A 5-1 Week, A 12-3 Wake-Up Call

Ice Man takes a hard look at a 5-1 week that still ends with a 12-3 loss and ask what it says about who the Astros really are right now. We break down key bats, shaky consistency, pitching needs, and why the next two series and the trade deadline could decide the season. 
• weekend results and what the White Sox loss reveals 
• Jeremy Pena’s surge and why it matters 
• how teams pitch around Yordan Alvarez and who must punish it 
• lineup concerns around Altuve, Diaz, and the bottom order 
• why the Angels series is a must-win setup for the Rangers series 
• trade deadline stance as buyers and what positions need upgrades 
• pitching check-in, injuries, and the middle relief problem 
• playoff path through the AL West and the Wild Card math 
• schedule update with a plan for two podcasts per week 

Transcript

Cold Open And Welcome

SPEAKER_02 0:04

Welcome to the ice case. Cold facts like the ice case. Iceman with the bills about to open up a cold case. Talk about it over cold drinks. Ice man in the bill, in the top what's gonna play it.

Weekend Wrap And White Sox Loss

SPEAKER_02 0:22

It's the weekend wrap up for ice. It was a good week. It was a very good week.

SPEAKER_01 0:32

Could have been a great week. We fall to the White Sox today, 12 to 3. Yeah, that doesn't that don't sound pretty at all. Came in today with a five-game winning streak. We'll finish the week off with a 5-1 record. Take your baseball cap off to Jeremy Pinha. He had a very good weekend. He's on fire. He had two home runs today. He's up to bat in 319. Alvarez. So-so weekend. But teams are pitching around him. He's still batting 323. Has 34 home runs, 77 RBIs. He went 0 for 2 today, but they walked him twice. They know less the weapon. They're not going to pitch to him. He's going to have to catch a mistake here and there. But he's capable. Like I said, we finished the week 5-1. So I consider that a very, very good week. I talked on last Monday about having a winning streak. We got up to five. Man, I thought we were going to get number six. This game was tied 3-3 in the middle of the game. Around the fifth, sixth inning. Middle relief fell apart. So the Astros are 52 and 55.

Bats Snapshot And Lineup Concerns

SPEAKER_01 2:05

Hmm. Just can't get to that 500. Seems like every time we get right up to two games, we lose. Good news is we're two games back. Seattle and Texas played this weekend also. They were beating each other up. So we're in the race. We're heading to LA to go play the Angels. They are on last place in the ALS. It's an important series, and the reason I say that, because there's a big series coming up this weekend with the Texans Rangers coming to Houston for a three-game set. So we can't look past this series. This is a team that we should win three from. They're a last place team. If we're a contender, we need to be on our A game and not think ahead. But that Ranger series, that's I'm not thinking ahead. It's gonna be a big one. Got some late starts out on the West Coast. I'm sure I'll be up watching the games. We need another winning streak. Like I said last week, the time is now. We're about a week away from the trade deadline. That's August 3rd. I still say we are going to be buyers. I mean, Dana Brown, our general manager, isn't is in the last year of his contract. There's no way he's selling. He has to be all in. Joe Espada, our coach, has to be all in. It's important that we make some noise this year. And not only just get into the playoffs, we need to succeed in the playoffs. This team can do it. You have an MVP on your team. You don't find that often. Alvarez had an injury-plagued year last year. He's healthy, and when he's healthy, you see what that man can do. He's killing it. Still need some other guys out there. Peretis. Peretis is waking up. He's up to bat in 260. But he's got 14 home runs, 57 RBIs. He's I like what I see in. I like what I'm seeing from Isaac Isaac Perettes. Christian Walker is a disappointment again. He's

Angels Series Then Rangers Showdown

SPEAKER_01 4:55

been in a little slump over the last week and a half to two weeks. He's still betting right around 230. I think he's gonna be part of this trade package. Or out there buying. He's too inconsistent. He had an air a career average of around 260, 265 coming to this team with a lot of pop. And he does hit the ball with pop. He does, he has 20 home runs. He's second in the team in our in RBI as a 61 because he was hot there for a while. We all know how Major League Baseball is. It's a long season. Evan flows into this into the season. We need some consistency. Not only in the offense, the pitching, and we'll get to the pitching. Cam Smith is back in the lineup. Young guy. He struggled all year. He's at 206. I think we have him back ninth now. Jose Altubi still hanging around 232. That's a career low for him this time of year. Only has 12 home runs. I mean, he was a fixture at the top of our lineup. Now he's we're moving him around the number four to number five. Spot starting start games. When Pinha's out, he's been leading off some games. Not deserving of this season to be leading off. Yanair Diaz. Not sold on him still. Taylor Trammell, he's sinking. Still need some help. We're one week away. August 3rd is going to be

Trade Deadline Mindset And Targets

SPEAKER_01 7:05

here before you know it. I still think pitching is very important. Starting pitching is a very important position for us to go out there and try to find a horse out there. I mean, Peter Lambert, he's been a pleasant surprise. He's our ace pitcher on the team now. He's got a 303 ERA. Has eight wins on the season, 94 strikeouts. Josh Haders doing what he needs to be doing. He's cleaning up the games at the end. Steven Oak, he's been decent with us this year. He has 14 holds. So starting pitching. Still want that left-handed bat out in the outfield. I think we need two two to three players in this in at this trade deadline. Two to three quality players, quality players, if you're all in. Pitching. It was good to see Brown out there having a good game. Aaron Geddes on the IR. Newsflash. Burroughs on the IR. Man, we have so many injuries. But like I said, it's a long season. We got to get these players going on offense and our pitching because they're good pitchers. Hunter Brown did look good the other night. He looked like the ace of last year. Tatsua Imai. Our pitcher from Japan. He's showing some signs of settling down and pitching good. Middle relief is a toss-up. We brought Jeff King back up. He didn't look too good on Sunday. Some work to do. The team is what the team is. They have been inconsistent. We need some. We need to put some victories together. I mean, we're 26 and 27 on the road, and I mean at home, and we're 26 and 28 on the road. We gotta be better at home. We gotta be a 500 to above 500 team on the road. This is if we're gonna make some noise. We play 162. So what that that leaves us with, what, 55 games left? So it's it's it's time to put some wins together. Take care of business here with LA. Get three wins there. And that's gonna set up the showdown in Houston on Friday. I might have to catch one of those games. When I say catch one of those games, I mean attending the game. There'll be some noise towards the end of the week with rumors as we get closer to the trader trade deadline. There are some teams posturing and those sellers are putting certain players out there now. This is when it heats up. This is when they call it the hot stove. Sink or swim. Like I said earlier, I think Walker is going to be part of a trade package. I can see Javiera being part of a trade package because we don't have a lot of assets on the farm. I mean, we could trade future picks. Take on a big expiring contract.

SPEAKER_00 11:32

I'm sure Jim Crane has talked to Dana Brown. Him being the owner.

SPEAKER_01 11:42

He's used to seeing this team player play

Pitching Review And Injury Pileup

SPEAKER_01 11:45

at a higher level than what we're playing at right now. So to you, Dana. Your job's on the line. You're at the poker table. It's time to shove them all in. Need these W. It was a good week. So I I don't want to sound negative. Because it was a positive week. We still need to get that 8-9 to 10-game winning streak, and I think it's it could be there. I think if a trade does happen, it will give the team a little spark. Sometimes that just lets the other players know that, hey, this team is all in. So it starts this Monday. I think that's an 8.30 first pitch, our local time. So those games would not be over till at the earliest. 11 o'clock, 11:30. I do like the pitch count.

SPEAKER_00 12:58

The timer. It keeps the game moving.

SPEAKER_01 13:04

I want to see these Astros start moving. Well, look to get the winning streak started again here Monday. I do want to. Last week I came on, I came in on a Thursday for a podcast. So I do want to come back in on a Thursday. Right before that Texas Rangers series and do another podcast to get us ready for the weekend. So with the season coming down to the wire, we still have August and September. Then we get to October, that's when the playoffs, and I expect the Astros to be in the playoffs. So going forward, I think we'll see two podcasts a week. The Houston Astrals weekend wrap up on Mondays and on Thursdays, you know, just to talk about the Astros weekend coming up. Midweek to see where they're at and what they're doing.

Playoff Path And New Show Schedule

SPEAKER_01 14:01

Lots of games left. We got some good key players on this team. We just need all of them to gel together and give Alvarez and Pinas some help. Same thing with the pitching. I think we got some good arms on this team. Which need to get some more consistency. And we did this week. Like I said, we were 5-1 this week. Injuries are going to happen. There's going to be games when they have good pitching also on the other team, and you got to tip your caps to them. This game was winnable today. But at the end of the day, we're only two games behind the Rangers. Seattle's a game and a half back of the Rangers. They're a half game ahead of us. I mean, the first place team in the AL West is 53 and 52. And Nashville are in the wild card race, too. You know, they're they're only two games out of the wild card. So you don't necessarily have to win the division. That would be nice. I would want to win the division. Get you some home field for the first series. But if you got to get in as a wild card, you've got to get in as a wild card. But I'm looking at the being a division winner. The Astros are 5-5 these last 10 games. These next 10 games, I think we should be at least 7-3, 8-2. And if we do that, I think we'll be talking about the first place Houston Astros. So big week. Big week, big weekend. But you got to take care with the Angels.

SPEAKER_00 15:56

Then we concentrate on the Rangers.

SPEAKER_01 16:01

I'm going to be watching these games closely. I will jump in on Thursday with a podcast to set up the Rangers series and at midweek and see how we did against the LA Angels. Until then, play until then, players. I want y'all to have a nice start of the new week. Let's enjoy some baseball. Let's enjoy some wins. I'll take a stick to no. I'll go six to no this week.

Sign Off And Outro

SPEAKER_02 16:39

I can take that too. Ice man just like this in your wallet. And that was in the ice cake. Nope. Wait till the middle of the weight. Ice in the cat. Ice with the airport. I call up the fashion and not in the case. Ice in the cave, stuff. Everything blue like the ice in the case, dog. Ice in the cave. Ice in the cave. Ice in the cave. Ice in the cave. Ice in the cave. Ice in the cave. Ice in the cave.