Molony: Astros face tough road Similar situation to last year, but differences abound

Molony: Astros face tough road

Similar situation to last year, but differences abound

MLB.com

null  Jim Molony With the Astros below .500, criticism of manager Jimy Williams has begun to be heard on the Houston airwaves. (Brett Coomer/AP)

HOUSTON -- Houston manager Jimy Williams, though admittedly not happy with his team being under .500, pointed out the other day that the Astros' record was only three games behind what it was through the same period last year. Williams was, of course, correct about the record, but this writer respectfully disagrees with the idea that the two situations are similar.

The Astros of 2002 have many of the same players from last year's National League Central Division championship team, but beyond that the two teams have significant differences; and those differences are such that it is difficult to imagine the current club completely righting the ship in June and going on to win the division title as their predecessors did a year earlier.

For most of the first two months of last season the Houston rotation consisted of Scott Elarton, Jose Lima, Octavio Dotel, Wade Miller and Kent Bottenfield. Clearly, there was plenty of room for improvement. Dotel, who struggled in the rotation, moved to the bullpen on May 4 and strengthened both in the process. Veteran Shane Reynolds came off the disabled list at the end of April.

The bullpen also got a boost on May 6 when Roy Oswalt was called up from the minor leagues. On June 2 Oswalt took a spot in the rotation in place of Bottenfield, who would later be released, and the Astros started to roll. Lima was traded to Detroit for Dave Mlicki, who paid immediate dividends, and Elarton was shipped to Colorado in July for Pedro Astacio. Another minor leaguer, Carlos Hernandez, was spectacular after a late-season call-up.

The point is there are decidedly different dynamics this year. Last year the Astros had outstanding options in the high minors who came on strong. This year there is no such help, or at least not of the caliber of Oswalt, Hernandez or Miller. Last year the bullpen had Mike Jackson to fill a key role; this year the club has relied on Nelson Cruz and though he pitched well in his last two appearances, Cruz (0-3, 7.63 ERA) has been a disappointment. Another right-hander expected to chip in, Doug Brocail, is on the disabled list.

And unlike last year, when Houston general manager Gerry Hunsicker rolled the dice in mid-May on a cast-off from Tampa Bay named Vinny Castilla and hit the jackpot, even Hunsicker acknowledges it will be difficult to repeat a personnel coup of that caliber again this year. Payroll limitations further limit Hunsicker's flexibility trade-wise, even if he had a potential acquisition in his sights.

One could argue that last year's team would have wired the race with the current rotation. This year the rotation has been vastly improved since Opening Day, with Reynolds, Oswalt, Hernandez, Miller and Mlicki, until the latter went on the disabled list Wednesday. Another starter, Tim Redding, had an outstanding month of May. Hunsicker had hoped the improved rotation would help compensate for what was expected to be a weaker offense after losing Castilla and Moises Alou to free agency. But it hasn't turned out that way for several reasons -- a disappointing offense and inconsistent bullpen among them.

The offense has been feast or famine, scoring 54 runs in four victories and averaging just under four runs per game in the rest. The Astros are a slow team that seldom steals, rarely bunts unless it's the pitcher, and looks like the quintessential team waiting on the three-run homer instead of trying to manufacture runs on those days when the ball isn't flying out of Astros Field. And there have been quite a few of those days this season.

"We're just not hitting, period," center fielder Lance Berkman said. "We know we have the guys who can hit, but we're just not getting it done for some reason. It's really baffling because there's no doubt we're a better hitting team than we've shown."

Second baseman Craig Biggio has hit under .250 most of the first two months and first baseman Jeff Bagwell, though having a good year by most standards (.279, 9 HR, 27 RBIs) hasn't been up to his usual standard because of sore shoulders. His sore right shoulder has made it difficult to make throws, which is why you don't see Bagwell charge on a sacrifice bunt and fire to second to get the lead runner that has been one of his trademark plays over the last decade.

Daryle Ward took over for Alou in left field and is hitting a perfectly acceptable .328 but with a perfectly perplexing two home runs.

"I'd gladly sacrifice some of that average for a little more power," Hunsicker said. "I never would have thought that he'd have only two (homers) at this point in the season. That has been one of the biggest surprises in my opinion so far."

Richard Hildago   /   OF
	Height: 6'0" Weight: 190 Bats/Throws: R/R More info: Player page Stats Splits Hit chart Astros site

Richard Hidalgo has been disappointing as the starting right fielder, hitting .249 with eight homers and 26 RBIs. Hidalgo was angry Wednesday when he found out he was not starting for the second time in five games as Williams went with Geoff Blum despite Blum's limited experience (two career games) in right field.

"Richard has to get his act together like a lot of players on this team," Hunsicker said. "I don't believe we're in a situation where players can expect to be in the lineup every day."

Hunsicker sent Morgan Ensberg (.236, 3, 17) back to Triple-A New Orleans on Wednesday, which means Blum (.243, 0, 9) will likely take over as the starter at third base beginning with Friday's series at Chicago. Whether Blum can ignite the offense as Castilla did in a similar situation this time last year remains to be seen.

The Astros are 3-10 in one-run games, including 1-9 since April 14. The only opposing pitchers with winning records and more than one decision the Astros have beaten this year are Cincinnati's Jose Acevedo (who was 2-0 when the Astros beat him on April 16), New York's Jeff D'Amico (2-1) and Al Leiter (3-1), and Philadelphia's Randy Wolf (2-1) and Vicente Padilla (5-2). More than 25 percent (6) of Houston's 23 victories have come against last-place teams.

Williams has begun to get criticized on the Houston airwaves for some of his managerial decisions. Unlike his predecessor, Larry Dierker, who liked to leave in starting pitchers until they showed signs of tiring, Williams has the quickest hook Houston fans have seen since Leo Durocher was managing here.

Williams also likes to shuffle his lineup (39 of them so far) whereas Dierker liked to keep his regulars on the field. Williams has also used closer Billy Wagner in non-save situations, a rarity under Dierker and former manager Terry Collins, who pushed for Wagner to be moved from starter to closer early in the lefty's career.

Hunsicker said the criticism of the manager "is probably unfair."

So far, with the exception of Hidalgo's obvious episode, the players have taken the lineup juggling in stride with no public outbursts.

As they begin a nine-game road trip against the Cubs, Diamondbacks and Athletics, the Astros are a season-high 8½ games out of first place.

"We were this far our last year in June (eight games back on June 17)," Bagwell said. "But how far back we are is not what matters right now. What matters right now is for us to start playing better. If we don't, it's not going to matter. The Reds are playing well. The Cardinals are playing well. What we can't afford is to get buried [in the race]. There's a lot of time left, but we've got to get going."

The Astros caught lightning this time last year. Maybe they can do it again.

From where they sit now, however, that seems like a very long shot.

Jim Molony is a writer for MLB.com based in Houston. He can be reached atmlbmolony@aol.com.This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.