With lights-out pitching and super-hot bats, the Houston Astros look mighty scary
A final pitch, raised hands, an elated smile — just three snapshots of the Justin Verlander no-hitter thrown against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sept. 1. Verlander’s no-hitter was the second no-hitter this season that was accomplished by a complete-game pitcher.
The scenes in the ensuing aftermath of this historic 303rd no-hitter in MLB history aren’t just big news for baseball fans, they’re big for bettors, too.
Those three aforementioned snapshots paint a pretty picture, but it’s an incomplete picture. There is a little more missing from the picture — photos of all the soon-to-be flaming futures tickets on every other American League (and National League team at this rate) that will be smoldering ashes come October.
Why?
Because if this no-no and these bats are evidence of anything, it’s that the Houston Astros are not going to lose a seven-game series to anybody.
Or will they?
Beautiful Bats
One of the most dangerous aspects of this Astros team is the fact their timely hitting is always there in a pinch. This is a team that can score in bunches, hit from both sides of the plate 1-through-9, and most importantly, is clutch.
Aside from passing the eye test, just stare at any generic stat sheet, and nothing more has to be said. The Astros are fifth in runs scored, fourth in home runs, third in total hits, and have a batting average of .274, just a hair behind the Red Sox, who are .275 as a team for the season in the batter’s box.
These numbers are outstanding, not just for any major league team, but for a team with the pitching stats that they possess, it really adds to the imposing nature of this squad, top to bottom.
Lights-Out Arms
While the Astros’ bats are certainly impressive, the recent outing from Verlander, albeit an individually historic one, speaks more to the team’s pitching staff as a whole, not just Verlander’s impressive individual ability. Vets like Verlander are just examples of the seemingly never-aging greats who have managed to adapt to the game through the years.
Early this past season, Verlander lamented at the so-called “juiced up” baseballs that Major League Baseball has been rumored to have put in play, presumably to increase the number of runs scored, as 2019 has shown several historic metrics in terms of scoring.
That said, Verlander’s recent no-no and his recent impressive outings have shown that despite the era and despite his age, his stuff is still some of the best, and he’s not alone. The Astros have fourth-lowest ERA at 3.70 runs per game throughout the season.
The trio of Verlander, Gerrit Cole, and Zack Greinke forms one of the more imposing starting pitcher rotations in all of the Major Leagues, and with human tourniquets like Roberto Osuna, this is just a staff that’s hard to score on.
Presently, the Astros are the favorites to win the whole thing, in addition to being favorites to win the American League. As it stands, it’s really hard to bet against this squad, and with historic feats coming from the likes of Verlander, this is just a team on pace to add yet another World Series title to its resume.
