The Week Ahead For the Houston Astros: Let's See How They Deal With Adversity

Houston Astros (29-15)

So, the Astros finally met their match. Yes, the Cleveland Indians had taken a series from the Astros earlier this season in Ohio. And yes, it's still just May. But as noted here Saturday, and by many who type the word "Astros" every day for fun or profit, this was a kind of big deal series. And it ended with the Astros getting swept at home.

Not to mention it happened on the same weekend the Astros lost both Dallas Keuchel and Brian McCann to the DL. That's not good in any month of the season.

For those just enjoying the horse race and not living and dying on the result of every Astros' game, things just got a little bit more interesting in the American League West and a lot more interesting in the wider context of the American League pennant race. .

Of course if you're an Astros fan, ha ha, that's not so great. Every Astros fan getting through their the usual grey Monday drudgery workday is thinking in the back of their mind: freakin' Indians, man. Why can't we beat those guys? And this after we handled the Rangers in our first series and then beat the New York Yankees on the road. And now the Rangers are playing better, too. Fantastic. 

But here's the bright side: bad things are going to happen over the marathon baseball season. The  Astros have finally hit just such a rough spot for the first time in 2017. It'll be interesting for everyone - Astros fans included - to see how they handle this. There's not time for sulking, because they've got two tough teams next on the schedule.

Astros Schedule and Links

The Astros will stay at Minute Maid Park for the entire week.

First up: the Detroit Tigers, fresh off losing two out of three in Arlington to the resurgent Rangers. With Keuchel out, Brad Peacock is scheduled to take the mound.  I put a link to his MLB page in that previous sentence because, let's face it, how much do you know about Brad Peacock? Hint: He's usually a bullpen guy.

After that, it's the Baltimore Orioles, who trail the Yankees by a half-game in the American League East. I put "adversity" in the headline for good reason.

The Astros hope today is the only start Keuchel misses.

The Crawfish Boxes contemplates an Indian problem.




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