Cardinals-Astros: Setting Up This Three-Game Series with the 2011 Astros

Okay, Cardinals fans. This is your friendly Astros blog, Astros County, checking in for a preview of this three-game series between us.

This is obviously a new-look Astros team that you're seeing. No Roy Oswalt in the dugout for the first time since 2001. No Lance Berkman on the field since 1999. Wandy Rodriguez is the longest-tenured Astro.

And that sound you hear? It's the death rattle of my youth.

Yes, a new leaf has turned over in Houston, and what we expected to find under said leaf was a bunch of moss and dead bugs. Maybe a maggot or two. Instead, the Astros are 3-0 since trading Oswalt and have a five-game winning streak.

Oddly enough, the last time the Astros had a winning streak longer than five games, it was September 2008, and it included a three-game sweep over you, friends. But we're not here to talk about the past. (See what we did there? Bam!)

But let's look at how things have changed. Though we are currently enjoying a 5-4 edge in the season series, this is a much different team. The first time we rumbled in 2010 was April 12. There were five players in the lineup that day that are not in the lineup now, and that doesn't include Berkman—who was on the DL.

Shortstop Tommy Manzella got hurt about a month ago and is still a couple of weeks away from returning. Boston traded us SS Angel Sanchez for the services of catcher Kevin Cash. Geoff Blum famously hurt his elbow putting on his shirt and is rehabbing in Double-A, where I think we all would prefer he stay.

Pedro Feliz lost his job to rookie Chris Johnson. Kaz Matsui lost his job to Jeff Keppinger. Humberto Quintero lost his (and J.R. Towles') job to rookie Jason Castro. And you probably are well aware that your former No. 1 prospect, Brett Wallace, is now the starting first baseman in place of (wheezing) Yankee Lance Berkman (/wheezing).

So now the Astros are basically starting four rookies and have lowered the average age of the everyday lineup by 35.7 years (approximately).

Make no mistake—these are the early stages of a rebuilding project. Minor leaguers are making their way up, older minor leaguers are being moved out, and the Astros hope to see the fruits of the 2008/2009 drafts in the upper reaches of the minors, or on the 25-man roster itself, within the next 12 months.

But this is about the next three games, and all of Reds Nation fleetingly becoming Astros fans. In Game One, you'll see new ace Brett Myers. He has famously gone at least six innings in all 21 of his starts this season and was rewarded yesterday with a two (potentially three) year deal worth a guaranteed $21 million. How will he respond?

Myers has a career 6-3 record against you, with a 4.55 ERA / 1.44 WHIP in 16 games (14 starts). This year, however, he's 2-1 with a 1.71 ERA / 1.00 WHIP in three starts, allowing four earned runs in 21 innings. Against teams he's faced more than once, that ERA/WHIP/K:BB ratio is second only to the throttling he's given the Cubs in three starts.

Tuesday night you'll find yourselves trying to learn how to hit Bud Norris, who inexplicably owns you, to the tune of a 4-1 record, 1.60 ERA / 1.04 WHIP. He is 5-9 against every other team he's ever faced. The trick to hitting Norris is to just let him get behind early in the count. When the batter is ahead of him, he allows a slash line of .344/.532/.506. When he's ahead, however, that drops to .155/.171/.247.

And then Wednesday you get to face the newest Astro pitcher, J.A. Happ—who ridiculously combines his initials into one syllable. Not sure what to expect from him, though we'll take the 6IP, 2H/0ER performance he turned in for his Astros debut against Milwaukee. In two starts against St. Louis, he's 0-1 with a 5.11 ERA / 1.54 WHIP.

For our offense, you'll find that we don't score much and generally need our pitchers to throw like it's Game Seven in order to win.

3B Chris Johnson is hitting .341, and since getting called up with Jason Castro, he's hitting .364/.398/.573. Which is obviously an upgrade over Pedro Feliz' wildest dreams. Jeff Keppinger is also enjoying a career year, hitting .291/.354/.407, and has been in the No. 3 spot in the lineup since Berkman's trade.

Of course, you probably already know about Brett Wallace. After his first career Major-League hit yesterday, he got a standing ovation from the tens of people in the stands at Minute Maid. Real sweet moment.

So what does this series have to offer? Good pitching matchups and on-the-job training for the 2011 Astros. Honestly, I'm not real concerned with these so-called "Wins and Losses" until next year. How's that for downplaying the real possibility we could get the crap kicked out of us?

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