With a definite improvement in baseball in Houston, the flaws become more pronounced. Why can't this team hit with three men on?
Apr 16, 2012 -
I find myself with infinitely more hope when the 2012 Astros take the field...right up until the bases are loaded. Eleven times, yes 11, in this brand new season the Astros have found themselves with the bags jammed with runners. Not once in those possibility-laden scenarios have the Astros been able to send anyone home.
This Astros team gets on base a bit more easily, after all we're seeing walks at a rate that is unprecedented in recent years. Their 40 walks this season puts them at 4th in the NL and 6th overall in Major League Baseball. If they could only capitalize on those opportunities, Houston would have a team that is a contender in every game they play this season.
What is most disappointing about this "bases loaded" phenomenon so far is it is undermining rallies that are often early enough and big enough to retake a lead. This is one of those things that if you've followed the team the last couple of years really stands out.
After the trade deadline in 2011 when the Astros called up a crop of young, fresh faces, fans often watched as the team would fall behind only to rally late in the game. Last year the rallies either came too late or just didn't have quite enough umph to push them into the lead, resulting in a multitude of losses.
This year? The rallies are happening again, this time earlier and with plenty of momentum and ability to finish off the opponent. We've seen it several times already. Those rallies and comebacks would be so much easier if this team could find a way to put together effective offense when the bases are loaded. By my count, it's three games that would have definitely resulted in Ws.
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