0:09

Astros fans cheers, fucking Lackey. Welcome to the Crawford Bucks cast as proud

0:19

leap forward for you by Crawford Bach from Carbach Brewie. You're getting dath there.

0:25

Oh my goodness, the Crawford Bucks cast starts. Now here we go.

0:30

Here's Chris Gordy and Ross via Real. The two to zero ground ball

0:35

right side streby push too is right after going to the ground, gets to

0:39

his feet, tags the bag and that is the ball game. The Houston

0:44

Astros get swept on the North side of Chicago, falling to the Cubs today

0:48

by a final of three to one, cub scoring three times all in the

0:54

sixth inning to pick up the win and the series suite. It is a

1:00

live edition of the Crawford Box caser on Sports Talk seven ninety. It's Chris

1:03

Gordios Via Reale and my goodness, I never thought we'd be saying this sitting

1:10

here at twenty six games into the season, that your Houston Astros was sitting

1:15

here at sen and nineteen. It defies all logic, defies everything. I

1:23

mean, if you had went back to spring training and said this team's gonna

1:26

start seven to nineteen, I would have said, my god, I mean,

1:30

there must have been an epidemic. Avenger of the pitching staff has been

1:34

I would have said, you know, two US broken something, Jordon Alvarez

1:38

must be hurt, Kyle Tucker must have went down. Mean it must be.

1:42

You must be having to bring up a bunch of minor leaguers. And

1:45

you know, Corey Jolks is playing every day and I don't know who,

1:48

well maybe JJ Mattievik is pointing. I'm like, look, that's what it

1:53

would if it can be convinced me. And even then, I probably would

1:56

have said they're not going to be twelve games below five hundred, not even

2:00

a month into the season. But my goodness, Ross, this is uh.

2:05

I mean we talk about is it time to hit the panic button early

2:07

all those tur reviews. It's not early more. I mean picton Yeah,

2:13

I guess, as I said yesterday on the post game, to quote one

2:16

Yogi bearra it's gets early. It gets late early out there. It's getting

2:22

late early right now for the Houston Astros. And funny you said, if

2:24

you would have told me, that's basically what Maricio Dubond said. If you'd

2:28

have told me, we're gonna be like this after he broke camp, I would have called bs and he used the actual word. So it's I don't

2:37

know what even to say at this point, because if you look at these

2:40

these games individually, right, if you look at like just today, if

2:45

this happened in the middle of one hundred and sixty two game season, you got a solid star from Verlander Montero and to Bray, you gave up a

2:52

couple of runs, but you just had a you were snake bit with an unders in scoring position. You'd be like, all right, that's just one

2:57

of those games. And the phrase we always turned to that that's baseball,

3:00

and then you would just go on to the next. But this it feels

3:04

like almost every game that's baseball, that's baseball, that's baseball. And you

3:08

continue to lose these close games, now oh and seven and one run games,

3:13

and you continue to be snake bit and keep waiting for it to turn

3:15

and waiting for the turn, and it doesn't happen. And now you've lost

3:20

six game excuse me, five games in a row, and eight of your

3:23

last nine. Yeah, it's it's it's getting ugly and something's got to change.

3:30

And to be honest with you if they weren't heading out to if they

3:37

weren't heading out to Mexico City as now as we speak, Like, I

3:40

think chans could been made, you know, they could have you know,

3:45

made a change on it, like it maybe not, Maybe you're not firing

3:47

Joe a spot of this early right now? I did I do google this

3:52

afternoon Ross and find there have been managers fired quicker this they're they're they're number

3:58

case of managed fired sixs into season because they started zero and six. So

4:01

okay, there's been cases of that, but I think it's a little early

4:05

on that for But let's be rare. Like if I'm Jim Cranton, I'm

4:12

a businessman, I'm your business man. Head's got a round, Alex Troe

4:17

or Troy Sner, come down, imortal, pack your bags like I'm making

4:20

a drastic move that just to send the nuns. Look, heading, coach,

4:26

you're a hitting coach. This team kids score runs, and everyone's healthy.

4:29

That's the problem. Well yeah, I mean, it depends on where

4:31

you want the blame to lie. I'm always, especially in baseball, it's

4:36

on the players, you know, yanyrdaz coming up with runners in scoring position,

4:41

Hotel twov knows how to hit with runners in scoring position. Troy Snicker

4:44

and alex In Tron have been here a long time. Joshua Miller has been on the staff since twenty nineteen. He's been the full time pitching coach for

4:50

what like three years now. They won a World Series with him as the

4:54

primary pitching coach. Joe, and I guess you have to ask yourself,

4:58

as any of these guys holding anybody back or are they replacement level? If

5:02

you're gonna make that type of move, that seems a little drastic to me.

5:05

But I understand why you're going in that direction because maybe drastic measures are

5:11

needed because you're twelve games under five hundred. So I don't know. I

5:15

keep trying to preach patients, but then the losses keep racking up, and

5:19

I'm not sure exactly what needs to happen here. Well, a few things.

5:25

We're getting some changes. I don't know if there's changes you want,

5:28

but there's some changes. The uh this for channel room stores. The Astros

5:32

are optioning DP France to Triple A sugar Land ahead of the Mexico City.

5:39

That will clear a roster spot for from ber All to this, But does

5:43

prompt some questions about how their rotation will line up moving forward. So J

5:46

France getting down. We kept saying, you know, when when Vernilador's back

5:50

and from Berg gets back, who's gonna be the man out? Good to

5:54

JP France, gonna be Hunter Brown. You know who's gonna be the high

5:59

And if it's it's JB. Francis getting said down. And then also just

6:03

and the Astros this from at the Chronicle Houston As are going to add Tray

6:09

Cabbage as their twenty seventh player for the Mexico City to get to add extra

6:14

hitter. Interesting part about it to look at the thin as he is eighth

6:20

sugar Land in batting average and two semi one. All right, we gotta

6:25

we gotta have you reconnect or something. Gordy, I appreciate you, and

6:28

yeah, we gotta fix that. Try to reconnect maybe, but on what

6:31

you're bringing up yet, JP France, if you have not heard sent down,

6:35

you do now have Trey Cabbage and from ber Valdez clearing some roster spots

6:40

for that. In the case of Trey Cabbage, it is just him getting

6:44

called up as an extra roster spot. You go to the Mexico city, you get extra roster spot and it's going to be tray cabbage. It can't

6:50

be a pitcher, is my understanding. So uh, that's where we are

6:55

right now. So that that does. These are all good things. And

6:58

yeah, I don't know how much you know, huge shakeups are needed or

7:01

whatever, what's gonna happen. You did have Joe a spot. I mean

7:04

he's been trying to tinker and toil with the lineup here and there. You've

7:10

had, of course jose A Bray You' starting off the season batting fifth and

7:13

down to six, seventh, eighth, and then now he hasn't even been in a lineup the last couple of days. I don't he's played one game

7:19

so far all week and we're into Thursday. So you have had some reactive

7:24

changes there last two days. Alex Bregman has been in the two spot in

7:30

the lineup. Yesterday he got a single off of the glove of jameson Tye

7:32

on today got a bloop single and another single in the first inning, So

7:38

at least that's something I think he was like on an zero for seventeen So

7:41

it's not like he's just tearing the cover off the ball all of a sudden,

7:44

but he had a hard hit single today. That's good. That's a

7:47

step in the right direction. I personally philosophically against putting Alex Bregman back in

7:54

the two hole, but I mean, so far he's got three hits,

7:57

so it's gonna be difficult to argue the Uh, how did you change?

8:01

How would you change the top five? Then? I mean I hear people

8:05

stay like, move Bregman down? Okay, then who who's the top five? How would you keep I'm fine with keeping it the way it was,

8:11

Okay, it doesn't matter where you are. I mean, yeah, Jordon Alvarez didn't get a hit today's in the three hole. He would have how

8:16

many hits? What you've gotten in the tool? To me, wherever you want to put up, Yeah, if you need protection from Jordon Alvarez to

8:20

to get going, and why don't we put Jake Myers in there? Why

8:22

don't we put Marico Dubon in there? Well? What yord On Alvarez has

8:26

given you all the protection? Then I just I think it doesn't necessarily matter

8:31

to me. It's just about the guys wherever they are need to hit.

8:35

And I guess to me, I just would and put a guy who's scuffling

8:39

and hitting two hundred up in the number two spot and get him more plate

8:43

appearances. That's all what's interesting, Ross, I was listening as you were,

8:50

you know, you were naming some of the pictures that they could face.

8:52

They faced jameson tie On yesterday and he's he's having a nice season.

8:56

But like some of these pictures they face here in recent weeks, it's not

9:01

like like you haven't faced Tyler Glass now yet, Like haven't faced I don't

9:05

know. I'm trying to think of, like who are some of the better

9:07

pictures Bryce Miller of Seattle, I don't know, like just day a picture

9:11

Like it's not like you faced the stud of studs in recent weeks like Corbin

9:16

Burns and uh, you're just getting shut down like Clayton Marshaw, like you're

9:20

These are like scrub dudes that I don't know how many times I've heard past

9:24

week, Ross, this is his Uh he's high for inks fished, or

9:30

this is high for checkouts, or this is a scene low for for him.

9:33

It's it's been mine yeah, uh yeah. Jordan Wicks hasn't really been

9:37

good, but he is a guy that was like a top hundred prospect.

9:41

He's one of the better prospects of the Cubs and unfortunately, I mean, yeah, he had his best outing of the season against the Houston Astros.

9:48

Javier Sad was good last year, so and Jameson tay On coming in.

9:52

I mean, he's been an okay guy, but he had like a one

9:54

fifty era coming in. But yeah, at the end of the day,

9:56

you need to scratch runs across. It doesn't matter who they are, who

10:00

it is, you got to get to these guys or you can get to

10:03

the bullpen, because it's not like all these guys are are going like eight

10:05

nine innings into the game, into games you've had the opportunities. You got

10:09

multiple gifts yesterday with an air on a Jake Myers bunt and then the in

10:15

the single off the glove of Alex Bregman, and then you you get guys

10:18

up and then Jordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker promptly come up and get out. It's been it's been everybody in these clutch situations. It just for whatever reason,

10:28

it just has been piling up in the absolute wrong direction where everything that

10:33

can go wrong has gone wrong. And yeah, it's not like they're just

10:37

getting you know, a bunch of aces spinning gyms against them every time.

10:39

So, yeah, you're allowed to score runs. You're allowed to score runs

10:43

on a rookie pitcher. You're allowed to I mean Javier Sad like I said,

10:46

I think he had like era around three last year, But you're allowed

10:48

to score runs on him, and they just haven't been doing it. Same

10:52

thing for their bullpen arms. A quick thought on Cabbage. Do you think

10:56

they're gonna him? I mean, do you get he's been mostly right?

11:00

I'll do you give him a start at first and just see what happens.

11:03

Yeah, I don't know if he's even gonna play. We'll see, because

11:07

it's just an extra spot on the roster if they really want to get a

11:09

look at him. I mean, it's two games in Mexico City really going to tell you all you need about Dray Caviche. I mean, and that's

11:16

the problem, and we'll talk about it when we return. But like,

11:18

here's the problem ross it miss Maybe it's a good problem, but like I

11:22

expect the Bats to wigh up in Mexico City. They almost have to at

11:26

that. I gets a bad Rockies team, but also, don't be fooled

11:31

just because they go to Mexico City and maybe up for eight and nine ten

11:35

runs and maybe they win both those games. Not all they're solved after that,

11:39

although it would be a right trend in the right direction to go to

11:43

and O in Mexico City. Yeah, all right, uh yeah, we'll

11:46

go ahead and take a break here. You guys want to get in the

11:48

phone lines, you can seven one three two one two five seven ninety seven

11:52

one three two one two five seven ninety the phone number. It is a

11:56

live edition of the Crawford Box Cast. Chris Gordy and Ross Viyal with you

12:01

continue to talk about the Astros five straight losses and unfortunately seven and nineteen day

12:09

off tomorrow before the series in Mexico City. Seven one three two one two

12:13

five seven nine of the phone number back in a minute here on the Crawford

12:16

Box Cast, presented by Carbuck Brewing. Is there a team that could do

12:18

it? Is his club, so I know they will turn these things around.

12:24

But there's got to be a more urgency, There's got to be more

12:26

more fire in, you know, in the middle of the game where we

12:30

find ourselves back against the corner we just got to fight, fight and if

12:33

we do that, well, we'll be fine. That was your manager.

12:35

Joe spat and man, it's not good. Everything's not good. Right at

12:43

seven. They lose today three to one, and Ross it was interesting he

12:48

gets ran in the ninth inning. Now I'm listening on radio and watching on

12:52

TV, and that was That may have been the weakest injection ever because there

12:58

was no yelling, there was a screaming, there was no thing. It

13:01

was just got It was like it was like he wouldn't leave, like he

13:05

just kept talking and then the Dumpires was like, Okay, I'm gonna run

13:09

you. But I believe that was Joe a spot he said after it was

13:13

it was an example of you know, he wanted to blo about the strike

13:16

zone, but I think that was him trying to inspire the team and they

13:20

did respond right after you we're not works a walk and talker works a walk.

13:24

But that nobody kills did that anything. I guess that he didn't inspire

13:26

him just enough. He needed to yell some more. You know. It's

13:30

funny. In the in the off season, he said that he was going

13:33

he's he's like my Latin blood. I'm gonna be getting run a lot more than Dusty Baker has. And he just was out there like huhuh. It

13:39

was almost like he was He went to the umpire was like, hey,

13:41

you want to go ahead and throw me out? I just need to get thrown out. I think it'll be good. And why not. I mean

13:45

this Sat ninth inning, we're probably gonna lose anyways, you want to be

13:48

thrown out? Okay, you're out like that. That's what it sounded like.

13:52

And I think I think we do have the audio if you want to

13:54

hear of. This is Robert Ford and Steve Sparks calling this correct. Yeah,

13:58

oh I'm sorry a spot a talking about getting injected here. It is.

14:01

I just, you know, do not agree with his strike zone today

14:05

throughout the whole game? Yeah, I thought there was some you know,

14:09

pitches they didn't go our way, and I just didn't agree with him.

14:13

You kind of choose that moment right there. I just got tired of watching

14:18

him. There you go, we all got tired of watching. Yeah.

14:24

Maybe maybe he's like, I need to get out of here. This is

14:26

bad. Well, just next time, Joe, if you're gonna get tossed,

14:31

don't look like a pretty tax, like the raise a fit out there,

14:35

like let's be a Karen at Target trying to hurt something. Okay,

14:39

but why like why does that matter? Because nothing else again was let's try

14:45

it up. I guess, uh, yeah, I guess. I I

14:52

don't know. I don't I don't know. I'm not going to complain.

14:56

Yeah, I guess if he would, he would like kick some dirt up there and now acted like a child like Aaron Boone. That would have made

15:01

everybody happier. I guess. Well, what's frustrating about the Ross is all

15:05

the all of this great ass hit struggles. We've kind of looked at one

15:11

or two things where we go, oh, that's the solution. You know.

15:15

It's like, oh, just change the lineup, or oh when al

15:18

two they gets healthy, Hey, when you gets back this lineup, it

15:20

would be much better. Uh you know, when Frobert gets back or whatever

15:26

it is. There's always been like, oh, okay, that's what we

15:28

have to look forward to. But right now, like okay, like I

15:31

guess getting Frombert back and getting Hovier back next week is going to help you,

15:35

yes, but like it still doesn't solve the offense. That's that's the

15:39

thing, and we can talk about all this stuff that they're blue in the

15:41

face. Oh, put Alex Rigman two, put them four. Put you

15:43

are on two. Put you are on three. But whatever here, let's

15:46

do this. Let's screen, let's kick dirt in the umpires. No,

15:50

let's execute pitches, let's get out, let's get hits with runners in scoring

15:52

position. Let's play like a big league ball club that you've been for so

15:56

many years, and just show us a little something, show us some fight,

16:00

show us some energy, come in through with in these situations that happened

16:04

time and time and time again. Last two games won for sixteen with runners

16:10

in scoring position. How about we get a hit. How about we just

16:12

don't hit a bunch of soft singles. How about some hard hit contact.

16:15

And you can complain about everything and every little ancillary other thing that's happening.

16:21

It's all about what's happening on the field and the team not executing. That's

16:25

what it comes down to. Yeah, it's it's interesting. The I had

16:30

to look it up earlier. Us like all the teams that are near the

16:33

top and runs scored in baseball have all had kidden number games, like the

16:38

Doms have had games where they won like sixteen to seven and fifteen to three

16:42

and stuff. This just team's only a one game like that, and it

16:47

was the fifth game of the Rangers or something. It was what was that

16:51

game? Okay? Yeah, yeah, they had a couple of big wins

16:55

against Toronto. Yeah, tend to nothing, eight to nothing. Yeah, they had the Rangers game where they want ten to five. But really when

17:00

when Handley gave up, was that the one where he gave a bunch of

17:03

runs and then they know? Was that a different one? Okay? No,

17:07

I think I think that might have been. But like my my point

17:10

is it was like look starting good offensive, pickup average or bad pitching,

17:17

like we see it all the time. I brought it up earlier us. You remember two years ago Jose Rachides start of the year and he was not

17:23

but he was, like we got to like a month or two in the

17:27

scene. He was twelve and four twelve YenS. He had a bunch of

17:33

wins because he was run support. He won games to eleven to seven,

17:37

thirteen to four, like he would do a four earn they got up double

17:41

digit runs. It's so it didn't matter, like and that's what's crazy is

17:44

like, yes, uh, Arrogetty was not great in the first thing,

17:48

although he settled in after that. Yes, Jamee, you can win that

17:51

game. You can win a game four runs because last year nights were winnable

17:55

games. Like it's just it's that's the thing that stinks the most, is

17:59

like, yeah, and like the few times we had to had to lead

18:03

late and then or you know, Presley and hater Post sucked in the game.

18:07

So it's just like it's just like throwing up on yourself every night something

18:11

goes wrong. But I just know this man, with this entire lineup being

18:15

healthy right now, one through nine, it just it doesn't make any sense

18:18

that they have scored in the last week cross one run two or four runs,

18:22

three runs, four runs zero two three one. That's just it.

18:26

That's mind bog. Yeah, let's go ahead and go to the phone lines

18:30

real quick. Here on the Crawford box Cast presented by car Bock Brewing,

18:33

Paul in Myerland holding On wants to talk about Mauricio Dubon. What is up,

18:37

Paul Man, I'll go by the part day there's some kids playing baseball.

18:42

It was so much more entertaining. The askedros word today. But now

18:47

what is the viol Is there a viable option for putting Mauricio Dubon at first

18:52

base? What is the best option that we have other than what we've got

18:56

going now? Yeah, thanks Paul. I think they want to keep Mauricio

19:00

Dubon in the role where he floats around, where he plays some center.

19:04

He can spell JOSEO two VA and second like he did. He's a utility

19:07

player and normally you like to have that guy as the jack of all trade.

19:11

If you make him your everyday first baseman, then you got to figure

19:15

out what's going on with the roster. What happens to Josea Bray? You

19:17

do just outright dfa him? Who do you call up to be your utility

19:21

person in his stead? So I think it's gonna be I don't know what's

19:23

going on with Josea Bray, you or John Singleton, Trey Cabbage now getting

19:27

called up, Joey lo Berfito keeps on getting multiple home runs, So I

19:32

don't think it's gonna be Mauricio Duban at first base, who at this point

19:37

he has like two games of experience within like the last year. Well,

19:41

and did you hear I think Adam Wesseler was saying earlier that Dubon's actually best

19:47

served like being a pinch hitter, because he said, like his him,

19:52

when no runners on base, he's like seven for four to something on the

19:56

year, like today he was zero three because nobody was on bab get When

20:00

men are on base, he's like Superman, like he's betting over six hundred

20:04

when a man is in the scoring position. So like it's that that to

20:08

me was exacerbated last night late in the game pinch run for Risio don As

20:15

opposed to wedding im pinch hit. I'm like, no, he should be

20:18

hitting. But the bad it is there's men in scoring position, Like that's

20:22

where Dubaun should be hitting instead. No, no, no pinch run because

20:25

you're fast. It's like that's and that's where you know wex make great Like

20:30

okay, we keep saying bought us to player, he did not. Really

20:33

the numbers don't sy that. I mean, he's he's okay, but Dubon

20:37

has been exceptional. When there's runners in scoring position. That's where you say

20:42

we're late in a game. I got two men on and nobody out.

20:45

Dubon get in the pinchhit and unless drive in some runs. A career with

20:52

runners in scoring position two sixty two with a six sixty six ops. Okay,

20:56

well let me give you this. Currently this season he leads to majors

21:00

with a six fifteen average. Okay, well, he's just gonna be Oh,

21:04

he's gonna hit six hundred. Okay, so you just get guys on

21:10

and he's gonna be a six hundred hit of the rest of the season. I mean, he's a for thirteen so far with runners. Okay, thirteen,

21:15

that's great. It's thirteen sample size. I mean, I'm not I'm

21:18

gonna act like he's just uh whatever, it doesn't matter. It is.

21:23

They got to figure something out. Hey, remember when Jordan used to hit

21:30

dingers and home runs like that? Was that was awesome? That was cool.

21:33

Again, well he was doing it early in the season. Yeah,

21:36

but they were all like six solo shots. Like, how many damn home runs have they hit this year? They've been solo shots? Like can we

21:42

like grant? We don't. We'll see that in forever, like home run.

21:48

Yeah, it's everything, all right, We're gonna take another break here

21:52

on the Crawford Box cast, Ros Virial Chris Gordy. You want to get

21:56

in phone lines open at seven one three two one two five seven one three

22:00

two one two five seven ninety the phone number. You want to vent your

22:03

Astros frustrations, you can do it here on Sports Talk seven ninety and the

22:08

Crawford Box castro. This is cambigmore here every Rockets game more Sports Talk seven

22:18

ninety and streaming on the iHeart Radio ad Home of Your Rockets go all on,

22:22

youre live at you They Crawford Box Cask presented by Carbox Brewing, and

22:27

the Crawford Bock. Hey, at least you know what the Crawford Bock.

22:30

It's a home run every time. But Astros one run today and it came

22:36

in the first inning. They've done that a couple times this year. Russ. Well, they score a runner and you're like all right, and then

22:41

it'll score again for eight more innites. It's it's really weird. It's really

22:45

foreign right to have this happen, especially after what we're so used to and

22:52

like to where the point where you're sitting in front of your couch or wherever

22:56

and watching the game and almost expecting everything that can go wrong to go wrong.

23:03

It's just I don't even know what to say at this point. It's

23:07

like the expectation level on a day to day basis right now, Like if

23:11

they go up to Mexico City and get swept by the Colorado Rockies. At

23:15

this point, are you gonna be like, Wow, I can't believe that happened. No, it's almost anything that can go wrong is going wrong,

23:22

and it's not even surprising. And at this point you're you're almost expecting it

23:26

now. Of course it can turn at some point, and I think it will, but right now, this moment, it's just it doesn't feel good.

23:32

And that's the tough part for you know, for Jim Kran from a

23:36

Brown, for everybody associated with the organization is it's one hundred and sixty with

23:41

these how long do you wait, you know, to make a drastic move?

23:45

Fuck about it? We certainly wake people up, but do you what

23:48

you just said? Thing is gonna turn? What it does, what they're

23:52

doing, what they have a miraculous Juning lie way win games are otiens.

24:00

Yes, it's one of those tarts to make. It's how bad it's so

24:04

bad that you can do something drastic? Uh? Yeah, I'm just not

24:10

there yet, I'm just not And I guess this is more of a question

24:15

for people who are around the clubhouse. To the players. I imagine Dana

24:17

Brown, Jim Crane, whoever. I mean, they'll ask, you know, jose L Tuva privately, Alex Bregman privately, whoever else. You know,

24:25

Hey, what do you think? How are you feeling about Joe? Is he doing okay? How do we get out of this? I can

24:30

just about guarantee you they're active conversations with every level of the organization trying to

24:36

figure out what they can do to me. Just from what I'm seeing. And I'm not in the clubhouse. I'm not in the not in the batting

24:41

cage, I'm not in them the meeting rooms and the prep uh, you

24:45

know, the preparatory meetings as well, and how to game plan against pictures

24:48

and how to game plan against hitters. But it just seems like they're just

24:52

not executing. It just seems like they're a snake bit. It just seems

24:55

like guys that we know have come up in these situations and come through.

24:59

Save for Murray's dubon, all praise be to him for hitting six hundred of

25:03

runners in scoring position, it just seems like everybody else is getting ample opportunity

25:07

after ample opportunity and coming up short. And that's where you're gonna be when

25:11

in two straight games you go one for sixteen with runners in scoring position.

25:18

And what's crazy too, is like and I've gotten text from people and like,

25:22

you know, ah, this is this is payback for you all running

25:26

up Dusty and all this kind of stuff, and go on, guys,

25:29

I'm around the ball, you know, like for almost all home games,

25:33

I'm in the clubhouse. I'm talking to these guys. You would not know

25:37

difference being at a home game pre game, like the three hours for game.

25:41

You wouldn't know the difference whether it was a jew, whether it was

25:45

Dusty Baker the manager, or Joe Spata. It's at least Dusty and Joe.

25:51

It's been exactly the same, the same routines, the same everything.

25:56

Uh Joe, Still we'll get out there and he'll ground take grounders and funk

26:00

to guys in like, still he did it the best co which he did

26:03

it. He's thinking it's about like so the only different thing is, yeah,

26:07

Dusty's not winning the team, But I, like, I don't know,

26:10

I was around. I was like, I don't know what was Dusty just going up to these eyes, putting his arm on his shoulder and just

26:15

give it some infinite wisdom going when you see that slider, if it's the

26:18

third or fourth pitch, be ready to swing. Like I don't know if

26:22

he was gifted the guys of that. But like everything else is very much

26:25

the same as it was the last last year and two years ago with the

26:29

World Series team. Yeah to me, I mean it's just a combination of

26:32

things. Dusty Baker. They have already used more pitchers this year than they did all of last year, so every year is different. The players are

26:37

mostly the same. I'm not I was consistent last year when everybody wanted Dusty

26:42

Baker fired and all that type of stuff. I wasn't saying, no,

26:47

Dusty Baker is elevating them to a new level. And I wasn't saying no,

26:49

Dusty Baker is bringing this down and holding this team back. It's the

26:52

players. It's on the players. I'm saying the same thing right now.

26:56

Unless unless Joe Aspota, I don't even know what, Unless he's actively poisoning

27:00

all the players in that clubhouse, I don't even know what he could be

27:03

doing to cause this. It's a fact that they've used all these pitchers.

27:07

It's the fact that they can't come through in the clutch, and it's a

27:11

fact of the nature of this game where every little thing and getting calls not

27:15

going their way and getting squeezed and like like that that pitch that Justin Verlander

27:21

didn't get on the outside edge there in the fifth inning, it was given

27:25

later to Cubs pitchers a couple of times. That's just baseball. That's just

27:29

something that happens. These are you know, these are things that can happen

27:33

of a course of a game, and then you pile them all up and you end up losing a one run game and you don't come up with the

27:37

opportunities as well, so you're shooting yourself in the foot. You're not catching

27:41

many breaks, and even the breaks that they are getting there, they're just

27:44

not capitalizing on those opportunities. We do need to one other guy, we

27:49

should cabbage and get called up and join the team in Mexico City, because

27:55

they have that roster and it has to be a vision player. That's why.

27:59

Otherwise, you know, they would probably just bring another pitcher. Uh,

28:03

Joey Low Praffito Ross Wait launched his minor league leading eleventh and twelfth home

28:08

runs of this season. It is already his third multi homer game of the

28:12

short season and in just twenty one games. I mean, it's it's amazing.

28:18

The twelve home runs already, He's just the second batter in Triple License

28:22

twenty thirteen hit twelve home runs between March April, joining Yuran Alvarez, who

28:27

also launched twelve and twenty nins with Round Rock. I don't know, man,

28:32

Like, the more he keeps doing this, I don't I don't know if he's the solution, if he's the answer, if he's the next coming

28:37

of the next big prospect, which he is in the in the in the

28:41

prospect right He's like, he's not that high, but he's not on anybody's

28:45

top one hundred list. Yeah, But the more he keeps doing this Ross,

28:49

the more it makes you go, why not? Yeah, what how

28:52

could it possibly be worse? Oh? Is he gonna hit worse than sixty

28:56

five with four hits and in one double? Of course this is not pod

29:00

It's probably not physically possible for him to do worset. So yeah, I'm

29:03

with you on that I don't know what's what's gonna happen. And we've come

29:07

this far and I think they're gonna continue to give a break even though the

29:11

you know, right handed pitchers back to back days. John Singleton has gotten

29:14

some looks and he's gotten some hits as well. A couple more today,

29:17

So I mean his averages up to two fifty six. It's not like he's slugging a bunch. He came up in a clutch situation, didn't come through

29:22

today. But something's got to give at some point, and I don't know

29:26

exactly when that is gonna be in terms of Joey Loperfito, but Tray Cabbage

29:30

is called up and we'll see if he gets an He looks this weekend in

29:33

Mexico City. Well, I don't know. I've heard Jeff Backwell, was

29:37

that a jerdy golf golf tournament yesterday? And he talked with ABC thirteen and

29:42

you know, I don't know about your auspind Aggie says, he's, you

29:47

know, he's ready for Jose, ready to break out of this and get going. Oh okay, Uh, well, yeah, I guess we can

29:55

keep waiting the problem is that the at bats have been so bad. There were times where he was struggling last year and he would still getting hard hit

30:00

contact. You're not saying that at all this year. Well, and that's

30:03

where people have brought up Garrett Cooper from you know, was with the Marls

30:07

for years and I ironically they saw Yuli Gurriel and they were kind of platooning

30:12

at first for the Marlins. Uh, he was with it. I think

30:15

what the Cubs this season and cut him, but he was like two seventy.

30:18

It's like funny because even two seventies all small sample size, he goes

30:22

better than over again from Bray you and Singleton. But like he's out there,

30:26

I said, Jared Walsh's gonna hit White Waivers. There's like some veteran

30:30

guys out there that like why not, like he make a flyer on them,

30:34

or let's bring up Blow Braffito. I know John Singleton's had a couple

30:38

hits, but man, it's not the answer. Like he's he's a guy

30:41

who was you know, he's he's a four A player. He's awesome in

30:45

Triple A. He's just not very good in MLB. So I'm just to

30:49

a point the roster. If I'm Jim Crady getting him and go. It's

30:52

time to do something like we got to start makings like we waited long enough

30:56

for a month into the year. We got to do something. Yeah,

31:00

all right, well, let's go ahead and take our final break of the

31:03

Crawford Box Cast presented by Carbock Brewing. A coupley all on hold, you

31:07

can get back if you like. Seven to one three two one two five

31:10

seven ninety seven one three two one two five seven ninety I'll leave you with

31:15

this. We can talk about it on the side. Jose Braven spring training

31:18

hit three oh eight with a nine to nineteen. Ops. Where has he

31:22

gone? I don't know. We'll discuss after this quick break here on the

31:25

Crawford Box Cast on Sports Talk seven ninety All right, one more segment here

31:27

on a live edition of the Puffberg Box Cast. Was it like a car

31:30

bo brewing? And man, I can't wait to get back out to the

31:33

minim made park and around my sorrows with some Crawford Box. I may have

31:37

to uber home from the ballpark if they can't turn this thing around. Your

31:41

astros seven and nineteen. They've lost five in a row. They after being

31:45

swept by the Atlanta Braves, they go loose two out of three in DC

31:49

and then they get swept at the hand of Chicago Cubs. Ross I thought,

31:53

I mean, you look at these series. You had a chance to

31:56

win the finale against Atlanta. It in ten innings, you know, so

32:00

you could have lost just two out of three there. You blew the Saturday

32:05

game against Washington, so really you should have taken too out of three against

32:07

them. And then here against Chicago. I mean, this one today was

32:10

there for the taking Erlander butt off for you. And again four runs or

32:16

five runs probably gets it them today and you'll win five to three and State

32:20

gets swept. So you know, there's been a couple of instances here there.

32:23

Man, you just a lucky break here there, and you know you

32:27

could have been three and three on this this last six, you know,

32:30

going and playing easier teams in Washington in Chicago. Yeah, that's the thing.

32:35

It's it's the normally, over the course of a season, things even

32:40

out for the most part, depending I mean some teams it goes crazy.

32:44

But if one run games and extra inning games so far you are winless in

32:47

both, you're oer for three in extra inning games. All three of those

32:52

being one run games. You're zero for seven overall in one run games. They lost today with a bunch of opportunities. That's the That's where I continue

32:59

to say they just also snake bit and I do believe it's gonna turn to

33:01

some point. I don't think. I'm not saying they're gonna win a hundred

33:05

games and it's gonna turn that much, or they're gonna right out win the

33:07

outright win the division or anything like that. But I do believe you can

33:12

get a couple of breaks. You got Fromber coming back, justin Verlander and

33:15

back to back starts. Okay, he had a quality start and then he

33:17

was mostly good today before the pitch count got a little bit out of hand

33:21

and they had to had to pull him. But you're getting Fromber back and

33:27

so Rene Blanco has been very good. Spencer Raghetti, I felt like I

33:30

was encouraged by the last couple of innings that he threw. I can convince

33:36

myself that it's at least going to be somewhat okay, even though it's really

33:40

really hard to do right now. It's crazy ross you've got. I'm looking

33:45

at the numbers here. These are the updated numbers. Through twenty six games,

33:50

your astros have two hundred and thirty five hits, that is third most

33:54

in the Major You have the third most hits in all of baseball. Yeah,

33:59

you scored all one hundred and two runs, that is twentieth in Major

34:02

League Baseball. And by contrast, the Detroit Tigers ross, they have play

34:07

five games, so they've played one game less than you. They have scored

34:09

one hundred and one run, so one run less than you. Which basically

34:13

we could take today off because you scored one run today, still have you'd

34:16

be tied with the Detroit Tigers at twenty five games and one hundred and one

34:20

run ones run scored. But the Detroit Tigers have done that ross with one

34:23

hundred and eighty eight hits. I mean, that's like you've got fifty more

34:29

over fifty more hits than they do, and you've got the same amount of

34:32

runs. The show for it. That's that's mind boggling. It's gonna it's

34:36

gonna turn. It's gonna turn. It's gonna turn. It has to turn. It must turn, it shall turn. It will turn. Please,

34:43

it's going to turn. It's look if it doesn't turn in Mexico City.

34:47

Then this team needs to go see a voodoo for as. Yeah, what

34:51

if they lose a couple of games like ten to eight or like fifteen to fourteen. I'm okay with that. We were in Vegas latter ross when that

34:58

ESCO series was going on, and I had on my fantasy team Joe Musgrove,

35:02

and I'm an idiot for not benching. I can give them eight runs

35:07

by the third inning. I mean, it's balls flat out at that elevation.

35:12

Yeah, it's hopefully the runs will be scored. I think I hope.

35:20

Well, we shall see as we kind of recap here again. The

35:23

news coming out just in the past hour, and these are reports that the

35:28

team hasn't officially announced this yet, but Chandler Rome saying that they are going

35:31

to send JP first option him down to sugar Land. That will freak out

35:36

the spot for from ber Valdez, who is expected to return to the starting

35:39

rotation this weekend. He was expected to start I guess either Saturday or Sunday.

35:45

They have a day off for travel tomorrow to Mexico City. Uh.

35:47

Again, maybe not the best place for Rombert to return, but he is

35:51

a ground ulf pitcher. So you know, hopefully he keeps them down because

35:53

if they're hit them, if they're tee and off Robert, then this thing

35:57

could really just get bad at worse after word. But uh Frober expected to

36:01

start this weekend, and then Tray Cabot added because they get a twenty seventh

36:06

roster spot to add a position player going up in Mexo City. And again

36:09

it's intriguing because maybe give Trey Keba just started first in one of these games

36:14

and just kind of see what he can do. And that wasn't tearing the you know whatever the whatever off the ball down down their sugar land, but

36:22

you know, gets an opportunity. He's a guy that King of Brown and those guys very high on, so we'll see what he can do. But

36:29

man, it's just it's just you almost have to take a step back cross

36:32

and say, like there were starts since nineteen sixty nine, even the even

36:37

the Maxwell and Ricky. Yes, correct, it's it's hitting hard. It's

36:50

it's tough pills to swallow right now. But I still see a talented team.

36:54

I still see good hitters, I still see good pictures that are coming

36:58

back. And then it's hope. I mean, I hope against hope that's

37:02

gonna happen at some point. It's got to. Like you mentioned, they're

37:06

their third and batting average in all of baseball. They can't score runs for

37:09

some reason. We already addressed the people on social media who were saying,

37:15

you know, oh, you know, you should have kept Dusty and all us. Let me address the social media people who are saying, sell everything,

37:23

fire sales team up. Yeah, like what this like, Russ,

37:30

you know how hard it is to build a championship contending team, Like they

37:35

won't like blowing this up. Trading five guys, Is it gonna make you

37:38

an instinct under next year? Your best path back to a championship is to

37:43

stick with what got you to the championship two years ago, Like keep this

37:47

that you're more liable to keep the thing intact and try to say, hey,

37:52

this was a down year, but let's run it back next year. Like that's just what's so mind buggling is you want to take a chance on

37:58

prospects. Prospects do not hit, like it's it's it's a fifty to fifty

38:02

proposition, if even that. And so that's where I just say, people

38:06

like trade Bregman get something for Like, dude, you're better off playing this

38:09

thing out and see see if you can't get hot for a couple of weeks.

38:14

Yeah, uh, it was something that, uh well, we didn't think it was gonna have to happen this year. I don't. I still

38:20

don't think it is, and it is tougher and tougher, but yeah,

38:22

it's I think it's certainly a little bit early to say blow the entire thing

38:27

up. I mean, you still got Jordan Alvarez in his prime, Jose

38:30

al Tuve is like in threatening for another batting title. Alex Bregman, I

38:35

think we'll turn it around. Kyle Tucker is a perennial All Star. You've

38:37

got Justin Verlin, who's he's forty one years old. It's not like he's

38:42

going to be around the next time you're good. So I mean, I

38:45

think you just try to regroup day off, win a couple of games in

38:50

Mexico, come back, and hopefully you can be Okay. Hey, this

38:55

has been the Crawford Box Cast presented by Carbox Brewing, and hopefully you guys

39:00

get your hands on some Craftford buck this weekend. Whether you're in Mexico City,

39:04

or you're watching from home listening on the iHeartRadio app. We're listening on

39:07

Sports Talk seven ninety. Get some Crawford buck it's a home run every time

39:10

and want on you guys. Two weeks from Friday, May tenth, it's

39:15

gonna be teacher Appreciation Day over at Carbock Brewing. Will be out there.

39:19

They have Hayton, will do a shortened show up ahead of the Detroit series

39:22

as the Astros play against the Detroit Tigers up there and fifteen percent off for

39:27

teachers and cool admin with their issued ID. And that's gonna be a Carbock

39:30

growing two weeks on May tenth, so mark your calendars. That's gonna do

39:36

it ross seven to nineteen. Hopefully we're never filling this bad abuts the Astros

39:39

it again, hopefully not. Hopefully not. That's gonna do it for the

39:45

Crawford box cast.