The Houston Astros are BACK in the Playoff hunt

The Houston Astros are BACK in the Playoff hunt

the Astros be creeping they’re getting closer and closer to first place in the AL West they rightful place five straight wins no game last night but the Seattle Mariners played last night they lost they’ have lost five of six and now an AL West lead that not too long ago was 10 games for Seattle yep is five and a half Joe hey Dana Brown said cut it in half they’re half game away cut it in half already they cut it in half in less than a week yeah Seattle’s doing you wonderful wonderful favors by being terrible at baseball all of a sudden they’re starting to face injuries that they haven’t faced all year that you have so they’re kind of hitting their adversity as you’re getting healthier so this is this is a I mean let’s not let’s not stretch it the Astros aren’t getting that healthy they’re still pretty banged up it’s not who’s a little healthier I mean Luis Garcia Luis Garcia’s going to be pitching in a minor league game soon cool baby steps let’s actually see it I’m Forest Whitley’s back in triple A oh stop stop stop no that’s just trolling ESPN 975 and 925 five night this Thursday promo code ESPN 925 come hang out with us watch Paul and Jeremy throw first pitches and maybe see Force Whitley I’m going to have outrageously short shorts on for that for my first pitch performance and I’ve got an incredible shirt for June 27th in particular that is a tease from your fashionista one of the fun things I enjoy during the NFL season is while watching a game seeing the graphic that pops up in the hunt it’s really funny towards the end of the year when teams that technically aren’t eliminated but are as close to being eliminated as possible are in the hunt with like a three and N record but the Houston Astros are now in this realm it’s not like the last six years where they’re running away with the American League West this time they are one in the hunt for the AL West and two in the hunt for the AL Wild Card so we’re debuting a new segment today it’s called The Hunt Astros Edition are the Astros the hunters or The Hunted every single time I do my bootlaces up I’m scaring death right in the eyes how many baseballers are doing that one thing’s for sure they’re in the hunt let’s guide we had to bring back the trom bone I missed the bone everyone wanted the bone bone Vibes we are boning your ears right now boned up super boned so we’re going to run through right now the teams that the Astros are going to be competing against for the division and the last two wild card spots Assuming New York or Baltimore wins the AL East and the top wild card spot New York is 52 and 28 right now Baltimore is 49 and 29 Cleveland meanwhile leads the AL Central at 50 and 26 I have put together a list of the teams that they are contending against in order of who scares me least to who scares me most Joe so we’re going to start off going from prey to Predators with okay the animal that killed Steve Irwin the Tampa Bay Rays who are 39 and 40 play the Astros six times between August 2nd and August 14th and Lead Houston by half a game they have ative 61 run differential and even though they have won six of 10 they are in the bottom third of baseball in just about every single major statistical category and they’re a bunch of broke boys so of all the teams the as I believe will be competing with for a wild card spot the rest of the way this is the team that concerns me least I I’m with you Paul they they also are number one on my list you look at their best players like Randy rosarina is having an awful year this year yandi Diaz their first basan he having a solid year but not as good as he was last year and they’re one of the teams that rolls out a former Astros player that a lot of people loved who’s not really that good at baseball but Jose Siri hits really far home runs and he pimps the hell out of them he does do that shout out to him for his contributions to the Houston Astros way but yeah I I would also have the Rays as my my number one on the prey list I mean r i mean we’re going from prey to Predator as we talk about who’s the hunted and who isn’t as the Astros are in the hunt and it’s hard to take the race seriously they are a shoest string bubblegum duct tape operation no worries might oh look it’s Steve Irwin making an appearance welcome back the Texas Rangers are slightly bigger Predators than the Tampa Bay Rays it’s entirely based off of what they did last year they are three and four against the Astros this year there are three games that they have against Houston right before the All-Star break three more in August they’re game back of Houston but have lost six of 10 statistically they’re pretty unspectacular top to bottom as well and it doesn’t make as much sense because that payroll is pretty expensive I guess the good news for them Max Sherer is back he pitched five innings and retired 15 of 16 but he’s got a sore thumb already yeah his first start back just came back yeah um um hm so the Rangers are next on your list yeah they remind me of if we’re talking about range of prey to Predators we’re talking about this this animal could kill my pet so we’re talking Fox but I mean I I still feel pretty comfortable hunting this thing give me a Hound give me a shotgun and make me I’ll dress up like one of those fancy British people that hunts foxes I I still I believe in their offense more than they’ve shown but they’re pitching the injuries that they’ve had continue to have you know like they’re Jacob deg Grom has thrown 15 pitches that’s it no breaking balls so he’s not anywhere close to coming back man no breaking balls at all I probably I I I agree with you I I’m second to last okay yeah there’s one team where I’m debating switching them with the Rangers but I I’ll agree with you here Rangers can be second on our list C tightly above the Texas Rangers as we go from prey to Predators with the Houston Astros in the hunt the Kansas City Royals who are 43 and 37 who swept the Astros earlier this year 28 to8 in those three games yikes Blair Henley oh boy four more games against the Astros to end August they lead Houston by three games in the Wild Card race like Texas pretty unspectacular statistically across the board they’ve also lost seven of 10 so maybe reality is catching back up to them but they have a significantly better record than the Texas Rangers right now I’m going to call them coyotes same thing I I wouldn’t trust them around my pets but I I feel like I would be able to kill a coyote with my bare hands why don’t you do your next one cuz I’m going to have I’m going to have these flipped on my list interesting okay so as we go from prey to Predator this is where it gets a little tricky I do not know why the Boston Red Sox are good this year truly they’re 43 and 36 they play Houston six times between August 9th and 21st and Lead Houston by four games in the Wild Card race they have a plus 49 run differential the fifth best OPS the sixth best erra and fifth best walks hits per Innings pitched in baseball and have also won eight of 10 it makes no sense to me because this is a cheap version of the Boston Red Sox Joe I feel like they are slightly above a coyote now what does that mean in the grand scheme of predators yeah what’s what’s slightly above a coyote I feel like wolf would be the next one that’s a that feels like a big jump but a lone wolf okay one Wolf by itself what about like a doesn’t concern me but if they get some help at the trade deadline and it’s a pack of wolves but hang on a minute what’s that it’s a wolf Steve I okay so this is where I have these flipped okay you have the Royals as SP I I have the Red Sox um in front of the Rangers for everything you just said I don’t I don’t get it I look at them on paper and and I’m just like I I don’t I don’t believe they’re cheap and they’re not like seriously trying to compete and the funny thing is going to be since they’re doing so well I bet they don’t be aggressive with the trade deadline knowing everything I know about Red Sox ownership who I despise it’s the reason I don’t root for them anymore and that’s why I have them flipped is that last part right there is the Royals you know they they have a good farm system still you think they’ll be aggressive though I mean it feels like with Kansas City every single time that they’re good it’s just a matter of time before they sell the farm you’re probably right I I think they’ll be more aggressive than the Red Sox they’re not going to be going after and giving up the farm for one or two guys but I think they’ll make moves at the deadline to position themselves to make the playoffs and part of this is is really Bobby Wood Jr to me is one of the best players in baseball all their pitching has been really good this year for the most part they’re on a downturn right now so I’m trying not to get heat in the moment I I think this is a coin flip like like this is as I was looking at your list and then made mine this was the one I had the biggest debate with internally I would say so I I would just flip it Red Sox Royals but I’m right there with you okay so we’re talking about all the teams that are in the hunt with the Houston Astros thus far in order from prey to Predators I’m Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers Kansas City Royals Boston Red Sox Joe has swapped the Royals and the Red Sox these are the two teams that are I think most concerning in their two teams that the Houston Astros have played in the playoffs recently I have the twins as a notch above Boston but a team I take much more seriously than Boston they’re 43 and 35 this year they’re two- one against the Astros thus far the next series that the Astros and Twins play is this weekend after this two game set with the Rockies Minnesota’s up four and a half games on the Astros that series was tough the twins have really good power numbers seventh and Ops six in home runs their pitching perhaps is where you take a look and say okay the Astros can beat this 21st in ER 11th in quality starts eighth in walks hits for Innings pitched for what it’s worth the uh that Twin series is next weekend next weekend it’s the Mets this weekend but I but I agree with you um with with where they’re at and they’re they’re good baseball team they’re not a great baseball team they’re a good baseball team they’ve got good pitching you got guys like kareah Royce Lewis is one of the more interesting players in all of baseball right now all he does is hit home runs and hit above 300 when he’s on the field he is a monster when he’s out there but he’s missed so much time over the last two years he’s arguably one of the best players in baseball when he’s on the field he’s just rarely on the field he missed he played the first game of the season and then missed a bunch of time came back hit two home runs in his first two games back like all he does is hit dingers yeah he’s awesome but he’s he’s he’s not reliable and Carlos kareah little more reliable than he was here in Houston in terms of being on the field which is weird but I don’t to I don’t believe that Carlos is going to be there in the long run either so I I have that twins also next on my list Carlos K is having a really good year for them really good year I’m happy for Carlos I miss Carlos I wouldn’t boo Carlos here I do miss all right so what kind of Predator it’s it’s north of a wolf I’m going to say that the Minnesota Twins are at this moment in time a black bear a what a black bear black bear cuz like I I don’t I don’t feel good about them but they also don’t really scare me you know if I saw one I would go up to it and do what you’re supposed to do with the black bear which is make your arms wide and go Booga Booga and they run away okay brown bears brown bears will kill you but black bears are lowkey [ __ ] so uh don’t take this as call caros karea [ __ ] no but I I I do look at the Minnesota Twins as the Astros [ __ ] okay there we go uh I’m with you there I like that one black bear black bear which I they probably eat some animals I don’t know but I feel like I feel like black bears are a little more chill I’m also sure I’m pretty sure if you Corner a black like if it’s comes between a black bear and a human I’ll take the black bear yeah but there’s also a chance just runs away and that’s that’s the chance that Royce Lewis or Carlos K or Byron buckson get hurt fire buckon that’s almost a guarantee he’s out of all time too the last team on this list was we go from prey to predators in terms of teams that the Houston Astros are in the hunt with it’s the Seattle Mariners because the Mariners for whatever reason are a horrible matchup for the Astros they’re 45 and 36 this year they’re 5-2 against Houston they lead the Astros by 5 and a half in the AL West we know what the record has been the last couple of years I want to say it’s it’s 12 and six or something like that the last two seasons since 2022 uh the Astros have not done well against Seattle since then um Seattle has a plus 16 run differential they’re 26 an Ops but ninth in home runs so basically they have to hit dingers to beat you but their ra seventh they first in quality starts their starting rotation is killer and right now it’s a leg up enough on you where I I feel like most people would put their money on Seattle in a series in the playoffs against the Houston Astros yeah I agree I mean you you you have Brian woo their pitcher he left their game the other day with hamstring tightness they almost kind of fit the the black bear mold to though where typically Seattle just runs away from being good by trading good players at the deadline it makes no logical sense like when they traded the Astros Kendall Graven they did it last year with their closer too guys that they know are going to walk in free agency they’re just like yeah who cares if we make the playoffs like we’re going to get something for him they make really weird decisions at the deadline but they have enough of a of a lead on you in your division to where they they deserve to be the top of the of the prey list I feel like they are a Florida panther uh shout out to the Stanley Cup champions and uh to everybody named Paul Maurice he’s the coach of the Florida Panthers that’s my first name and middle middle name the FL a panther there aren’t many of them and you know rather timid but a panther can sneak up on you and kill you and well I mean right now clearly the Mariners are ahead of you in the AL West the Panthers are one of those teams where because of their pitching I feel like they can take you down even though you have the better team okay so what are the Astros H the Astros I believe are a brown bear in the midst of hibernation oh so they’re just sleeping they’re sleeping they’re still sleeping a little bit they’re starting to stir you know they they accidentally killed something that walked by what in a dream but yeah they a polar bear polar bear would be the Yankees right now oh okay yeah I was thinking Orca I think the Orca is the Orioles because like listen the they they should be the best team in baseball but guess what they’re stupid and they don’t have arms or legs yeah Orca seems smart oh oh yeah then why they get trapped in SeaWorld touche yeah oh you can you can only kill a couple of trainers a year here shampoo I mean Shamu ha got him

From Tuesday’s show with @JoeGeorgeRadio on @ESPNHouston: After a sixth straight win has the Astros just 4.5 games back of the Mariners in the AL West, Houston is FOR SURE “in the hunt” right now. But who’s their biggest challenger? #Astros #HoustonAstros #MLB