Astros just got terrible postseason preview after Rays exposed flaws

Playing against the best teams usually brings out the best in the Houston Astros. This weekend it brought out the worst.

All of the Astros ugly was on display this weekend in St. Pete, with the ugliest of it on full display Sunday in an absolute beatdown which they were never competitive in.

The offense is entirely too reliant on Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Pena and Isaac Paredes. Two of those guys aren't performing to expectation right now.

Without Yordan Alvarez in the lineup Friday night, the Astros had 9 hits against Tampa Bay. 8 singles, 1 double, and 1 walk. They scored 1 run. They went a respectable 2-6 with RISP, but all singles weren't enough to do any damage. Without Yordan, the opponent has no fear. They struck out 6x, including 2x each from Paredes and Pena.

Saturday without Yordan, they scored 2 runs, thanks to a 2-run HR by Isaac Paredes. They managed all of 5 hits in this one. They struck out 14 times, including 2x each from Pena and Smith, and 3x each from Varsho and Vazquez.

Sunday, Yordan was back but wasn't in the game long enough to make an impact. Why was he out so soon? The Astros pitching was getting it's teeth kicked in. Yordan was ox1 with a walk when he was taken out of a blowout loss. Houston was down 11-0 before they scored against the Rays weakest bullpen arms in a 14-4 loss. Pena was ox2 with a K. Paredes went 1x3 with a 2-run HR, getting the Astros on the board in the 6th, breaking up a no-hitter at the time.

Without those three players all clicking together, the Astros don't have anything resembling a consistent offense. Against the better teams like the Rays that they will see in the postseason, that is a major problem for a team that doesn't have strong pitching.

The Astros starting pitching turned in another clunker, as it has been wont to do all season.

This time it was Hayden Wesneski, who has pitched well since returning from Tommy John surgery, but has now laid his second egg in his return as well. Big Wes surrendered 7 runs (3 earned), having surrendered a 3-run HR to Richie Palacios one pitch after Jeremy Pena dropped a pop up.

The starting pitching has been the Astros Achilles' heel all season. The biggest reason they have struggled to put any kind of a significant winning streak together is because the starting pitching throws in too many clunkers.

Even after their recent strong run of starting pitching (Astros starters combined for a 2.90 ERA in their last 12 starts, inwhich the team went 6-6), Houston is still 24th in starters' ERA this season at 4.55. That is a hideous number, especially for a team whose strength throughout it's Golden Age has been pitching. Whatever magic Brent Strom has sprinkled on the Astros pitchers when he joined the team August 28th wore off today.

The underbelly of the Astros bullpen is very soft, and completely unreliable.

The back of the Astros bullpen is strong right now with Josh Hader and Bryan Abreu (Friday night not withstanding for Abreu). Steven Okert was having a great season, but he is currently on the injured list.

After that, it gets real dicey real fast. AJ Blubaugh's success this season has come in lower leverage, and he has struggled recently when asked to step into a higher leverage spot to replace Okert for the time being. He's the best of the rest.

Tatsuya Imai's bullpen banishment has seen him make 5 appearances since July 27th. The Astros are essentially operating a man short in the pen since they clearly don't want to use him. While only allowing 4 ER in his last 14 innings, that has come with a whopping 10 walks.

Bryan King, who had established himself as a leverage reliever who was highly dependable the last 2.5 years, suddenly can't get anyone out nor can he keep the ball in the park. He's been optioned to Triple-A twice this season, in both July and August. He entered play July 10 with a 2.03 ERA, in the midst of his best season of his career. It has all fallen apart since. In 18.2 IP since, he is 0-4 with 2 blown saves, allowing 24 runs (22 ER) and 7 HRs.

Bennett Sousa, who earned leverage opportunities last season, has struggled returning from injury this season. He has been a wild ride of Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde all season. A 13.50 ERA in April, 4.50 ERA in May. After a stint on the IL, he returned in July and did not allow an earned run. He posted an 8.53 ERA in August. He has not allowed an earned run in 5 appearances in September. Whether that means he has turned a corner or is about to implode is anyone's guess, because that is the kind of pitcher he has been this season.

Enyel De Los Santos had alternated between reliable reliever and fire starter. His ERAs by month: April 5.56, May 1.50, June 6.91, July 2.77, August 5.14, September no earned runs in 3 appearances. Why only 3 appearances? Because manager Joe Espada clearly cannot trust him.

Then there is Ronel Blanco. Blanco was one of the arms now-fired GM Dana Brown was counting on returning from Tommy John surgery and performing well. Surprise, it's been ugly. In 7 appearances this season, Blanco has a 7.11 ERA. He allowed 5 ER in 4.1 IP of low leverage relief today against the Rays. In 36 total innings, he has allowed 11 home runs. Realistically, with his velocity diminished, the team should be shutting him down, not pitching him in the majors.

These are three very tragic flaws on this Astros team, every one of them exposed by a superior team in the Rays. Should they make the postseason in the AL West, the worst division in MLB since the 2005 NL West, there is a high likelihood they get exposed again there.

Root for the Astros to win the division. Root for the Astros to win. Expect the ugly to show up in the playoffs, if they get there.

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