To make playoffs, 'Stros
need to deal
Brad Sebastian
Astros Report
The Astros are beginning to resemble a
team ready to make a playoff run. Whether that resemblance will evolve
into reality remains to be seen.
Solid starting pitching, dependable defense
and timely hitting are the ingredients that any team needs to earn a post-season
berth.
The Astros finally put the three together,
while beating up on the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers
to climb over the .500 hump for the first time
since May 18.
The Astros got especially strong starts
from their stable of young arms during the 6-1 homestand as Wade Miller,
Roy Oswalt and Kirk Saarloos each earned
shutout wins.
If Jimy Williams' club continues to get
performances like that, the Astros could be serious contenders over the
last two months of the season.
However, looming somewhere between the
Astros and the top of the standings are two obstacles the club has been
unable to overcome all season long:
road games and quality opponents.
Sure, the Astros pitching staff mowed down
the sub-par lineups the Brewers and Pirates brought to Minute Maid Park.
Yes, flashy defensive plays from Lance
Berkman and Jeff Bagwell plugged holes in opponents' bids for big innings.
And yes, Astro hits finally found the gaps
when runners were in scoring position. However, the Astros have yet to
prove they can play at a higher level against
the elite teams in the league.
Earlier in the season, the powers of the
National League proved to be too much for the Astros, putting them in a
hole that they have only recently begun
climbing out.
If they have any real hopes for contending
for the National Central title, the Astros are going to have to figure
out the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Astros have had no answer for the division-leading
Cardinals this season, falling nine out of 12 times to their nemesis thus
far. In May, the Astros were a
miserable 1-5 against the Redbirds, which
buried the Astros in the middle of the standings.
To put together a run at the Cardinals,
common sense dictates that Astros management must make a move toward talent.
It is standard protocol in today's game
that when management considers its team a contender in July, they go out
and get a "blue-chipper" or a "missing
piece" before the trade deadline.
Many contending teams around the league
— including the Cardinals who picked up All-Star third baseman Scott Rolen
from the Phillies — added firepower.
Historically, the Astros have been accustomed
to fine tuning their line-up card late in the season as well. The noticeable
absence of any trade rumors
involving the Astros this season indicates
that management may have given up on the Astros' chances.
Astros management remaining complacent
would send a clear message to the fans and the players: the top brass for
the Astros isn't concerned with
winning championships, but rather with
staying on budget.
The best way to maintain fan loyalty is
to put a winning product on the field.
It looks as though the Astros have chosen
to ignore fans and protect their pocketbooks.
And for the Astros' sake, they better hope
that fans will be forgiving, not forgetful.
