French Fried

 

And so...the Astros have fallen to third.

True, it's a tie with the Mariners, they're technically still in second, but the Mariners were off yesterday and get to play the Royals this weekend, so perhaps it'll happen still, but...the Astros haven't dropped this low in a while, especially in a competitive frame of the season.

And this skid didn't happen against a divisional competitor or an unbeatable rival. Nono. The Astros were beaten 17-1 by the Boston Red Sox. Yes, a team that's 8 games over .500, but a team that is still a marginal contender for a playoff spot, especially with the Astros, Mariners, Rays and Jays already fighting for 3 spots. This team beat the Astros, who have been slowly building a playoff case of their own, 17 to 1. 

10 of those runs came from J.P. France, which shocked me, as France has been one of the Astros' best pitchers as of late. Through 18 games, the mustachioed rookie had gone 9-4 with a 2.75 ERA, and had built a consistent year for himself, even as returning pitchers like Jose Urquidy and Justin Verlander threatened to take his starting spot. Now France's ERA sits at 3.51, thanks to giving up 10 runs in 2.1 innings. I mean, we all get rocked, but Cristian Javier just got rocked the other night as well. Four Houston starters stand at 9 wins, and several of them have stayed at that total despite opportunities this week. I think they wanna just stay at 9 together, it's fun. NOBODY WIN A TENTH. DON'T RUIN THIS.

Two other Astros pitchers got rocked after France left. Brandon Bielak, himself a former starter this year, gave up 3 runs, while last-resort option Martin Maldonado gave up 4 more runs in the ninth. And this may all be a distant memory this week when Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander hold the Tigers to nothing, but...it's yet another reminder of how human the Astros this year.

Believe me, they are trying. They want so badly for you to think they're just as unstoppable as ever. Jose Altuve has been working overtime to deliver a season worthy of his name. Because god forbid he's gone for more than a few months, he'll lose his mind. Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman had slow starts and are now playing excellent baseball, with Tucker looking at a 25+ homer, 100+ RBI year, his second overall. But there's still multiple pieces in this lineup that don't work, and even Yordan Alvarez is missing too much time with either injuries or self-inflicted nonsense that keeps him off the field. The team is beginning to fray.

After 2024, both Altuve and Bregman will be free agents. And I can tell they don't want to think about that, because they're still playing like a defending champion even as the Mariners begin to close in. Say what you will about the Rangers sputtering, but right now the Mariners are playing better baseball than the Astros, and have more of a playoff case. The Astros are still good, and may still make the playoffs by the sheer force of Rob Manfred, but they're not what they've been in recent years, and it's time for them to face it. 

If this isn't their sign to slow down, I'm worried for what will be.

Coming Tonight: The Mets used him as a utility infield option. The Diamondbacks used him as a utility infield option. The Giants are using him as a corner infield bat. And it's working pretty well for them.