this weekend. And by
the way, Kansas City Royals they can't score. They stink.
I thought the Astros have problem scoring. The Royal stink
at scoring the baseball. But welcome into the Crawford Box. Guest.
Wont to re mind you guys, uh depend on what
you're listening to this Friday night on April twenty fifth,
(01:17):
Carbock Brewing into Beer Garden official Astros watch party. If
you guys are looking for a spot to go, take
the family, bring some friends, have some bruise. Head on
over there to Carbock Brewing for an official Astros watch party.
I saw Ross they're going to have Orbit the Shooting Stars,
the Championship trophies. Same. We can go take pictures with
(01:38):
the trophies. Five dollars Crawford Box Yo, five dollars Crawford Palel.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
That's dangerous because I'm supposed to do the post game.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Yeah, I'm gonna cut you off at four. I think
four mixed with some.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Waters and you'll you should cut me off at like two.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
I think you'll be okay. But either way, drink responsibily.
But coming out to Carbock Brewing and enjoy some ice
cooled Crawford Box and Ross just got confirmation a celebrity appear.
Its not just yours truly. Are you coming?
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Uh? I can do postgame from there?
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Right? Yeah? Sure, come on, okay, I'm I'm going from there. Yeah,
so I we'll both be there. So that's celebrity, yes,
But Astro's legend, Michael Bourne will be that's.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Nimit's high school legend Michael Bourne.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
So I might actually have to get him on the
pre game. Okay, wonderful, get him on. But we all
have to talk about because the Astros feeling much better
about the squad just a week from where we were
a week ago, with the offense starting to come out
of hibernation. We've had Christian Walker's bats starting to get gone,
hitting some home runs. We've had pitching just absolutely on fire.
(02:40):
For the starting pitching, it's been outstanding. So where do
you want to start? I mean, this thing is uh
got a lot good to talk about.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Yah, let's just start in overall and in general philosophy.
We can definitely get into Christian Walker, like you said,
Cherry Penney with a couple of hits, with Zach Desenzo
his role, we can get into. But over these last games,
with them winning five of their last six right now,
a lot of it is what we were hoping to
see from them the start of the season. Right we
talked about this. This isn't gonna be the best offense
(03:06):
in baseball. It's not gonna be the twenty seven Yankees.
It's not gonna be what the Dodgers have right now.
But it's gonna be scoring five, six, seven runs like
that with the pitching being good enough. They haven't exploded
for double digit runs except for that game against the
Los Angeles Angels. But what we saw this last week
that we hope can hold up is to where the
(03:28):
pitching is good.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
And too great against some really good lineups.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
By the way, it's talking about both starting pitching, we're
starting to see some bullpen pecking order, Brian King clearly
taking over the role as a seventh inning guy.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
You've got a couple of scoreless innings out of Force Whitley.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
So it is to the looking like to a t
the way we envision this team to where they're not
gonna be just bashing everyone with their bats, but really
good pitching, enough hitting, some competent hitting, especially at the
top of the lineup. This looks like Astros Baseball twenty
twenty five of what we've been wanting to see this
(04:06):
whole season.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Yeah, and it's a star contrast to this is what
we wanted last April when they came out so sleepy
and Alex Bregman couldn't get going, and you know, Kyle
Tucker was okay, and.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
He's going by the way he had another home run
for Boston today.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Yeah, it's I'll give you a stat a little bit
on numbers that are absolutely nuts so when it comes
to runs in this league. But yeah, I just think
it's and the two teams you did it against Ross,
I mean, you come out of Saint Louis, drop it
two out of three there and you just disappointed because
Saint Louis wasn't that great. But the Padres came into
that series, is the best team in baseball, like their
(04:39):
record wise, they had a better record than the Dodgers,
and you took two out of three. Really had a
chance to win that Sunday night baseball game where Fromber
was really good. You lose three to two whatever, but
you still took the series. And then to go against Toronto,
who was also about five hundred, so that you know,
these are two good teams that you took care of
business and you've won five to the last six. This
should give them some confid now going up to Kansas City,
(05:01):
who have struggled scoring. You'll come back home for Detroit,
the team that beat you in the Wildcart Series. But
you know, barring in appearance from Dark schoobl who I
think you may avoid in that series. We'll see how
it chaps up. But again, another series you should win.
Then it's up to Chicago to play the White Sox.
So we're actually been a little bit better pitching wise
than we thought. I'm sails to say some winnable games here.
(05:24):
You played great against the two really good teams. Now
go take care of business against the crappier teams.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Yeah, you're in a really good spot right now. With
the way that the division is, things are shaking out
right now. It is going to probably be still the Mariners, Rangers,
Astros at the top of the division. You have the
A's and the Angels back at the bottom of the division,
which we expected. So you're turning things around. You're looking good,
you're hitting enough, the pitching has been absolutely dominant, and yeah,
(05:51):
they kind of sat up in their chairs and said, oh, okay,
San Diego Padres in town, let's get after that. We've
seen this from then throughout the couple of years where
it's like, oh, we just got swept by the are
you know, losing games against the White Sox or whoever.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
And then the good teams coming to town and the.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Astros for whatever reason start to take things more seriously,
and it looks they'd look a lot better. They sometimes
played down to the competition, but they seem to always
play up to the competition as well, and that's what
they did.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
They've done in these last couple of series.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
I guess I didn't realize Detroit is actually ahead of
Cleveland at the moment. They are fifteen to ten leading
the Central Division. So aj Hinch doing some things out there. Well.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
I just think if they had added Alex bregmant like
they wanted to too, even better.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
And justin Verlider by the way they were hoping to
bring him back. But yeah, look's let's talk a little
bit about the lineup, because you know, you mentioned this
team hitting better and all that you know today is
kind of He cooled off a little bit, right He
was red hot to start the season. Average is two
ninety three right now, slugging four four ops seven to
twenty eight. It's still really good. Jake Myers cool off
(06:55):
a little bit. He was above three hundred. He's down
to two sixty five. But quick, it's it's real quick
finding out a little bit. Payne is starting to pick
it up. He's up to two fifty three, which is
better than where he had been. But how about Zach
Dezenzo getting an opportunity, getting a little bit more playing
time now they like that Zach Dezenzo, And I know
(07:15):
he's only got twenty two played appearances, but seven hits,
that's a three eighteen batting average, does have nine strikeouts.
But they're gonna give him more opportunities. It was very interesting.
Ross was the other day before pregame, Cam Smith was
taking some balls in center. There seems to be a
thought that perhaps Zach Dezenzo could get some run in
(07:37):
right field, if Cam Smith could play some games in center.
It's just they're gonna they may try it out. It's
not gonna be a permanent thing, but they're just trying
to find I think, creative ways to get Zach Dezenzo's
bat more in the lineup in a way.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
I mean, you do have to communicate with your your outfielders,
and I'm just kind of thinking out loud here in
a way, could you maybe argue that center might even
be easier than right field. You're not playing a many
member of camps without the issue with the ball. He
thought it was gonna cary him off the right side,
it didn't and it kind of rolled all the way
to the back and dealing with the sidelines and stuff
(08:13):
like that.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
In a way, maybe centerfield could be even easier for him.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Now he's got it's it's a tougher job because you
have to cover more ground.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
But he's got he's fast, he.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Gets good jumps, he's getting good reads, he's got a
much stronger arm than Jake Myers does out there in
center field. You're looking for ways to get him and
as you said, Dezenzo into this lineup and Decenzo I
think is really intriguing and can we kind of talked
about this in the preseason, like guys that we think,
you know, question marks and what are you gonna get
out of Zach Decenzo.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
We don't know.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Last year he wasn't on any top hundred prospects except
Baseball Perspectives had him at number forty, and one of
the big reasons they did that was because of his power.
Now would he fell off of everybody's top prospects list
this upcoming year, But somebody saw something in him enough
to put him on a list, and that thing was
the power that he has. And as you said, The
(09:02):
Astros like him, they like his approach, they like how
I mean, he's tall, he's rangy, he can play in
many different positions, and he has a lot of pop
in that bat when he gets a hold of it.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
He's hitting.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
You know, these hits are coming out like one hundred
and six hundred and ten miles off hours off the bat.
It's not like he's getting a bunch of blop cheepies.
He's smacking the ball right now. So that is something
that will be intriguing for us to see. How do
they carve out.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
A role for him?
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Well, it's a it's a good problem for Joe Spotta.
But where does he play and how often?
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Well that's why I brought up the right field thing.
We did see though them giving Christian Walker a break.
He's the backup first baseman. I mean he's he got
playing time there. You know, I think he could play
some third base if you need. I mean, he's he
really is a utility man. I think you can plug
him in different spots. So you know, it's just it's
just another storyline to watch in another young talent that look,
(09:53):
Baseball America be damned. This team is. They have proven
the last few years. We don't care about your rankings, bro,
all these years of worst worst, uh you know whatever,
prospect farm systems in baseball and all this. The Astros
don't care. They are finding gems and you know, I
say gems, but like diamonds in the rough. Chas McCormick
(10:15):
was not highly thought of, Jake Myers was not highly
thought of, Jeremy Tanya wasn't even that highly thought it,
but he was. But that just mean, like, you know,
we get these breaking news alerts when it's like, oh,
these are calling up their top prospect and all this.
It's like the Astros have called up dudes who were
like the eighth best prospect, well the eleventh best prospect,
and they've become contributors on the team. So uh, it's
(10:36):
just been it's been fun to watch, and yeah, it's
gonna be fun to see you know, de Zenzo get
get maybe some a little more playing time here.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Yeah, I just it's gonna be where do they find
the time. Like you said, if I'll be intriguing if
if Cam Smith does play some center field, if they
trust him to be out there, so that that would
free things up for right field, because you me. You
mentioned Jake Myers and Chas McCornick, but I mean those guys. Look,
Chas McCormick just had his third happy thirtieth birthday. To
Chas McCormick, like, it's not like he's some you know
(11:05):
people think of was like, oh yeah, he just needs
that opportunity.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
He's like, dude's thirty years old.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
And I think Jake Myers is like twenty eight, twenty nine,
So we're not talking about spring chickens. And I like
Jake the president of the fan club and all that
type stuff, But uh, I think long term, if you
had to guess, ask me, you know, if we listed
those guys Dozenzo and McCormick and Myers, who has the
better long term potential? I would go with Dezenzo. But
(11:30):
that also does mean because we just haven't seen a
lot from Zach Desonzo and he hasn't had the opportunities
to fail in ways that that Chas McCormick and Jake
Myers have.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Real quick What more on the hitters, Christian Walker is
the average is up to two h two.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Now, who you know, but hitting home runs?
Speaker 3 (11:47):
Guy, he just hit his third home run.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
He cleared his mind with that day off.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Starting to get a little bit more power. So let's
let's hope this is the start of something to come,
and then you're on Alvarez. The average is still around
two twenty to twenty one, but Joe Spotta says he
likes the bats he's given. Dana Brown said, he goes,
he's making hard contact. They're just finding guys. He goes,
Eventually those are gonna find holes and they'll drop. So
(12:11):
they're not discouraged by Jordan his plate approaches that they
think it'll even have.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
Yeah, he's got to do.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Uh, he's got to stop sending his hard hit contact
to the center field at minute made like pull either
pull it or puck it the other way man, because
center field in at I'm sorry, did I say minute
made Dakin dyk in park?
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Oh man, that's that's matts me into the change.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
We're gonna if he's gonna keep hitting them the dead center,
let's bring back tals Hill. Yeah, and make it a
little bit easier for that ball to again.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Well, no, Towns Hill is like four thirty five back
there or something crazy.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Maybe hit off the flag pole, off the flag by
the center fielder.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Just pull it just pull it in the upper deck
on stop hitting your all your hard hit contact to center.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
And I've seen him do it like when he takes VP.
You'll you'll watch him and take BP once and he
hits them all the left and they hits them all
the right and then he's so it's like he knows
he can do it in batting practice.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
So well, Betty, it's a little bit different than the game, unfortunately.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
I know, but it's just it's weird that one of
baseball's most feared hitters is batting two twenty one with
what's he got just to homers or a month into
the season.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Just about Yeah, that is unfortunate, honestly.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
I mean, he could heat up in a hurry, obviously
coming bunches.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
But you you mentioned it.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
And we kind of talked about this in one of
our season previews, Gordy, is that we want him to
make that next leap. He's been like a top five,
top ten hitter in baseball, but how about like top three,
how about not necessarily Look Aaron Judge and what he's
doing is basically historically unprecedented, but like getting to forty
home runs, getting that ops to over one thousand to
(13:44):
where you know he's hitting those years right now where
you can hit that stride into your prime.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
He's just a designated hitter.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
He doesn't it's not like he's out there getting tired
in the field to where he can hone his craft
and really step up to that next level. And unfortunately
with this slow start, it kind of even while he
he'll heat up, I don't think with just two home
runs right now, heat up to the point where he
hits over forty.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
Yeah. I mean We've got Mike trot with aid homers,
Fernado Tassis with eight homers, we got Aaron Judges with seven,
Kyle Schwarber with seven, Kyle Tucker with seven, Paging Alvarez.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Like so right now, even with a hot shrink that
will be coming and is going to happen, him heating
up to the point to where he's going to get
to forty home runs, get just it's getting lesser and
lesser likely by the day.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
So that is the hitters, And jan Air said, a
couple of days with some hits, so let's hope to three.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Game hit streak. Crossed our fingers.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
He is a long way to go for me. One
seventy three batting average, a two five on base percentage,
two eighty slugging and a four eighty five ops two
five on base was one of the best sitting catchers
in baseball last year.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Yeah, we talked about it. Though. He hits everything.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
He doesn't walk enough, so if he's a little bit
off with his swing, it's it's to be what we're seeing.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Give me more Carrotini, damn it. I want them more platooning.
I want fifty to fifty. I don't want yan a
outs every day.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Well, they've hardly been facing any lefties. But yeah, but
Kartini is the switch hitter, so you'd want him more
against the rights they've been facing.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Yeah, he does.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
All right, let's switch gears over to the pitching because
the words of the immortal Dusty Baker, brother Brown is
bringing it right, Yeah, Brown, Cotter Brown has is bringing
a stuff to this club. My goodness, A one sixteen era.
He has been nothing short of outstanding through five starts
(15:38):
so far, three to one record, thirty one innings pitched,
just four earned runs on the season, thirty one strikeouts.
He has been. I mean he's been. That's the ace
of your staff. One sixteen era outstanding.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
I don't know how often I've said this about Astros pitchers.
I mean there's been some of course throughout the years,
but he's on the list now. Must watch baseball. You
see Hunter Brown and you're looking at the problem pictures.
You're like thinking, oh, maybe I'll go to a game
this weekend. Find Hunter Brown and go to that game
and watch him pitch, watch him work, Watch his attitude.
Watch how he gets pissed off when people get on
(16:15):
base against him. Watch how he gets pissed off that
you even stand when he strikes you out. He's pissed off,
you even stood in the batter's box. Man, He's got
that attitude, He's got that edge.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Man.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
He must watch baseball is the phrase I'm using now
with Hunter Brown.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Yeah, it's he's he's been outstanding, man, and all the
talk of remember you know when we interviewed him coming
up and he idolized Justin Verlander and he learned a
lot from JV and his time here on all this.
It's crazy. Ross. We just passed the one year anniversary
of that game against Kansas City, against the Royals up
at KC where he could not get out of the
first inning, gave up nine earned runs, and yet here
(16:52):
we are a year later talking about ace of the staff.
One of the best pictures in the American League since
I forget what the date is, but it's something like
maybe last year. From then to now one of the best.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
He's got the best. I believe it's the best. Yeah,
American League era.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
I think there's three National League pitchers ahead of him,
but since May first, he's got like the best era
in the American League.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
It's unbelievable. And with the injury to Spencer Arraghetti, who
is sidelined for god knows how long. You know it's
Fromber has been spotty up and down Fromber. I mean
when Fromber's on, he's really good, and oh Rober's not. Man,
it's like a head case out there, but I seem
to be a little bit encouraged to run out. Blanco
had a really nice outing last time, so hopefully he's
(17:33):
getting back right. We're a little concerned because he did
ended the best spring, but he seems to be getting right.
Hayden wiz Nesky has been a nice He's been exactly
what you wanted the guy to be your number five guy.
And then Ryan Ryan Gusto has really emerged. As you know,
his strikeout stuff is really good. You know, he's he's
not gonna be lights up, but that's not what you
expect out of your four or five guys. So he's
(17:56):
been good. And dare I say it, Lance mc despite a.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Sickness the stomach budd.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
He's expected to get another rehab start here and he
is getting very close to getting back here, and you
know you will have a surplus of pitching.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
It seems like, yeah, thirty three pitches in a bullpen
earlier this week, so supposed to get another rehab start
that things got pushed back because of the stomach bug.
And we had Joe Spot on the Matt Toma Show
with Ross he joins us Tuesdays at twelve thirty. He
talked about going to a six man rotation. They've had
these days off, but I think they're coming out of
his stretch. It's like seventeen games and seventeen days something
(18:33):
like that. So we could very well see things get
stretched out to a six man rotation coming up here
with Lances mc Collors Junior being a part of it.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
That's crazy, and I think the tough part becomes with Gusto.
You've stretched him out now and into a starter you
can't bring. You know, he started he started off the
year in the bullpen and then became a starter. Yeah,
so like, okay, just because you bring mccullors comes back
and let's say he's good and he holds that spot down,
I mean do you keep do you then move Gusto
to the bullpen? Well, that's not fair because he's already
(19:01):
stretched as a starter. Or do you send him down
a triple A, Well that's not fair. He's pitching well
at the big league level. I sent him there, but
he would get full starts down there. So that's where
the tough part becomes. Is like when you change a
guy's role like this, or you establish the role, it's
hard to take him out of that role.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Well, it will also see I mean, how effective does
the Lance Paculler's junior and dare I say even at
some point set it stuff suffer a setback. We've seen
it before, so hopefully it doesn't happen. But that'll be
one of those good problems. Oh no, I've got too
many good starting pitchers.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
Like I'd almost wonder if you did go to five
man go full time six hold gus, so, hey, look,
we don't know how many innings Lances, you're going to
be the piggyback.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
You can do the piggyback situation.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Yeah, you can say Lance piccolors is going to go
for three innings, but then I mean you're kind of
burning a roster spot. You're for two guys for one
spot there. So I don't know. It'll be interesting to
see and and how much mccullor's does get built up.
They were saying, going into what was supposed to be
his last probably his last restart rehab start last week,
they're going to try to get him to seventy five
eighty pitches. I know he threw thirty three in the bullpen.
(19:58):
I don't know what they're going to try to get
him this weekend.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
The last start, what he get four so I think
it was.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Sixty one or something like that, or something like innings.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
I think the hope would be if he can get
you five, great, but that you know that that I
don't think he's coming back out and giving you six
or seven innings like the old Lance mcgallers.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Unless he's just throwing a perfect game or something. He'd
be sweet.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
But again we'll hold out hope on that. We did
hear an update on Eric Getty. They said something like
four weeks I think, till they think he can get
back on a mound and start holding and throwing a
baseball again. So again, you do the math. I mean
you're looking at it's the thumb on the throwing hands,
sombe somewhere post All Star break. I would say, maybe
(20:37):
you get Rogeddy back, but I don't know. Nobody data
Brown didn't want to put a timeline on it because
there isn't There is no timeline. You don't know. It's
all on how quickly his body responds when he gets
back up there and starts throwing a ball again. So uh,
but you know that you got that, And then there's
the idea. I mean, Luis Garcia was throwing a baseball
around the other day a minute at Dyke and Park.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Nah, I thought he was shut down. He's not shut
down anymore.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
Well, he was not not throwing off a mount. He
was playing catch. Yes, But like that's one to keep
an eye on. Maybe at some point later in the
year you get him back. And then and then you
know JP France and Christian Javier. I don't know if
either of them will be back this year. Javier seems
like the long, longest stretch France could be. I'm just
(21:19):
saying we're a month, then it's a long season. I'm
just bringing these names up that because.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Data forgot existed.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Dana Brown brought this up with with Shawn Salisbury. It's like,
if we ever get to a world where we get
all those guys back, and we were paying them all
but if we if we get them all back, think
of what you have the best pitching staff in baseball?
Like that's that's a a great problem.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Yeah, let's think. Okay, well Frommer is gonna be gone
next year, but yeah, if you go next, if you
get vier.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Er good, he's one of the best pitchers of baseball.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Yeah, so let's let's do it.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
And then do that, then it'll be Hunter Brown, Javy
or maybe arrag Getty, Javier McCullers.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
If those are all good. I mean, you've got four
good starters right there and.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
Didn't well you didn't mention Blanco, Hayden was neskysto. Yeah,
and then the guy's knocking on the door in Triple A,
Colton Gordon and aj Bluebell both be pitching well. So
again it's it's a good problem to have. It's just
you know, it's it just exacerbates. O. God, these damn
injuries like they all hit at one, like the same time,
(22:20):
all these Tommy John's and everything else just really sucks.
Because the story of the twenty two World Series, the
reason the Astors won that World Series was because the
pitching was so dominant, so good. You know, the fact
Jeremy Pana wins World Series MVP, he didn't have to
do much because the pitching was shutting down, wasn't it.
You didn't even have to use their Katie and uh
it was it, Luis Carcia, Like, you didn't even have
(22:41):
to use those guys.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
I can't remember.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
It's been a while, but I'm just bringing that up
because pitching, pitching can get you there. Pitching.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
You have a young Hunter Brown, I think come maybe
got like one appearance in those playoffs.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
Two right, Yeah, I think he pitched on a blowout though, Yeah,
something like that. But regardless, the.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
Pitching, pitching factory in Houston, Yes.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Good pitching can solve a lot of woes. And you know, look,
you look at this Astros team. And what's crazy, Ross
is the offense. It's been better as of late. But
do you know run totals the Astros have only scored
I want to say, it's ninety one runs on the year.
Do you know the Cubs have scored like one hundred
and sixty eight runs on the year.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Yeah, they've only the fourteen run game against Angel isn't
that the only double digit game?
Speaker 3 (23:26):
You may be right, I just know they did.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
And they had the ninety seven comeback.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
I was just looking at total total runs scored on
the season.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Yeah, they've done double digits once. I'm pulling it up here.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
But they must be averaging six runs a night, seven
runs a night, Like it's it's to average that number
or to score that many runs. We're gonna look this
up live on the on the Crawford Box cast here.
But the point I was trying to make in this
is the team you're about to see this weekend Ross.
The Kansas City Royals rank second to last in all
(23:59):
of baseball in runs scored, with seventy one on the year.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
I got the met last in runs per game two
point nine to six, and the Astros are twenty second
three point eight three.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
I was going runs per game. I was just saying
total runs scored on the season, right, And yeah, Kansas City, well, yeah,
they're definitely their first.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
In runs per game now yet more than the Yankees
with one sixteen. Arizona in third.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
One sixty three. The Cubs have scored the Yankees one
thirty seven. Astros kind of in the bottom half at
ninety two. And yeah, the Royals and the Rockies tied
for dead last at seventy one, scored seventy one runs
scored on the season. What are discrepancy though, that Dorels
have scored seventy one runs in the year and the
Cubs have won sixty three. That's just that's insane.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
That's crazy.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
If you're scoring one hundred and sixty three runs on
the year at this point, not even a month into
the into the season, your pitching doesn't even have to
do anything. They can give up eight runs a nine
don't matter. You're gonna win more games often than not.
I mean, that's insane.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Crazy thing on this list too, of runs per game.
Seattle in tenth.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
Yeah, they've they've woken up. Those bats got going. And
question and I don't know whether they see where their
era is because it feels like their starters haven't been
as as dominant as they have been in recent years.
So far. Again, it's very early, but it's just one
of those things that and the crazy part about this
division it is separated. Everybody's separated by just three games,
(25:27):
like three games total in the entire division.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Yeah, Astro's fourth in team era, very nice, Seattle fifteenth.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
Yeah, so we're used to seeing Seattle top top ten
in ERA with the starters that they have. But the
American League West race as of this recording Astros off day,
the Rangers first place at fourteen and ten, Seattle second
place at thirteen and eleven, tied with the Astros, the
Angels game and a half behind them at eleven and twelve,
(25:58):
and the A's coming up the rear and eleven and thirteen,
just three games back at the division lead. So you
talk about everybody kind of hanging around here, and I
bring it up because you look at the NL West,
the Rockies are eleven and a half behind the Padres already,
like their season is already, God, phone it in.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
How many wins do they have now? Four?
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Four and eighteen? I mean in then an American league.
The White Sox are five and nineteen. They're nine and
a half back in Detroit. I mean, both those teams,
their seasons are over already. Oh my god, we just started.
Your seasons are horrible. There's no way April twenty fourth,
I mean easy. You'd have to win at like a
seventy five percent rate the rest of the way to
(26:37):
get back into the playoff hunt.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
Well, thankfully the Astro is still in it. They're on
a nice winning run and in a very winnable division.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
Yeah, last kind of thought here, just kind of looking
at the division races, it's pretty crazy. Baltimore's five games back.
They're dead last in the AL East. That was a
lot of people's World Series pick, like, oh or since
the year they take that step forward. Well, they are
nine and fourteen and five back in their division. The Twins,
who are a nice little playoff story the Lass, you know,
(27:05):
recent years, they're nine and fifteen, five and a half
back in their division. You look in the National League,
the Braves dead last in the NL East. Now they
have gotten better, but they're still ten and fourteen. That's
a team that people thought, you know, could be a
playof a World Series contender. And then you know the
Diamondbacks who got third to World Series. Was that two
(27:28):
years ago against the Rangers. They're fourteen and ten playing
good baseball, but you're fourth in that division. That to
me is the best division. You take up the Rockies,
but the Padres, San Francisco, Giants, Dodgers, and Diamondbacks, they're
all fourteen and ten or better.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
I mean, that's that's a part of the reason the
Rockies probably aren't winning.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
Yeah, I mean they're getting beat up the Dodgers and
their ridiculous payroll, the Padres and their ridiculous lineup. Giants
have actually been a nice surprise. Their pitching has been
really good. So anyway, just kind of the land cape,
look around the league and uh, hey, hopefully you guys
will be watching Astros baseball or listening on Sports Talk
seven ninety and enjoying an ice col Crawford bock from
(28:09):
our friends at Carbock Brewing. You know what, when you
see it, the Tequila Sunrise Stripes was at the ballpark
just a week ago. I had a nice ice cool
Crawford bok in the big can they give you the
big Cans. They don't give it a little small cans
when you're at the ballpark. So joy and ice cool
Crawford back when you're out there, and especially if you
had out two car Bock Brewing and the Beer Garden.
Join us for the Astros watch party officially Friday, April
(28:30):
twenty fifth for Astros and Royals. A little bit of
an earlier first pitch see what's up these six to
forty first pitch tell very strange thirty minutes earlier.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
I'm okay with it, honestly as somebody I'm doing postgame Friday.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
So all right with it.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Yeah, not having to be at the ballpark past the
eleven like we used to back in the day. But anyway,
enjoyed ice Cool Crawford bock from our friends at Carbock Brewing.
It's always in season for ross Vere. Ala'm Chris Cordy.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
Wit a second. Sometimes you always say do you have
one more thing? And I was going to give one, Okay,
I actually was ready for once us give it to us.
Credit to Joe a spotter for winning all these games.
Right when the Astros lose, it's all his fault, so
he has got to credit him when they win. Great job, Joe, Yeah,
that's why fun.
Speaker 3 (29:13):
We've had so many callers on the postgame shows who
didn't like ag aj Hitch is the problem. People call
him Dusty Baker's the problem. And now we get Joe
a spot of this guy couldn't manage out in the
paper bag. It's always a manager's fault. The manager always sucks.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Great job giving Christian Walker the day off. Now he's
cleared his head, he's looking good. Great job putting de
Zenzo in there and using the bullpen.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
Look, I'll just tell you, guys, I know I've seen
the manager's desk. I've seen the reports they get from
the analytics department. They're making tough decisions, but a lot
of this stuff is right in front of them like
it's you know, it's it's the ones where a guy
continues to not bat well and they like they keep
continuing to put him out there. It's like, this is
just being hardhead, hard headed because I know the numbers
(29:54):
on that desk are saying stop playing that guy or
stop doing this. But anyway, I digress. That's the that's
the state of managing a baseball team, all right. For
ros Fey or I'm Chris Gordon, it's crawverdbox Cast'll talk
to you guys next week.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
M
Astros fans cheers, wacky Lucky.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to the Crawford Box Cast as crowd leadboard for
you by Crawford Bach from Carmack Brewy.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
You're getting bear.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Oh my goodness. The Crawford Box Cast starts now Here
we go. Here's Chris Gordy and Ross Viarel.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
It is an all new edition of the Crawford Box
Cast presented by Carbock Brewing and the Crawford Bach and
Chris Gordy here with Ross Veriel. And how about those
red hot Astros coming off the series win over the
Red Hot San Diego Padres, taking two out of three
against them, they go and sweep the Toronto Blue Jayson
And behold your Houston Astros are back above five hundred
(00:57):
and thirteen and eleven and off day to day, starting
up a series in Kansas City this weekend. And by
the way, Kansas City Royals they can't score. They stink.
I thought the Astros have problem scoring. The Royal stink
at scoring the baseball. But welcome into the Crawford Box. Guest.
Wont to re mind you guys, uh depend on what
you're listening to this Friday night on April twenty fifth,
(01:17):
Carbock Brewing into Beer Garden official Astros watch party. If
you guys are looking for a spot to go, take
the family, bring some friends, have some bruise. Head on
over there to Carbock Brewing for an official Astros watch party.
I saw Ross they're going to have Orbit the Shooting Stars,
the Championship trophies. Same. We can go take pictures with
(01:38):
the trophies. Five dollars Crawford Box Yo, five dollars Crawford Palel.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
That's dangerous because I'm supposed to do the post game.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Yeah, I'm gonna cut you off at four. I think
four mixed with some.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Waters and you'll you should cut me off at like two.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
I think you'll be okay. But either way, drink responsibily.
But coming out to Carbock Brewing and enjoy some ice
cooled Crawford Box and Ross just got confirmation a celebrity appear.
Its not just yours truly. Are you coming?
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Uh? I can do postgame from there?
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Right? Yeah? Sure, come on, okay, I'm I'm going from there. Yeah,
so I we'll both be there. So that's celebrity, yes,
But Astro's legend, Michael Bourne will be that's.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Nimit's high school legend Michael Bourne.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
So I might actually have to get him on the
pre game. Okay, wonderful, get him on. But we all
have to talk about because the Astros feeling much better
about the squad just a week from where we were
a week ago, with the offense starting to come out
of hibernation. We've had Christian Walker's bats starting to get gone,
hitting some home runs. We've had pitching just absolutely on fire.
(02:40):
For the starting pitching, it's been outstanding. So where do
you want to start? I mean, this thing is uh
got a lot good to talk about.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Yah, let's just start in overall and in general philosophy.
We can definitely get into Christian Walker, like you said,
Cherry Penney with a couple of hits, with Zach Desenzo
his role, we can get into. But over these last games,
with them winning five of their last six right now,
a lot of it is what we were hoping to
see from them the start of the season. Right we
talked about this. This isn't gonna be the best offense
(03:06):
in baseball. It's not gonna be the twenty seven Yankees.
It's not gonna be what the Dodgers have right now.
But it's gonna be scoring five, six, seven runs like
that with the pitching being good enough. They haven't exploded
for double digit runs except for that game against the
Los Angeles Angels. But what we saw this last week
that we hope can hold up is to where the
(03:28):
pitching is good.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
And too great against some really good lineups.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
By the way, it's talking about both starting pitching, we're
starting to see some bullpen pecking order, Brian King clearly
taking over the role as a seventh inning guy.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
You've got a couple of scoreless innings out of Force Whitley.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
So it is to the looking like to a t
the way we envision this team to where they're not
gonna be just bashing everyone with their bats, but really
good pitching, enough hitting, some competent hitting, especially at the
top of the lineup. This looks like Astros Baseball twenty
twenty five of what we've been wanting to see this
(04:06):
whole season.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Yeah, and it's a star contrast to this is what
we wanted last April when they came out so sleepy
and Alex Bregman couldn't get going, and you know, Kyle
Tucker was okay, and.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
He's going by the way he had another home run
for Boston today.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Yeah, it's I'll give you a stat a little bit
on numbers that are absolutely nuts so when it comes
to runs in this league. But yeah, I just think
it's and the two teams you did it against Ross,
I mean, you come out of Saint Louis, drop it
two out of three there and you just disappointed because
Saint Louis wasn't that great. But the Padres came into
that series, is the best team in baseball, like their
(04:39):
record wise, they had a better record than the Dodgers,
and you took two out of three. Really had a
chance to win that Sunday night baseball game where Fromber
was really good. You lose three to two whatever, but
you still took the series. And then to go against Toronto,
who was also about five hundred, so that you know,
these are two good teams that you took care of
business and you've won five to the last six. This
should give them some confid now going up to Kansas City,
(05:01):
who have struggled scoring. You'll come back home for Detroit,
the team that beat you in the Wildcart Series. But
you know, barring in appearance from Dark schoobl who I
think you may avoid in that series. We'll see how
it chaps up. But again, another series you should win.
Then it's up to Chicago to play the White Sox.
So we're actually been a little bit better pitching wise
than we thought. I'm sails to say some winnable games here.
(05:24):
You played great against the two really good teams. Now
go take care of business against the crappier teams.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Yeah, you're in a really good spot right now. With
the way that the division is, things are shaking out
right now. It is going to probably be still the Mariners, Rangers,
Astros at the top of the division. You have the
A's and the Angels back at the bottom of the division,
which we expected. So you're turning things around. You're looking good,
you're hitting enough, the pitching has been absolutely dominant, and yeah,
(05:51):
they kind of sat up in their chairs and said, oh, okay,
San Diego Padres in town, let's get after that. We've
seen this from then throughout the couple of years where
it's like, oh, we just got swept by the are
you know, losing games against the White Sox or whoever.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
And then the good teams coming to town and the.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Astros for whatever reason start to take things more seriously,
and it looks they'd look a lot better. They sometimes
played down to the competition, but they seem to always
play up to the competition as well, and that's what
they did.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
They've done in these last couple of series.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
I guess I didn't realize Detroit is actually ahead of
Cleveland at the moment. They are fifteen to ten leading
the Central Division. So aj Hinch doing some things out there. Well.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
I just think if they had added Alex bregmant like
they wanted to too, even better.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
And justin Verlider by the way they were hoping to
bring him back. But yeah, look's let's talk a little
bit about the lineup, because you know, you mentioned this
team hitting better and all that you know today is
kind of He cooled off a little bit, right He
was red hot to start the season. Average is two
ninety three right now, slugging four four ops seven to
twenty eight. It's still really good. Jake Myers cool off
(06:55):
a little bit. He was above three hundred. He's down
to two sixty five. But quick, it's it's real quick
finding out a little bit. Payne is starting to pick
it up. He's up to two fifty three, which is
better than where he had been. But how about Zach
Dezenzo getting an opportunity, getting a little bit more playing
time now they like that Zach Dezenzo, And I know
(07:15):
he's only got twenty two played appearances, but seven hits,
that's a three eighteen batting average, does have nine strikeouts.
But they're gonna give him more opportunities. It was very interesting.
Ross was the other day before pregame, Cam Smith was
taking some balls in center. There seems to be a
thought that perhaps Zach Dezenzo could get some run in
(07:37):
right field, if Cam Smith could play some games in center.
It's just they're gonna they may try it out. It's
not gonna be a permanent thing, but they're just trying
to find I think, creative ways to get Zach Dezenzo's
bat more in the lineup in a way.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
I mean, you do have to communicate with your your outfielders,
and I'm just kind of thinking out loud here in
a way, could you maybe argue that center might even
be easier than right field. You're not playing a many
member of camps without the issue with the ball. He
thought it was gonna cary him off the right side,
it didn't and it kind of rolled all the way
to the back and dealing with the sidelines and stuff
(08:13):
like that.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
In a way, maybe centerfield could be even easier for him.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Now he's got it's it's a tougher job because you
have to cover more ground.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
But he's got he's fast, he.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Gets good jumps, he's getting good reads, he's got a
much stronger arm than Jake Myers does out there in
center field. You're looking for ways to get him and
as you said, Dezenzo into this lineup and Decenzo I
think is really intriguing and can we kind of talked
about this in the preseason, like guys that we think,
you know, question marks and what are you gonna get
out of Zach Decenzo.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
We don't know.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Last year he wasn't on any top hundred prospects except
Baseball Perspectives had him at number forty, and one of
the big reasons they did that was because of his power.
Now would he fell off of everybody's top prospects list
this upcoming year, But somebody saw something in him enough
to put him on a list, and that thing was
the power that he has. And as you said, The
(09:02):
Astros like him, they like his approach, they like how
I mean, he's tall, he's rangy, he can play in
many different positions, and he has a lot of pop
in that bat when he gets a hold of it.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
He's hitting.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
You know, these hits are coming out like one hundred
and six hundred and ten miles off hours off the bat.
It's not like he's getting a bunch of blop cheepies.
He's smacking the ball right now. So that is something
that will be intriguing for us to see. How do
they carve out.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
A role for him?
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Well, it's a it's a good problem for Joe Spotta.
But where does he play and how often?
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Well that's why I brought up the right field thing.
We did see though them giving Christian Walker a break.
He's the backup first baseman. I mean he's he got
playing time there. You know, I think he could play
some third base if you need. I mean, he's he
really is a utility man. I think you can plug
him in different spots. So you know, it's just it's
just another storyline to watch in another young talent that look,
(09:53):
Baseball America be damned. This team is. They have proven
the last few years. We don't care about your rankings, bro,
all these years of worst worst, uh you know whatever,
prospect farm systems in baseball and all this. The Astros
don't care. They are finding gems and you know, I
say gems, but like diamonds in the rough. Chas McCormick
(10:15):
was not highly thought of, Jake Myers was not highly
thought of, Jeremy Tanya wasn't even that highly thought it,
but he was. But that just mean, like, you know,
we get these breaking news alerts when it's like, oh,
these are calling up their top prospect and all this.
It's like the Astros have called up dudes who were
like the eighth best prospect, well the eleventh best prospect,
and they've become contributors on the team. So uh, it's
(10:36):
just been it's been fun to watch, and yeah, it's
gonna be fun to see you know, de Zenzo get
get maybe some a little more playing time here.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Yeah, I just it's gonna be where do they find
the time. Like you said, if I'll be intriguing if
if Cam Smith does play some center field, if they
trust him to be out there, so that that would
free things up for right field, because you me. You
mentioned Jake Myers and Chas McCornick, but I mean those guys. Look,
Chas McCormick just had his third happy thirtieth birthday. To
Chas McCormick, like, it's not like he's some you know
(11:05):
people think of was like, oh yeah, he just needs
that opportunity.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
He's like, dude's thirty years old.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
And I think Jake Myers is like twenty eight, twenty nine,
So we're not talking about spring chickens. And I like
Jake the president of the fan club and all that
type stuff, But uh, I think long term, if you
had to guess, ask me, you know, if we listed
those guys Dozenzo and McCormick and Myers, who has the
better long term potential? I would go with Dezenzo. But
(11:30):
that also does mean because we just haven't seen a
lot from Zach Desonzo and he hasn't had the opportunities
to fail in ways that that Chas McCormick and Jake
Myers have.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Real quick What more on the hitters, Christian Walker is
the average is up to two h two.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Now, who you know, but hitting home runs?
Speaker 3 (11:47):
Guy, he just hit his third home run.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
He cleared his mind with that day off.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Starting to get a little bit more power. So let's
let's hope this is the start of something to come,
and then you're on Alvarez. The average is still around
two twenty to twenty one, but Joe Spotta says he
likes the bats he's given. Dana Brown said, he goes,
he's making hard contact. They're just finding guys. He goes,
Eventually those are gonna find holes and they'll drop. So
(12:11):
they're not discouraged by Jordan his plate approaches that they
think it'll even have.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
Yeah, he's got to do.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Uh, he's got to stop sending his hard hit contact
to the center field at minute made like pull either
pull it or puck it the other way man, because
center field in at I'm sorry, did I say minute
made Dakin dyk in park?
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Oh man, that's that's matts me into the change.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
We're gonna if he's gonna keep hitting them the dead center,
let's bring back tals Hill. Yeah, and make it a
little bit easier for that ball to again.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Well, no, Towns Hill is like four thirty five back
there or something crazy.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Maybe hit off the flag pole, off the flag by
the center fielder.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Just pull it just pull it in the upper deck
on stop hitting your all your hard hit contact to center.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
And I've seen him do it like when he takes VP.
You'll you'll watch him and take BP once and he
hits them all the left and they hits them all
the right and then he's so it's like he knows
he can do it in batting practice.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
So well, Betty, it's a little bit different than the game, unfortunately.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
I know, but it's just it's weird that one of
baseball's most feared hitters is batting two twenty one with
what's he got just to homers or a month into
the season.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Just about Yeah, that is unfortunate, honestly.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
I mean, he could heat up in a hurry, obviously
coming bunches.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
But you you mentioned it.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
And we kind of talked about this in one of
our season previews, Gordy, is that we want him to
make that next leap. He's been like a top five,
top ten hitter in baseball, but how about like top three,
how about not necessarily Look Aaron Judge and what he's
doing is basically historically unprecedented, but like getting to forty
home runs, getting that ops to over one thousand to
(13:44):
where you know he's hitting those years right now where
you can hit that stride into your prime.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
He's just a designated hitter.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
He doesn't it's not like he's out there getting tired
in the field to where he can hone his craft
and really step up to that next level. And unfortunately
with this slow start, it kind of even while he
he'll heat up, I don't think with just two home
runs right now, heat up to the point where he
hits over forty.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
Yeah. I mean We've got Mike trot with aid homers,
Fernado Tassis with eight homers, we got Aaron Judges with seven,
Kyle Schwarber with seven, Kyle Tucker with seven, Paging Alvarez.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Like so right now, even with a hot shrink that
will be coming and is going to happen, him heating
up to the point to where he's going to get
to forty home runs, get just it's getting lesser and
lesser likely by the day.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
So that is the hitters, And jan Air said, a
couple of days with some hits, so let's hope to three.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Game hit streak. Crossed our fingers.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
He is a long way to go for me. One
seventy three batting average, a two five on base percentage,
two eighty slugging and a four eighty five ops two
five on base was one of the best sitting catchers
in baseball last year.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Yeah, we talked about it. Though. He hits everything.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
He doesn't walk enough, so if he's a little bit
off with his swing, it's it's to be what we're seeing.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Give me more Carrotini, damn it. I want them more platooning.
I want fifty to fifty. I don't want yan a
outs every day.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Well, they've hardly been facing any lefties. But yeah, but
Kartini is the switch hitter, so you'd want him more
against the rights they've been facing.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Yeah, he does.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
All right, let's switch gears over to the pitching because
the words of the immortal Dusty Baker, brother Brown is
bringing it right, Yeah, Brown, Cotter Brown has is bringing
a stuff to this club. My goodness, A one sixteen era.
He has been nothing short of outstanding through five starts
(15:38):
so far, three to one record, thirty one innings pitched,
just four earned runs on the season, thirty one strikeouts.
He has been. I mean he's been. That's the ace
of your staff. One sixteen era outstanding.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
I don't know how often I've said this about Astros pitchers.
I mean there's been some of course throughout the years,
but he's on the list now. Must watch baseball. You
see Hunter Brown and you're looking at the problem pictures.
You're like thinking, oh, maybe I'll go to a game
this weekend. Find Hunter Brown and go to that game
and watch him pitch, watch him work, Watch his attitude.
Watch how he gets pissed off when people get on
(16:15):
base against him. Watch how he gets pissed off that
you even stand when he strikes you out. He's pissed off,
you even stood in the batter's box. Man, He's got
that attitude, He's got that edge.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Man.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
He must watch baseball is the phrase I'm using now
with Hunter Brown.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Yeah, it's he's he's been outstanding, man, and all the
talk of remember you know when we interviewed him coming
up and he idolized Justin Verlander and he learned a
lot from JV and his time here on all this.
It's crazy. Ross. We just passed the one year anniversary
of that game against Kansas City, against the Royals up
at KC where he could not get out of the
first inning, gave up nine earned runs, and yet here
(16:52):
we are a year later talking about ace of the staff.
One of the best pictures in the American League since
I forget what the date is, but it's something like
maybe last year. From then to now one of the best.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
He's got the best. I believe it's the best. Yeah,
American League era.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
I think there's three National League pitchers ahead of him,
but since May first, he's got like the best era
in the American League.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
It's unbelievable. And with the injury to Spencer Arraghetti, who
is sidelined for god knows how long. You know it's
Fromber has been spotty up and down Fromber. I mean
when Fromber's on, he's really good, and oh Rober's not. Man,
it's like a head case out there, but I seem
to be a little bit encouraged to run out. Blanco
had a really nice outing last time, so hopefully he's
(17:33):
getting back right. We're a little concerned because he did
ended the best spring, but he seems to be getting right.
Hayden wiz Nesky has been a nice He's been exactly
what you wanted the guy to be your number five guy.
And then Ryan Ryan Gusto has really emerged. As you know,
his strikeout stuff is really good. You know, he's he's
not gonna be lights up, but that's not what you
expect out of your four or five guys. So he's
(17:56):
been good. And dare I say it, Lance mc despite a.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Sickness the stomach budd.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
He's expected to get another rehab start here and he
is getting very close to getting back here, and you
know you will have a surplus of pitching.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
It seems like, yeah, thirty three pitches in a bullpen
earlier this week, so supposed to get another rehab start
that things got pushed back because of the stomach bug.
And we had Joe Spot on the Matt Toma Show
with Ross he joins us Tuesdays at twelve thirty. He
talked about going to a six man rotation. They've had
these days off, but I think they're coming out of
his stretch. It's like seventeen games and seventeen days something
(18:33):
like that. So we could very well see things get
stretched out to a six man rotation coming up here
with Lances mc Collors Junior being a part of it.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
That's crazy, and I think the tough part becomes with Gusto.
You've stretched him out now and into a starter you
can't bring. You know, he started he started off the
year in the bullpen and then became a starter. Yeah,
so like, okay, just because you bring mccullors comes back
and let's say he's good and he holds that spot down,
I mean do you keep do you then move Gusto
to the bullpen? Well, that's not fair because he's already
(19:01):
stretched as a starter. Or do you send him down
a triple A, Well that's not fair. He's pitching well
at the big league level. I sent him there, but
he would get full starts down there. So that's where
the tough part becomes. Is like when you change a
guy's role like this, or you establish the role, it's
hard to take him out of that role.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Well, it will also see I mean, how effective does
the Lance Paculler's junior and dare I say even at
some point set it stuff suffer a setback. We've seen
it before, so hopefully it doesn't happen. But that'll be
one of those good problems. Oh no, I've got too
many good starting pitchers.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
Like I'd almost wonder if you did go to five
man go full time six hold gus, so, hey, look,
we don't know how many innings Lances, you're going to
be the piggyback.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
You can do the piggyback situation.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Yeah, you can say Lance piccolors is going to go
for three innings, but then I mean you're kind of
burning a roster spot. You're for two guys for one
spot there. So I don't know. It'll be interesting to
see and and how much mccullor's does get built up.
They were saying, going into what was supposed to be
his last probably his last restart rehab start last week,
they're going to try to get him to seventy five
eighty pitches. I know he threw thirty three in the bullpen.
(19:58):
I don't know what they're going to try to get
him this weekend.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
The last start, what he get four so I think
it was.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Sixty one or something like that, or something like innings.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
I think the hope would be if he can get
you five, great, but that you know that that I
don't think he's coming back out and giving you six
or seven innings like the old Lance mcgallers.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Unless he's just throwing a perfect game or something. He'd
be sweet.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
But again we'll hold out hope on that. We did
hear an update on Eric Getty. They said something like
four weeks I think, till they think he can get
back on a mound and start holding and throwing a
baseball again. So again, you do the math. I mean
you're looking at it's the thumb on the throwing hands,
sombe somewhere post All Star break. I would say, maybe
(20:37):
you get Rogeddy back, but I don't know. Nobody data
Brown didn't want to put a timeline on it because
there isn't There is no timeline. You don't know. It's
all on how quickly his body responds when he gets
back up there and starts throwing a ball again. So uh,
but you know that you got that, And then there's
the idea. I mean, Luis Garcia was throwing a baseball
around the other day a minute at Dyke and Park.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Nah, I thought he was shut down. He's not shut
down anymore.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
Well, he was not not throwing off a mount. He
was playing catch. Yes, But like that's one to keep
an eye on. Maybe at some point later in the
year you get him back. And then and then you
know JP France and Christian Javier. I don't know if
either of them will be back this year. Javier seems
like the long, longest stretch France could be. I'm just
(21:19):
saying we're a month, then it's a long season. I'm
just bringing these names up that because.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Data forgot existed.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Dana Brown brought this up with with Shawn Salisbury. It's like,
if we ever get to a world where we get
all those guys back, and we were paying them all
but if we if we get them all back, think
of what you have the best pitching staff in baseball?
Like that's that's a a great problem.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Yeah, let's think. Okay, well Frommer is gonna be gone
next year, but yeah, if you go next, if you
get vier.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Er good, he's one of the best pitchers of baseball.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Yeah, so let's let's do it.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
And then do that, then it'll be Hunter Brown, Javy
or maybe arrag Getty, Javier McCullers.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
If those are all good. I mean, you've got four
good starters right there and.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
Didn't well you didn't mention Blanco, Hayden was neskysto. Yeah,
and then the guy's knocking on the door in Triple A,
Colton Gordon and aj Bluebell both be pitching well. So
again it's it's a good problem to have. It's just
you know, it's it just exacerbates. O. God, these damn
injuries like they all hit at one, like the same time,
(22:20):
all these Tommy John's and everything else just really sucks.
Because the story of the twenty two World Series, the
reason the Astors won that World Series was because the
pitching was so dominant, so good. You know, the fact
Jeremy Pana wins World Series MVP, he didn't have to
do much because the pitching was shutting down, wasn't it.
You didn't even have to use their Katie and uh
it was it, Luis Carcia, Like, you didn't even have
(22:41):
to use those guys.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
I can't remember.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
It's been a while, but I'm just bringing that up
because pitching, pitching can get you there. Pitching.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
You have a young Hunter Brown, I think come maybe
got like one appearance in those playoffs.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
Two right, Yeah, I think he pitched on a blowout though, Yeah,
something like that. But regardless, the.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
Pitching, pitching factory in Houston, Yes.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Good pitching can solve a lot of woes. And you know, look,
you look at this Astros team. And what's crazy, Ross
is the offense. It's been better as of late. But
do you know run totals the Astros have only scored
I want to say, it's ninety one runs on the year.
Do you know the Cubs have scored like one hundred
and sixty eight runs on the year.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Yeah, they've only the fourteen run game against Angel isn't
that the only double digit game?
Speaker 3 (23:26):
You may be right, I just know they did.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
And they had the ninety seven comeback.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
I was just looking at total total runs scored on
the season.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Yeah, they've done double digits once. I'm pulling it up here.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
But they must be averaging six runs a night, seven
runs a night, Like it's it's to average that number
or to score that many runs. We're gonna look this
up live on the on the Crawford Box cast here.
But the point I was trying to make in this
is the team you're about to see this weekend Ross.
The Kansas City Royals rank second to last in all
(23:59):
of baseball in runs scored, with seventy one on the year.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
I got the met last in runs per game two
point nine to six, and the Astros are twenty second
three point eight three.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
I was going runs per game. I was just saying
total runs scored on the season, right, And yeah, Kansas City, well, yeah,
they're definitely their first.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
In runs per game now yet more than the Yankees
with one sixteen. Arizona in third.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
One sixty three. The Cubs have scored the Yankees one
thirty seven. Astros kind of in the bottom half at
ninety two. And yeah, the Royals and the Rockies tied
for dead last at seventy one, scored seventy one runs
scored on the season. What are discrepancy though, that Dorels
have scored seventy one runs in the year and the
Cubs have won sixty three. That's just that's insane.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
That's crazy.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
If you're scoring one hundred and sixty three runs on
the year at this point, not even a month into
the into the season, your pitching doesn't even have to
do anything. They can give up eight runs a nine
don't matter. You're gonna win more games often than not.
I mean, that's insane.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Crazy thing on this list too, of runs per game.
Seattle in tenth.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
Yeah, they've they've woken up. Those bats got going. And
question and I don't know whether they see where their
era is because it feels like their starters haven't been
as as dominant as they have been in recent years.
So far. Again, it's very early, but it's just one
of those things that and the crazy part about this
division it is separated. Everybody's separated by just three games,
(25:27):
like three games total in the entire division.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Yeah, Astro's fourth in team era, very nice, Seattle fifteenth.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
Yeah, so we're used to seeing Seattle top top ten
in ERA with the starters that they have. But the
American League West race as of this recording Astros off day,
the Rangers first place at fourteen and ten, Seattle second
place at thirteen and eleven, tied with the Astros, the
Angels game and a half behind them at eleven and twelve,
(25:58):
and the A's coming up the rear and eleven and thirteen,
just three games back at the division lead. So you
talk about everybody kind of hanging around here, and I
bring it up because you look at the NL West,
the Rockies are eleven and a half behind the Padres already,
like their season is already, God, phone it in.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
How many wins do they have now? Four?
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Four and eighteen? I mean in then an American league.
The White Sox are five and nineteen. They're nine and
a half back in Detroit. I mean, both those teams,
their seasons are over already. Oh my god, we just started.
Your seasons are horrible. There's no way April twenty fourth,
I mean easy. You'd have to win at like a
seventy five percent rate the rest of the way to
(26:37):
get back into the playoff hunt.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
Well, thankfully the Astro is still in it. They're on
a nice winning run and in a very winnable division.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
Yeah, last kind of thought here, just kind of looking
at the division races, it's pretty crazy. Baltimore's five games back.
They're dead last in the AL East. That was a
lot of people's World Series pick, like, oh or since
the year they take that step forward. Well, they are
nine and fourteen and five back in their division. The Twins,
who are a nice little playoff story the Lass, you know,
(27:05):
recent years, they're nine and fifteen, five and a half
back in their division. You look in the National League,
the Braves dead last in the NL East. Now they
have gotten better, but they're still ten and fourteen. That's
a team that people thought, you know, could be a
playof a World Series contender. And then you know the
Diamondbacks who got third to World Series. Was that two
(27:28):
years ago against the Rangers. They're fourteen and ten playing
good baseball, but you're fourth in that division. That to
me is the best division. You take up the Rockies,
but the Padres, San Francisco, Giants, Dodgers, and Diamondbacks, they're
all fourteen and ten or better.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
I mean, that's that's a part of the reason the
Rockies probably aren't winning.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
Yeah, I mean they're getting beat up the Dodgers and
their ridiculous payroll, the Padres and their ridiculous lineup. Giants
have actually been a nice surprise. Their pitching has been
really good. So anyway, just kind of the land cape,
look around the league and uh, hey, hopefully you guys
will be watching Astros baseball or listening on Sports Talk
seven ninety and enjoying an ice col Crawford bock from
(28:09):
our friends at Carbock Brewing. You know what, when you
see it, the Tequila Sunrise Stripes was at the ballpark
just a week ago. I had a nice ice cool
Crawford bok in the big can they give you the
big Cans. They don't give it a little small cans
when you're at the ballpark. So joy and ice cool
Crawford back when you're out there, and especially if you
had out two car Bock Brewing and the Beer Garden.
Join us for the Astros watch party officially Friday, April
(28:30):
twenty fifth for Astros and Royals. A little bit of
an earlier first pitch see what's up these six to
forty first pitch tell very strange thirty minutes earlier.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
I'm okay with it, honestly as somebody I'm doing postgame Friday.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
So all right with it.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Yeah, not having to be at the ballpark past the
eleven like we used to back in the day. But anyway,
enjoyed ice Cool Crawford bock from our friends at Carbock Brewing.
It's always in season for ross Vere. Ala'm Chris Cordy.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
Wit a second. Sometimes you always say do you have
one more thing? And I was going to give one, Okay,
I actually was ready for once us give it to us.
Credit to Joe a spotter for winning all these games.
Right when the Astros lose, it's all his fault, so
he has got to credit him when they win. Great job, Joe, Yeah,
that's why fun.
Speaker 3 (29:13):
We've had so many callers on the postgame shows who
didn't like ag aj Hitch is the problem. People call
him Dusty Baker's the problem. And now we get Joe
a spot of this guy couldn't manage out in the
paper bag. It's always a manager's fault. The manager always sucks.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Great job giving Christian Walker the day off. Now he's
cleared his head, he's looking good. Great job putting de
Zenzo in there and using the bullpen.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
Look, I'll just tell you, guys, I know I've seen
the manager's desk. I've seen the reports they get from
the analytics department. They're making tough decisions, but a lot
of this stuff is right in front of them like
it's you know, it's it's the ones where a guy
continues to not bat well and they like they keep
continuing to put him out there. It's like, this is
just being hardhead, hard headed because I know the numbers
(29:54):
on that desk are saying stop playing that guy or
stop doing this. But anyway, I digress. That's the that's
the state of managing a baseball team, all right. For
ros Fey or I'm Chris Gordon, it's crawverdbox Cast'll talk
to you guys next week.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
M
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