Keys For Houston
- Keep Pounding
There’s no sugarcoating it: the Astros can rake.
Houston’s offense led the Majors in runs (896), hits (1581), doubles (346), average (.282), OBP (.346), SLG (.478) and OPS (.823) while striking out fewer than any other team (1087).
Per the Elias Sports Bureau, they also became the seventh team in Major League history to post the highest slugging percentage and the fewest strikeouts in a single season, with only two teams doing so since 1911: the 1948 Yankees and the 1995 Indians.
One simple formula can carry them to their first World Series appearance since 2005: keep on hitting.
- Bridge The Gap
The two-headed monster of Kuechel and Verlander is intimidating while closer Ken Giles, who recorded 34 saves in 38 chances (89.5%) during the regular season, has been stellar in the back-end, but the middle innings should be a concern.
The combination of Francisco Liriano, Lance McCullers Jr., Chris Devenski and Joe Musgrove isn’t overly intimidating and Game 3 of the ALDS is a huge example of that. All four surrendered runs and AJ Hinch had to call on Verlander in attempt to clean it all up — which backfired.
Keeping the middle innings on lockdown will eliminate one of the only flaws Houston has to deal with in the pitching department.
