Astros Insight: What's going on?

The Astros are sadly on the heels of a seven game losing streak after being swept in Cincinnati by the Reds. Their record now stand at 18-27, last in the NL Central and 9 games out of the first place Cardinals. Normally the Astros are slow first half starters and this year is no different. I remember 2005, the last and only World Series appearance by my Houston Astros. That year, the sport columnist of the Houston Chronicle, Dave Justice, posted an article with a tombstone and gave the Astros up for dead. Their record then stood at 15-30, worst than this year. The rest is history of course, as the Astros rallied and won the Wild Card and a wild ride to the World Series. I know, they lost, actually swept by the White Sox, but I will always remember that team, that even though they were given up for dead by most (me included), they still came back and shocked the world by advancing that far.

So, what do they need to do now to accomplish that same goal? Well, for starters, how about some pitching? Both starting and relief. This year corp has really been unsettling wth pitchers seemingly pitching on thin ice. The rotation, apart from Roy Oswalt and Wandy Rodriguez on occassions, has been disastrous. Mike Hampton, Russ Ortiz, Felipe Paulino and Brian Moehler are not exactly names that spell fear to the opposition. And as a fan, I'm always praying more than usual when any of those guys take the mound. Hopefully Brandon Backe comes back and delivers this group from its misery. Whatever happened to the times when the Astros were known for their pitching and their talents? The bullpen is in disarray as well. Having lost Jose Valverde and Doug Brocail to injuries the Astros had to plug in Latroy Hawkins as their closer, leaving the other guys (what are their names anyways?) to figure the rest out.

On the offense side, I see a lot of progress, namely Michael Bourn. This Houston native is leading the league in stolen bases and he's getting on base more regularly as his .286 batting average attests. Lance Berkman also needs to hurry up and find his groove because he is the weakest and missing link. At .229 average, Berkman is batting 70 points below is career average. If he starts to get hot and the pitching figures out a way out of its mess, I see the Astros shocking the world once again with another berth in the grand finale. The World Series.