Winning Ugly: Astros Pitching Carries, Offense Still Searching

The Astros took three of four from the White Sox, then dropped two of three to Arizona—and somehow both series told us almost the exact same thing. The pitching continues to give Houston every chance to win, Yainer Diaz is heating up, Isaac Paredes is producing, and Josh Hader has become a legitimate weapon again. But the offense remains frustratingly inconsistent, with Jeremy Peña, Christian Walker, and others struggling to provide the production this lineup needs. We break down both series, the players who are stepping up, the ones who need to get going, and Houston’s continued inability to consistently cash in scoring opportunities. Then we get into the Astros’ latest waiver claim, Jorge Barrosa. With Jake Meyers, Joey Loperfido, Daulton Varsho, Cam Smith, Nelson Velázquez and an already crowded group of outfielders in the organization, what exactly does another light-hitting, defense-first outfielder solve? The Astros are still sitting atop the AL West—but with October getting closer, the question is becoming pretty simple: can this offense score enough runs to take advantage of a pitching staff that looks ready for the postseason? Dirt Diamond Sports Talk is a proud part of the Spark Podcast Network. Ryan Bokros and Walter Penberthy co-hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.