Astros Plowing Through Pre-Season Expectations

As an Astros fan, I was forced to decipher through newspaper articles and listen to radio programs all writing and saying the same thing: the Astros are going to win less than 70 games in 2009.

One radio show went as far as to say they would win 65 games this year in a best case scenario.

The team must have been listening as well and are taking it personal.

Four games after the All Star break, the Astros are 46-46, four games off the division lead, and have an important two weeks staring them in the face.

Obviously the rest of the season is important, but they could seize an opportunity to close in on the division leading Cardinals with two series in quick succession.

After splitting a series with the National League's best team—the Dodgers—the Astros are heading into home series' with the Cardinals and Mets, go on the road to face the Cubs and Cardinals again, then home against the Giants.

The Astros are far and away exceeding any expectations regarding their season and have a chance to pull off a miracle in this weak division.

However, the team still has several holes to fill. Even if they do somehow come away with the division or win the wild card, they are not scaring anyone with their starting rotation.

If the Astros want any chance of competing in the second half, much less the playoffs, they will need to make a move before the July 31 trade deadline to bring in a solid starting pitcher.

Looking at the lineup, you would think the Astros would not have trouble scoring runs, but what was once their strong point many moons ago has been a problem for a few years now.

Ranked only 10th in the NL and 21st in the entire league, they should go out and get another strong bat for the lineup.

Geoff Blum is hot right now, but they should make an attempt to get a better third baseman with some power. Jeff Keppinger could be the future, but they need someone for the present.

Not everything is bad, however.

Michael Bourn is improving at an encouraging pace. His strikeout rate declined in winter ball, and he has carried that over to the regular season.

His numbers (59 runs, .286/.358/.408, 34 stolen bases) are making a case for him to be the every day leadoff man for the future.

Hunter Pence and Miguel Tejada are both having great years as well, and represented the Astros in the All Star game.

Tejada is among the NL leaders in batting average and Pence brings an incredible balance of speed and power to the table. It is not a farce to say both All Star bids were well deserved.

The power is still there for Lance Berkman, slugging 18 home runs so far, but he has struggled to find his touch early on. He has posted a .269 batting average this season, but he is batting over .350 in the last month which one can only hope continues for the remainder of the year.

Roy Oswalt was not himself in April and May, but has settled in and is starting his usual second half dominance. He has only allowed six runs in his last four starts, going eight or more innings three times in that span.

Wandy Rodriguez is having a breakout season. He leads the team in strikeouts, ERA, and wins. Rodriguez is 9-6 with 112 K's, 2.81 ERA and 1.27 WHIP, making a very quiet case for the CY-Young award.

He most likely will not be in the hunt, however, since there are so many deserving candidates in the NL. Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain come to mind.

The Astros overachieving combined with the poor division have given the fans a reason to get behind their team.

Hopefully we will be rewarded with a playoff appearance.