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Houston Astros: Positives from Loss to Rangers on Monday Night
By Issa Cook
Aug 3, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers (43) speaks with catcher Jason Castro (15) during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
After the Astros made the move from the NL Central to the AL West a few years ago, I never thought I would be able to get used to the switch. I considered the Cardinals and Cubs our rivals and really didn’t care at all about beating the Texas Rangers, Oakland A’s, Seattle Mariners, and Anaheim Angels. I definitely didn’t call the Rangers “rivals” because although I’m not a big fan of anything Dallas-related, there was no animosity there.
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Well, that has changed a bit. Now, there’s really only one team in the AL that I like to beat, and that team is the Rangers. So, last night when the Astros lost in Arlington, it felt just as painful as the Rockets losing to the Mavericks or the Texans losing to the dreaded Cowboys. And although I was going through my normal knee-jerk reactions last night, I actually saw a lot of positives from the Astros in Monday night’s loss.
Obviously Lance McCullers wasn’t one of those positives, as he looked like a AA pitcher against the Rangers lineup. He could barely get an out, and the Rangers were hitting the ball with no struggles as he floated a bunch of meat over the plate. I definitely don’t think he’s done in the majors after last night, but A.J.’s move to give him a quick breather in the minors was actually pretty smart.
Let’s get to those positives.
Next: Positive Takeaway #1: Carlos Correa is a BEAST