October 3, 2024 • 18 mins
Chris Gordy and Ross Villarreal react to the Houston Astros' 2024 season coming to an end in their Wild Card series loss to the Detroit Tigers at Minute Maid Park.
The guys dissect some of the elements of the two-game series sweep for Detroit, and what areas the Astros need to address as they head into the offseason.
presented by the Crawford Bock from Karbach Brewing
The guys dissect some of the elements of the two-game series sweep for Detroit, and what areas the Astros need to address as they head into the offseason.
presented by the Crawford Bock from Karbach Brewing
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Astros fans. Cheers, Rocky Luckey, Welcome to the Crawford box Casts.
Proud leadbord for you by Crawford Bach from Carbach Brewy
you're getting bear.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Oh my godness.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
The Crawford box cast starts now here we go. Here's
Chris Gordy and Ross Viaiel.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Oh yeah, and it is a sad edition of the
Crawford box Cast presented by the Crawford Bach and Carback Brewing.
Now Ross, the uh Carbock Brewing and the Crawford Bok
always present our postseason road coverage. They have been proud
sponsors of that for many many years. We were supposed
(00:58):
to be getting on a plane tomorrow morning to go
to Cleveland to go cover the Astros in the American
League Divisional Series. But it is not going to happen
because the Astros are two in Barbecue, losing Game one
and Game two of the Wildcard Series to AJ hinch
now West and the Detroit Tigers.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
It's not often you say, man, I really wish I
could have taken that really early morning flight to Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
But I really wish we could have taken that.
Speaker 4 (01:26):
Early morning flight to Cleveland. Disappointing to be sure. And
I mean, we've got hundreds of things that we can
cover here in this podcast and in the subsequent podcast.
We'll keep them going of course in the offseason for
you folks, But just on the series itself we can
talk about, uh. I mean, just to a t the
(01:46):
game plan that if you're aj Hinch and the Detroit Tigers,
you have schoobl do his thing in game number one
out dual Fraan Bervaldez, and then you go with the
mixing and matching a lot of relievers at the ash
hitters hadn't seen and guys just not coming up in
clutch situations and getting the clutch hit at the end
(02:07):
of the game, which they did off of Josh Hater
and escaping Houston winning a couple of games. That was
their game plan. Unfortunately, it worked against the astros favor.
They couldn't get to school well, they couldn't get to
any of the relievers. They did have some opportunities, and
you were befallen by what you were befallen by a
lot of the season, which was poor performances in clutch
(02:30):
situations at the plate and a poor performance from Ryan
Presley and Josh hater, which happened numerous times throughout the year.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Yeah, it was. It was all the bad things that
we saw season, but we thought, Okay, maybe this is
just a fluke, or maybe this has been fixed, and
you know, it all reared its ugly head in this
playoff series. And I'll say, first and foremost, it sucks
these walkcard series. It's better to play best of three
than the one game elimination, I will say that, but man,
(03:00):
they're just so sleepy playing them at one o'clock in
the afternoon on a Tuesday and a Wednesday. And then
you got a fan base of Astros fans that have
been spoiled really, if you want to get down to it,
that you've had the privilege of deep playoff runs. And
I almost compare it to the Alabama fan base. For
so many years, Alabama was playing for national championships, winning, winning, winning,
(03:22):
And I remember talking to Buddy Mine, who's Abama fan,
it was like, yeah, I'm not gonna go to the
SEC championship game this year, probably gonna wait. I'm probably
gonna skip the semi final. I'm gonna wait till the
title game and I'm gonna go to that. I feel
like so many Astros fans. Ross kind of said, yeah,
middle of the week, wild card. Now I'll get my
tickets for the Alds and Alcs and I'll catch them
down the road, you know, And it became the fervor
(03:44):
and the passion. Wasn't there. We saw so many empty
seats that minute made for two playoff games, which is
unheard of as Astros fans pride themselves on these sellouts
and loud crowds, and it just wasn't there.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
I I don't think that's why they lost one, but
number two I understand. And it puts you in a
tough position because you know, when it's twenty seventeen, oh
my gosh, the Ashers in the World Series for the
second time ever. I have to I have to max
out my credit cards, whatever it takes, I have to
be there. Well, then they go to the World Series
(04:17):
in nineteen, then they go to the World Series in
twenty one and twenty two, and it's like in all
along the way there's DS's and CS's and so it
kind of piles up on you. It does lose some
of the it's you know, it's not as special as
it was. For example, you brought the football college football thing?
Like how much more special was that first one for
Georgia since like the nineteen eighties and then now it's
(04:39):
kind of old hat for them, and me as a
once spoiled Longhorn fan, not as much. But yeah, last
year I didn't even want to go to the semi
final in New Orleans.
Speaker 5 (04:48):
I'm like, eh, you know what, I if they make
the finals in Houston, Like these are real decisions that
they have to make, But you're talking about filing a
building with forty three thousand.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
In a city that is what five six million plus
in the metro area. At this point, I understand kind
of both sides of the coin of the ticket fatigue
and it's so expensive to go to the games as
far as parking, and I mean they're selling their hater
a juice for forty dollars and all that.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
It's it's expensive to go in the ballpark. Man, Well
I just spoiled. I say, yes, we're spoiled, But I
also say I understand.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Yeah, I just bring it up because how the fans are.
It was just you know, the time and the atmosphere
was sleepy, and the Astros lineup just felt sleepy.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Yeah, they line up was sleepy, for sure.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
I thought the crowd was a lot better, even from
I was talking about it with Dan Matthews, even when
we did the pregame shows from the concourse out there
game number two, you're like, you know what, you could
feel a little juice. And last year it took to
the CS. I think the ds of playing the Minnesota
Twins there was like, you can just when we're out there,
and we're out there a couple hours before the game,
you can tell when people are filing, and you can
tell the energy of the people. Honestly, how many people
(05:55):
are drinking beers that type of stuff. There was a
little bit of extra juice the ballpark yesterday and it
really got going when Jeremy Pine scored that second run.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Yeah, when they got the bases loaded with nobody out.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
But game number one, I mean, you're getting blanked by
school ball in the in the freaking Tiger's bullpen.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
There's you guy. Also have to have a reason.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
You got to give them something that you're four. Yeah,
and I think what's so frustrating about Look, we knew
looking at that series, when this was a potential that
the Tigers were gonna go tark schoobl Game one and
it was gonna be really hard, and it was. He
went six shutout innings against you had four hits? Was
it six strikeouts only one walk? He was masterful. But
every other guy that came out of that bullpen, including
(06:35):
Wednesday's game, because it was a bullpen game, it's dudes
we've never heard of And you're like, this is a
lineup consisting of Altuve, Tucker, Jordan Bregman, one, two, three, four.
They should have been teeing off. And that's what's so
frustrating about this series is they scratch across two runs
on Tuesday and I'm sorry, one run on Tuesday, two
(06:57):
runs on Wednesday. You scored three sack run and groundouts.
And I had the choices and I had to look
it up. How this season ended. If you just go
back to the last eight games of the season Ross,
they were averaging five point two runs per game in
the last eight games of the season. The offense was clicking.
They got into these two playoff games and it was
dead again.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Well it was dead because yeah, they faced Google and
they faced manager in aj Hinch, who managed his bullpen perfectly,
played the matchups very well, and yeah, you didn't come
through in those clutch situations.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
The first run you.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Got in game number one was I mean, honestly, like
a squib single that Janer Diaz sent the other way.
And then the two runs you got in game number
two were a fielder's choice and then a after a
misplayed ball and then a sacrifice fly that really, I mean,
you probably don't even send Jeremy. If that's like the
first inning, Jeremy Peney doesn't score there, you don't even
(07:49):
send him.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
It was a dire situation.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Thankfully, he's one of your fast players, and he barely
got in there just around the tag I mean, and
I think I don't know, seven times out of ten
or something like that, he's thrown out in that situation.
So even the three runs you scored, you barely scored those.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Yeah, I think there's a lot of blame to go around.
But I think to me, Ross, the bottom line from
Bervaldez wasn't great, but the bullpen still pitched well enough
that you gave up three runs in game one and
again at the bat show up. I mean, we've seen
the Astros win games like that Ross where they score
they went five to three, you know, and Fromber we're
(08:29):
not even talking about him giving up three runs. It's magnified.
When you scored one, you're gonna look back around Rombert.
You should have been lights out and he wasn't. But
I've heard some people, We've taken a ton of calls,
you know, postgame show and today on Sports Talks of
the ninety of people saying, you know, I've heard some
blame for a j Hint or Joe Spot. I don't
(08:50):
know if there was anything a Spota really did blatantly wrong.
To me, this kind of felt like this was just
your best hitters not come through.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
Yeah, I'm just gonna say unequivocally, that is just a bad,
uneducated baseball wise opinion. If you are blaming this series
in any capacity on Joe Aspata. They didn't come through
in the clutch he went to. Yeah, Fromber gave up
three runs in the second inning. We're not pulling him
in the second inning, and they kind of piled up
one after the other there, so it's not like you
could have even gotten anybody hot or he did get
(09:23):
actually Renel Blanco up, but then Fromber was able to
get out of further trouble and then Renal Blanco did
eventually come into the game.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
And then in.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Game number two, sorry, every reliever foot back to game one,
Game one, every reliever you brought in did not give
up a run. Fromber gave up three runs. Everyone else
did not give up a run. I'm down with giving
Josh Hayter the ball there in that ninth inning because
he hadn't pitched since Friday anyways, so we're talking about
three days off at that point, so you get him
in the game, you try to keep it close. If
(09:55):
Jason Hayward hits that ball three feet higher, we're talking
about how it was a great mass stroke moved from
Joe Spotta to keep the game close. And oh, by
the way, three straight lefties were coming up on the
Tigers lineup in that situation. Then you go to game
number two. I mean, I can't figure out what he
did wrong there. Either are people like, why didn't you
throw Aroghetti, why didn't you throw Kacucci, because those are starters.
(10:16):
You went to your leverage relievers, both of which who
had eras under for the entire season, and they just
did not get it done against a mediocre lineup.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
That's it.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
I heard somebody say he's they kept frombering too long.
I'm like, he's your ace in game one, like when
and in hindsight it's, well, Ronald Blanco threw two scoreless,
that's great. But you know, if you thought you were
going to get six innings of relief from Blanco like
that just wasn't gonna happen. So I don't know. Again,
to me, this is the blatant. This is now two
(10:48):
straight postseasons of Kyle Tucker being a big fat dud.
I don't know why seven now here's one you could
be critical of a spata batting him too whole. I
think was I mean, if Kyle Tucker had come in
on a on a rampage, like if.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
He had came back fifty since he came back.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
But I just I mean, you know, in hindsight it's
always twenty twenty. But he goes oh for in game
seven all yesterday, it it's magnified that he was the
two hole because that inning where you at the bases
loaded and he scratched across two runs and you still
had runners on with one out, all two vegainst the
sack fly it's Tucker up and he grounds to an
inning ending double play.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
Well, he he had been one of your hottest hitters
in September, and I think I think if Jordon's one
hundred percent healthy, I think Jordon is in the number
two hole. They even posted the lineup in Game one
with Jordon batting second, but then they later swapped it,
which made sense. You don't want Jordon to be caught
in front of the bases, on the bases, in front
of Kyle Tucker slowing things down, not moving well and
(11:52):
stuff like that. And still at the end of the day,
Kyle Tucker's got to come up in there. Produced Kyle
Tucker had his best season. I mean, I guess I'd have.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
To look this up.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
At the end of the day, he was having his
best season offensively in his career. I think he finished
with his best season as in terms of ops average
and all that kind of stuff, and was an MVP candidate.
He's got to not go oh for seven And he
wasn't one hundred percent that double play.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
That he had into.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
You know, we were right there at Gordy on the
first base line where we were at our press seat,
and he did not look like he was moving that great.
So he wasn't one hundred percent. Jord On Alvarez twisted
his knee unfortunately in an opportune time. Who knows how
close to one hundred percent Bregman was with that elbow injury,
and it just and then they've ever come through.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
Isn't this every point in this in this offseason, we're
always I mean not everybody's hundred percent. Guys are playing
through something in October, for sure, but I just I mean,
I look at Jordan Alvarez, who a couple of years
ago was what of, if not the most feared hitter
in baseball. I mean that Seattle Series two years ago.
I mean, he was they he was You did not
want to pitch to him. He was crushing bombs left
(12:55):
and right, and it was just frustrating because we did.
We just saw we saw the shadows of of what
Kyle Tucker and Jordan and Alvares typically are, and really
al Twove's well, I mean, he's a guy who's been
known for the clutch postseason hits in an Astro's uniform.
And it's just frustrating, man, because this is a Tiger's
team that on paper, this was very you know, matched
(13:18):
in your favor in terms of just talent on paper.
When we say on.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
Paper, yeah, but Dashers won eighty eight games, the Tigers
won eighty six.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
It's not right. It just way. It's not like they
blew them away in the regular season.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
We want to compare Colt Keith to Mauricio Dubon. Okay,
we can, we can get to that, but we're talking
about Al twove al Toovey, Tucker, Jordan Bregman, even jan
Ar Diez are probably five better hitters than anybody on
the Tigers. Like it, just won paper.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
So they got it done. They got it done. It
was two game series. Anything can happen. You could lose
to the Angels in a three game series.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
They have I think they did.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
They lost, well, they didn't lose to the White Sox
in a three game They lost to the A's in
multiple series.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Like anything can happen.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
Unfortunately, you were you got the luxury of lining up
your rotation exactly the way that you wanted to. Unfortunately
you had to go against the i mean, the ace
of the American League, Triple Crown winner too.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
And and again that's fine, but they went bullpunt penn
game against you, and you scored two and they were
one was on a fluke? Was did that scored an error?
Speaker 2 (14:24):
The it was it choice, it was I think it
was an unearned run.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
Yeah, I'm looking because it was. They didn't they didn't
have an error in the game. Yes, okay, so it was,
but it was like a fielder's choice that Johnson was misandled.
And again like John Singleton as a pinch hitter not
the best anyway, so it was a tough spot for
him to be in, but he came through and then
Altuve first pitch he ses, he pops up the shallow right.
Now again it's deep enough to get the run in
(14:52):
and it's a sack fly. But still, I mean it
was it was Dubond doing his part as a pinch
hitter to get on and low the bases up for
like we said, it was Chas McCormick spot. They pitch
at John Singleton and then it come around to the
top with l two ve. Tucker Jordan, You're like, this
is our moment put up a cur like in years
(15:13):
past that's the Astros put up a five spot there
and they win that game going away. And then today
we're talking about you say Kakuchi on the mound for
a winner take all Game three, and we felt pretty
good about it.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
Yeah, interest in years past they got snake bit at
times as well. I mean we saw it last year
in that Ranger series where they couldn't win at home.
We saw it in I don't know, the twenty one
World Series, the nineteen World Series.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
It just it's one of those things.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
You play enough playoff games and you'll see everything, and
it feels like we have with the Astros unfortunately two
straight games where AJ Hinch got to Taylor make his
matchups and you couldn't come through in clutch situations.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Yeah, it's Look, if this were I don't know, Dan
Johnson managing the Tigers, it would be whatever. It's magnified
because this is your former manager who everybody was beloved,
brought you your first World Series in twenty seventeen, and
cheating scandal be damned. People still in Houston love and
respect A. J. Hinch and it hurt even that much
(16:10):
more for him to come into your house, in your house,
the whole series was here in Houston and take it
from you. With a team that kind of has shadows
of the twenty fifteen Astro team that was ahead of schedule,
and they got all this great farm system talent that's
coming up to the next couple of years with the Tigers.
Like you look at what he's building there. You go, oh,
(16:32):
is that is that the Astros? Is that the twenty
fifteen you know, we'll see.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
I don't know how much all star talent they have
coming up, but I mean they did it this year.
They literally sold at the deadline, traded away Jack Flaherty
and some other players and and then just did this
and crimble stuff and tip of the Captain.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
And schools probably Schoopl's better than peak Dallas Kichel, who
you know, if we're doing all one for one Now,
no triple he did not win the Triple Crown, but anyway,
that is going to do it. For this edition of
the Crawford Box Cast presented by Carboch Brewing and the
Crawford Bach want to thank Ross Verial, Chris Gordy here
(17:10):
and our great sponsor in Carbok Brewing and the Crawford Boch. Look,
the Astro season ended, but it is still a home
run every time when you enjoy the Crawford Box. So
whether you're watching, whether it's Texans NFL season, whether it's
the Rockets getting ready to go here, make sure you
are loading up on Planet Crawford back. And hey, the
weather should be getting a lot nicer soon. I means
we'll be back out doing some shows over at the
(17:32):
beer garden out there at Carbock Brewing. So make sure
you guys keep it locked right here to the Crawford
Box Cast as Ross Veriel myself bring you all the
off season chatter for your Houston Astros as they try
to run this thing back and keep this championship window
open yet another year. The hashtag relentless weren't so relentless
this year, but we'll see if they can reload for
(17:55):
twenty twenty five. I'm Chris Gordy. This has been the
Crawford Box Cast, presented by the Crawford Back in Carbock
Burrowing
Astros fans. Cheers, Rocky Luckey, Welcome to the Crawford box Casts.
Proud leadbord for you by Crawford Bach from Carbach Brewy
you're getting bear.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Oh my godness.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
The Crawford box cast starts now here we go. Here's
Chris Gordy and Ross Viaiel.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Oh yeah, and it is a sad edition of the
Crawford box Cast presented by the Crawford Bach and Carback Brewing.
Now Ross, the uh Carbock Brewing and the Crawford Bok
always present our postseason road coverage. They have been proud
sponsors of that for many many years. We were supposed
(00:58):
to be getting on a plane tomorrow morning to go
to Cleveland to go cover the Astros in the American
League Divisional Series. But it is not going to happen
because the Astros are two in Barbecue, losing Game one
and Game two of the Wildcard Series to AJ hinch
now West and the Detroit Tigers.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
It's not often you say, man, I really wish I
could have taken that really early morning flight to Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
But I really wish we could have taken that.
Speaker 4 (01:26):
Early morning flight to Cleveland. Disappointing to be sure. And
I mean, we've got hundreds of things that we can
cover here in this podcast and in the subsequent podcast.
We'll keep them going of course in the offseason for
you folks, But just on the series itself we can
talk about, uh. I mean, just to a t the
(01:46):
game plan that if you're aj Hinch and the Detroit Tigers,
you have schoobl do his thing in game number one
out dual Fraan Bervaldez, and then you go with the
mixing and matching a lot of relievers at the ash
hitters hadn't seen and guys just not coming up in
clutch situations and getting the clutch hit at the end
(02:07):
of the game, which they did off of Josh Hater
and escaping Houston winning a couple of games. That was
their game plan. Unfortunately, it worked against the astros favor.
They couldn't get to school well, they couldn't get to
any of the relievers. They did have some opportunities, and
you were befallen by what you were befallen by a
lot of the season, which was poor performances in clutch
(02:30):
situations at the plate and a poor performance from Ryan
Presley and Josh hater, which happened numerous times throughout the year.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Yeah, it was. It was all the bad things that
we saw season, but we thought, Okay, maybe this is
just a fluke, or maybe this has been fixed, and
you know, it all reared its ugly head in this
playoff series. And I'll say, first and foremost, it sucks
these walkcard series. It's better to play best of three
than the one game elimination, I will say that, but man,
(03:00):
they're just so sleepy playing them at one o'clock in
the afternoon on a Tuesday and a Wednesday. And then
you got a fan base of Astros fans that have
been spoiled really, if you want to get down to it,
that you've had the privilege of deep playoff runs. And
I almost compare it to the Alabama fan base. For
so many years, Alabama was playing for national championships, winning, winning, winning,
(03:22):
And I remember talking to Buddy Mine, who's Abama fan,
it was like, yeah, I'm not gonna go to the
SEC championship game this year, probably gonna wait. I'm probably
gonna skip the semi final. I'm gonna wait till the
title game and I'm gonna go to that. I feel
like so many Astros fans. Ross kind of said, yeah,
middle of the week, wild card. Now I'll get my
tickets for the Alds and Alcs and I'll catch them
down the road, you know, And it became the fervor
(03:44):
and the passion. Wasn't there. We saw so many empty
seats that minute made for two playoff games, which is
unheard of as Astros fans pride themselves on these sellouts
and loud crowds, and it just wasn't there.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
I I don't think that's why they lost one, but
number two I understand. And it puts you in a
tough position because you know, when it's twenty seventeen, oh
my gosh, the Ashers in the World Series for the
second time ever. I have to I have to max
out my credit cards, whatever it takes, I have to
be there. Well, then they go to the World Series
(04:17):
in nineteen, then they go to the World Series in
twenty one and twenty two, and it's like in all
along the way there's DS's and CS's and so it
kind of piles up on you. It does lose some
of the it's you know, it's not as special as
it was. For example, you brought the football college football thing?
Like how much more special was that first one for
Georgia since like the nineteen eighties and then now it's
(04:39):
kind of old hat for them, and me as a
once spoiled Longhorn fan, not as much. But yeah, last
year I didn't even want to go to the semi
final in New Orleans.
Speaker 5 (04:48):
I'm like, eh, you know what, I if they make
the finals in Houston, Like these are real decisions that
they have to make, But you're talking about filing a
building with forty three thousand.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
In a city that is what five six million plus
in the metro area. At this point, I understand kind
of both sides of the coin of the ticket fatigue
and it's so expensive to go to the games as
far as parking, and I mean they're selling their hater
a juice for forty dollars and all that.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
It's it's expensive to go in the ballpark. Man, Well
I just spoiled. I say, yes, we're spoiled, But I
also say I understand.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Yeah, I just bring it up because how the fans are.
It was just you know, the time and the atmosphere
was sleepy, and the Astros lineup just felt sleepy.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Yeah, they line up was sleepy, for sure.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
I thought the crowd was a lot better, even from
I was talking about it with Dan Matthews, even when
we did the pregame shows from the concourse out there
game number two, you're like, you know what, you could
feel a little juice. And last year it took to
the CS. I think the ds of playing the Minnesota
Twins there was like, you can just when we're out there,
and we're out there a couple hours before the game,
you can tell when people are filing, and you can
tell the energy of the people. Honestly, how many people
(05:55):
are drinking beers that type of stuff. There was a
little bit of extra juice the ballpark yesterday and it
really got going when Jeremy Pine scored that second run.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Yeah, when they got the bases loaded with nobody out.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
But game number one, I mean, you're getting blanked by
school ball in the in the freaking Tiger's bullpen.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
There's you guy. Also have to have a reason.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
You got to give them something that you're four. Yeah,
and I think what's so frustrating about Look, we knew
looking at that series, when this was a potential that
the Tigers were gonna go tark schoobl Game one and
it was gonna be really hard, and it was. He
went six shutout innings against you had four hits? Was
it six strikeouts only one walk? He was masterful. But
every other guy that came out of that bullpen, including
(06:35):
Wednesday's game, because it was a bullpen game, it's dudes
we've never heard of And you're like, this is a
lineup consisting of Altuve, Tucker, Jordan Bregman, one, two, three, four.
They should have been teeing off. And that's what's so
frustrating about this series is they scratch across two runs
on Tuesday and I'm sorry, one run on Tuesday, two
(06:57):
runs on Wednesday. You scored three sack run and groundouts.
And I had the choices and I had to look
it up. How this season ended. If you just go
back to the last eight games of the season Ross,
they were averaging five point two runs per game in
the last eight games of the season. The offense was clicking.
They got into these two playoff games and it was
dead again.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Well it was dead because yeah, they faced Google and
they faced manager in aj Hinch, who managed his bullpen perfectly,
played the matchups very well, and yeah, you didn't come
through in those clutch situations.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
The first run you.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Got in game number one was I mean, honestly, like
a squib single that Janer Diaz sent the other way.
And then the two runs you got in game number
two were a fielder's choice and then a after a
misplayed ball and then a sacrifice fly that really, I mean,
you probably don't even send Jeremy. If that's like the
first inning, Jeremy Peney doesn't score there, you don't even
(07:49):
send him.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
It was a dire situation.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Thankfully, he's one of your fast players, and he barely
got in there just around the tag I mean, and
I think I don't know, seven times out of ten
or something like that, he's thrown out in that situation.
So even the three runs you scored, you barely scored those.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Yeah, I think there's a lot of blame to go around.
But I think to me, Ross, the bottom line from
Bervaldez wasn't great, but the bullpen still pitched well enough
that you gave up three runs in game one and
again at the bat show up. I mean, we've seen
the Astros win games like that Ross where they score
they went five to three, you know, and Fromber we're
(08:29):
not even talking about him giving up three runs. It's magnified.
When you scored one, you're gonna look back around Rombert.
You should have been lights out and he wasn't. But
I've heard some people, We've taken a ton of calls,
you know, postgame show and today on Sports Talks of
the ninety of people saying, you know, I've heard some
blame for a j Hint or Joe Spot. I don't
(08:50):
know if there was anything a Spota really did blatantly wrong.
To me, this kind of felt like this was just
your best hitters not come through.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
Yeah, I'm just gonna say unequivocally, that is just a bad,
uneducated baseball wise opinion. If you are blaming this series
in any capacity on Joe Aspata. They didn't come through
in the clutch he went to. Yeah, Fromber gave up
three runs in the second inning. We're not pulling him
in the second inning, and they kind of piled up
one after the other there, so it's not like you
could have even gotten anybody hot or he did get
(09:23):
actually Renel Blanco up, but then Fromber was able to
get out of further trouble and then Renal Blanco did
eventually come into the game.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
And then in.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Game number two, sorry, every reliever foot back to game one,
Game one, every reliever you brought in did not give
up a run. Fromber gave up three runs. Everyone else
did not give up a run. I'm down with giving
Josh Hayter the ball there in that ninth inning because
he hadn't pitched since Friday anyways, so we're talking about
three days off at that point, so you get him
in the game, you try to keep it close. If
(09:55):
Jason Hayward hits that ball three feet higher, we're talking
about how it was a great mass stroke moved from
Joe Spotta to keep the game close. And oh, by
the way, three straight lefties were coming up on the
Tigers lineup in that situation. Then you go to game
number two. I mean, I can't figure out what he
did wrong there. Either are people like, why didn't you
throw Aroghetti, why didn't you throw Kacucci, because those are starters.
(10:16):
You went to your leverage relievers, both of which who
had eras under for the entire season, and they just
did not get it done against a mediocre lineup.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
That's it.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
I heard somebody say he's they kept frombering too long.
I'm like, he's your ace in game one, like when
and in hindsight it's, well, Ronald Blanco threw two scoreless,
that's great. But you know, if you thought you were
going to get six innings of relief from Blanco like
that just wasn't gonna happen. So I don't know. Again,
to me, this is the blatant. This is now two
(10:48):
straight postseasons of Kyle Tucker being a big fat dud.
I don't know why seven now here's one you could
be critical of a spata batting him too whole. I
think was I mean, if Kyle Tucker had come in
on a on a rampage, like if.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
He had came back fifty since he came back.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
But I just I mean, you know, in hindsight it's
always twenty twenty. But he goes oh for in game
seven all yesterday, it it's magnified that he was the
two hole because that inning where you at the bases
loaded and he scratched across two runs and you still
had runners on with one out, all two vegainst the
sack fly it's Tucker up and he grounds to an
inning ending double play.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
Well, he he had been one of your hottest hitters
in September, and I think I think if Jordon's one
hundred percent healthy, I think Jordon is in the number
two hole. They even posted the lineup in Game one
with Jordon batting second, but then they later swapped it,
which made sense. You don't want Jordon to be caught
in front of the bases, on the bases, in front
of Kyle Tucker slowing things down, not moving well and
(11:52):
stuff like that. And still at the end of the day,
Kyle Tucker's got to come up in there. Produced Kyle
Tucker had his best season. I mean, I guess I'd have.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
To look this up.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
At the end of the day, he was having his
best season offensively in his career. I think he finished
with his best season as in terms of ops average
and all that kind of stuff, and was an MVP candidate.
He's got to not go oh for seven And he
wasn't one hundred percent that double play.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
That he had into.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
You know, we were right there at Gordy on the
first base line where we were at our press seat,
and he did not look like he was moving that great.
So he wasn't one hundred percent. Jord On Alvarez twisted
his knee unfortunately in an opportune time. Who knows how
close to one hundred percent Bregman was with that elbow injury,
and it just and then they've ever come through.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
Isn't this every point in this in this offseason, we're
always I mean not everybody's hundred percent. Guys are playing
through something in October, for sure, but I just I mean,
I look at Jordan Alvarez, who a couple of years
ago was what of, if not the most feared hitter
in baseball. I mean that Seattle Series two years ago.
I mean, he was they he was You did not
want to pitch to him. He was crushing bombs left
(12:55):
and right, and it was just frustrating because we did.
We just saw we saw the shadows of of what
Kyle Tucker and Jordan and Alvares typically are, and really
al Twove's well, I mean, he's a guy who's been
known for the clutch postseason hits in an Astro's uniform.
And it's just frustrating, man, because this is a Tiger's
team that on paper, this was very you know, matched
(13:18):
in your favor in terms of just talent on paper.
When we say on.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
Paper, yeah, but Dashers won eighty eight games, the Tigers
won eighty six.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
It's not right. It just way. It's not like they
blew them away in the regular season.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
We want to compare Colt Keith to Mauricio Dubon. Okay,
we can, we can get to that, but we're talking
about Al twove al Toovey, Tucker, Jordan Bregman, even jan
Ar Diez are probably five better hitters than anybody on
the Tigers. Like it, just won paper.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
So they got it done. They got it done. It
was two game series. Anything can happen. You could lose
to the Angels in a three game series.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
They have I think they did.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
They lost, well, they didn't lose to the White Sox
in a three game They lost to the A's in
multiple series.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Like anything can happen.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
Unfortunately, you were you got the luxury of lining up
your rotation exactly the way that you wanted to. Unfortunately
you had to go against the i mean, the ace
of the American League, Triple Crown winner too.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
And and again that's fine, but they went bullpunt penn
game against you, and you scored two and they were
one was on a fluke? Was did that scored an error?
Speaker 2 (14:24):
The it was it choice, it was I think it
was an unearned run.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
Yeah, I'm looking because it was. They didn't they didn't
have an error in the game. Yes, okay, so it was,
but it was like a fielder's choice that Johnson was misandled.
And again like John Singleton as a pinch hitter not
the best anyway, so it was a tough spot for
him to be in, but he came through and then
Altuve first pitch he ses, he pops up the shallow right.
Now again it's deep enough to get the run in
(14:52):
and it's a sack fly. But still, I mean it
was it was Dubond doing his part as a pinch
hitter to get on and low the bases up for
like we said, it was Chas McCormick spot. They pitch
at John Singleton and then it come around to the
top with l two ve. Tucker Jordan, You're like, this
is our moment put up a cur like in years
(15:13):
past that's the Astros put up a five spot there
and they win that game going away. And then today
we're talking about you say Kakuchi on the mound for
a winner take all Game three, and we felt pretty
good about it.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
Yeah, interest in years past they got snake bit at
times as well. I mean we saw it last year
in that Ranger series where they couldn't win at home.
We saw it in I don't know, the twenty one
World Series, the nineteen World Series.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
It just it's one of those things.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
You play enough playoff games and you'll see everything, and
it feels like we have with the Astros unfortunately two
straight games where AJ Hinch got to Taylor make his
matchups and you couldn't come through in clutch situations.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Yeah, it's Look, if this were I don't know, Dan
Johnson managing the Tigers, it would be whatever. It's magnified
because this is your former manager who everybody was beloved,
brought you your first World Series in twenty seventeen, and
cheating scandal be damned. People still in Houston love and
respect A. J. Hinch and it hurt even that much
(16:10):
more for him to come into your house, in your house,
the whole series was here in Houston and take it
from you. With a team that kind of has shadows
of the twenty fifteen Astro team that was ahead of schedule,
and they got all this great farm system talent that's
coming up to the next couple of years with the Tigers.
Like you look at what he's building there. You go, oh,
(16:32):
is that is that the Astros? Is that the twenty
fifteen you know, we'll see.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
I don't know how much all star talent they have
coming up, but I mean they did it this year.
They literally sold at the deadline, traded away Jack Flaherty
and some other players and and then just did this
and crimble stuff and tip of the Captain.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
And schools probably Schoopl's better than peak Dallas Kichel, who
you know, if we're doing all one for one Now,
no triple he did not win the Triple Crown, but anyway,
that is going to do it. For this edition of
the Crawford Box Cast presented by Carboch Brewing and the
Crawford Bach want to thank Ross Verial, Chris Gordy here
(17:10):
and our great sponsor in Carbok Brewing and the Crawford Boch. Look,
the Astro season ended, but it is still a home
run every time when you enjoy the Crawford Box. So
whether you're watching, whether it's Texans NFL season, whether it's
the Rockets getting ready to go here, make sure you
are loading up on Planet Crawford back. And hey, the
weather should be getting a lot nicer soon. I means
we'll be back out doing some shows over at the
(17:32):
beer garden out there at Carbock Brewing. So make sure
you guys keep it locked right here to the Crawford
Box Cast as Ross Veriel myself bring you all the
off season chatter for your Houston Astros as they try
to run this thing back and keep this championship window
open yet another year. The hashtag relentless weren't so relentless
this year, but we'll see if they can reload for
(17:55):
twenty twenty five. I'm Chris Gordy. This has been the
Crawford Box Cast, presented by the Crawford Back in Carbock
Burrowing
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