The Launch Angle

The Launch Angle

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For Astros fans who want more than the box score. https://launch-angle.com/

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The Launch Angle
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The Other Shoe Dropped: Astros and Joe Espada Part Ways The long-anticipated development finally came to pass: the Astros have decided to move on from Joe Espada and are now in the market for a new manager. As much as I don't like hearing someone lost their job, it's been clear for a while that…

launch-angle.comThe Other Shoe Dropped: Astros and Joe Espada Part WaysThe long-anticipated development finally came to pass: the Astros have decided to move on from Joe Espada and are now in the market for a new manager. As much as I don't like hearing someone lost their job, it's been clear for a while that Espada wasn't likely to return. While Jim Crane is unpredictable and you couldn't entirely rule out a return, Espada managed the 2026 season on an expiring contract alongside Dana Brown.
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Twiddling Thumbs I decided to stop twiddling my thumbs and write about the Astros again. A brief hiatus was honestly beneficial and let me recharge. Whether this organization will stop twiddling its thumbs anytime soon is another matter. Obviously, the Astros are an organization in transition. Joe…

launch-angle.comTwiddling ThumbsI decided to stop twiddling my thumbs and write about the Astros again. A brief hiatus was honestly beneficial and let me recharge. Whether this organization will stop twiddling its thumbs anytime soon is another matter. Obviously, the Astros are an organization in transition. Joe Espada's fate remains undecided, although he was given permission to interview with the Mariners for their managerial opening.
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Requiem for the 2026 Houston Astros and maybe the “Golden Era”?   At some point, it had to get written, right? The end of the dynasty piece that always waits in the wings for any dominant sports franchise. This comes for all dominant teams, no matter how long it takes to get there. Ideally, if it…

launch-angle.comRequiem for the 2026 Houston Astros and maybe the “Golden Era”?  At some point, it had to get written, right? The end of the dynasty piece that always waits in the wings for any dominant sports franchise. This comes for all dominant teams, no matter how long it takes to get there. Ideally, if it is to be a "last dance/last ride", you get that great ride into the sunset, one last victory to punctuate the greatness.
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The Astros Offseason Briefing: October 1, 2026 – Playoffs, Wild Card, Varsho, White Sox, Offseason, Anthony, Sanchez Welcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss and…

launch-angle.comThe Astros Offseason Briefing: October 1, 2026 – Playoffs, Wild Card, Varsho, White Sox, Offseason, Anthony, SanchezWelcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss and share in the comments! It’s the Thursday Launch! Houston Astros News Injuries/Roster Moves Well, that’s that…. Recap Varsho underwent wrist surgery (HC) The Astros didn’t love getting booed in their own stadium…
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Astros Lose 7-3 to White Sox, Eliminated From Postseason Talk about a boo-worthy performance. Everything that could go wrong for the Astros basically did. Hunter Brown lasted only 0.2 innings, allowing four earned runs before loading the bases with two outs. Why? A combination of ineffectiveness…

launch-angle.comAstros Lose 7-3 to White Sox, Eliminated From PostseasonTalk about a boo-worthy performance. Everything that could go wrong for the Astros basically did. Hunter Brown lasted only 0.2 innings, allowing four earned runs before loading the bases with two outs. Why? A combination of ineffectiveness and poor defense. Remember when the fundamentals was a thing in Spring Training? That said, AJ Blubaugh and Peter Lambert somehow kept the game within reach through five innings.
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Today is Joe Espada’s Last Chance to Get a Postseason Win: White Sox at Astros, AL Wild Card Game 2 Preview If the Astros don't win today, their season ends in September just like everyone else who didn't make the postseason, and Joe Espada will end his Astros tenure with 0 postseason wins.

launch-angle.comToday is Joe Espada’s Last Chance to Get a Postseason Win: White Sox at Astros, AL Wild Card Game 2 PreviewIf the Astros don't win today, their season ends in September just like everyone else who didn't make the postseason, and Joe Espada will end his Astros tenure with 0 postseason wins.
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The Astros Playoff Briefing: September 30, 2026 – Playoffs, Wild Card, Mattress Mack, Brown, Gelof, Judge, Crochet, Musgrove, Wade, Hendricks Welcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the…

launch-angle.comThe Astros Playoff Briefing: September 30, 2026 – Playoffs, Wild Card, Mattress Mack, Brown, Gelof, Judge, Crochet, Musgrove, Wade, HendricksWelcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss and share in the comments! It’s the Wednesday Launch! Houston Astros News Injuries/Roster Moves That was not a good start….. Recap But what are some of the actual reasons that happened?
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The Astros Launch Briefing: September 28, 2026 – Playoffs, AL West, Chicago White Sox, Blanco, Delgado, Wilson, Red Sox, Luzardo, Treinen Welcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the…

launch-angle.comThe Astros Launch Briefing: September 28, 2026 – Playoffs, AL West, Chicago White Sox, Blanco, Delgado, Wilson, Red Sox, Luzardo, TreinenWelcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss and share in the comments! It’s the Monday Launch! Houston Astros News Injuries/Roster Moves We. Are. In…… Recap Astros won the West on the last day of the season (NYT) Schedule for Astros/White Sox series…
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Astros Win 9-0 Against A’s, Clinch AL West Title Someone had to win the AL West in 2026. Why not the 81-81 Astros? Honestly, Sunday's game against the A's turned out to be a moot point. The Rangers' loss to the Twins earlier in the afternoon clinched the AL West title for the Astros. Still, it was…

launch-angle.comAstros Win 9-0 Against A’s, Clinch AL West TitleSomeone had to win the AL West in 2026. Why not the 81-81 Astros? Honestly, Sunday's game against the A's turned out to be a moot point. The Rangers' loss to the Twins earlier in the afternoon clinched the AL West title for the Astros. Still, it was nice to win 9-0 on the last day of the season. The pitching staff, with Peter Lambert starting on short rest, threw the ball well in a minor league ballpark that makes me nervous every single time.
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It Comes Down to the Final Day… : Astros at Athletics, 9-27-26, 2:05 CT Game 162 Preview It comes down to the final day of the season, Game 162. The Astros won last night, but so did the Rangers, tied at 80-81, with the Astros having the tiebreaker. The Astros will win the division if one of two…

launch-angle.comIt Comes Down to the Final Day… : Astros at Athletics, 9-27-26, 2:05 CT Game 162 PreviewIt comes down to the final day of the season, Game 162. The Astros won last night, but so did the Rangers, tied at 80-81, with the Astros having the tiebreaker. The Astros will win the division if one of two things happen: The Astros win their series finale against the Athletics or The Rangers lose their series finale against the Twins…
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Astros Win 13-2 Against A’s The stage is set with Saturday’s win and Sunday will determine which team wins the AL West division title. There isn’t much to complain about in this game, a welcomed departure from plenty of other instances this season. Hayden Wesneski threw seven innings of one-run…

launch-angle.comAstros Win 13-2 Against A’sThe stage is set with Saturday’s win and Sunday will determine which team wins the AL West division title. There isn’t much to complain about in this game, a welcomed departure from plenty of other instances this season. Hayden Wesneski threw seven innings of one-run ball. Ronel Blanco also tossed two scoreless innings, giving the rest of the bullpen a day off.
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Two Games Left, Little Margin for Error: Astros at Athletics, 9-26-26, 8:40 CT Game 161 Preview Well, someone has to win the AL West. The Astros enter Saturday at 79-81, tied with the Rangers atop an AL West that has seemingly spent the entire season attempting to avoid producing a winner. Of…

launch-angle.comTwo Games Left, Little Margin for Error: Astros at Athletics, 9-26-26, 8:40 CT Game 161 PreviewWell, someone has to win the AL West. The Astros enter Saturday at 79-81, tied with the Rangers atop an AL West that has seemingly spent the entire season attempting to avoid producing a winner. Of course, if the season was already finished, Houston would win the division thanks to the tiebreaker. But either team hasn't played well in 2026; the Astros have been outscored by 52 runs this season and own a 75-85 expected record based on run differential.
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The Comeback Falls Short; Astros Lose 6-5 to A’s With the Rangers’ loss to the Twins earlier Friday evening, the Astros found themselves in position to create some separation atop the AL West as the season draws to a close this weekend. Unfortunately, even best-laid plans have often gone awry for…

launch-angle.comThe Comeback Falls Short; Astros Lose 6-5 to A’sWith the Rangers’ loss to the Twins earlier Friday evening, the Astros found themselves in position to create some separation atop the AL West as the season draws to a close this weekend. Unfortunately, even best-laid plans have often gone awry for this team. This game was largely aggravating. Hunter Brown worked through poor command, control, whatever, walking four but allowing just one run in 5.1 innings.
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Yordan Alvarez’ Triple Crown Chase and MVP Case: Astros at Athletics, 9-25-26, 8:40 CT Game 160 Preview Yordan Alvarez ranks 1st, 1st and 2nd in AL batting average, home runs and RBI respectively, but he may not be able to catch Pete Alonso's RBI total for the Triple Crown. His MVP case remains…

launch-angle.comYordan Alvarez’ Triple Crown Chase and MVP Case: Astros at Athletics, 9-25-26, 8:40 CT Game 160 PreviewYordan Alvarez ranks 1st, 1st and 2nd in AL batting average, home runs and RBI respectively, but he may not be able to catch Pete Alonso's RBI total for the Triple Crown. His MVP case remains strong though.
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The Astros Launch Briefing: September 25, 2026 – Playoffs, Varsho, Alexander, Joyce, PCA, Cooper, Schmidt, Pérez, Castillo Welcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss…

launch-angle.comThe Astros Launch Briefing: September 25, 2026 – Playoffs, Varsho, Alexander, Joyce, PCA, Cooper, Schmidt, Pérez, CastilloWelcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss and share in the comments! It’s the Friday Launch! Houston Astros News Injuries/Roster Moves Lucas Spence had a pretty decent game….Recap Astros playoff scenario (HC) Varsho hurt now because why wouldn’t he be…
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Sugarland Astros, Behind Lucas Spence’s Three Home Runs, Take Opener in Sacramento Three home runs from unheralded rookie Lucas Spence propel Astros to a 7-5 win over the Athletics, maintaining a tie for first place in the AL West with three games remaining.

launch-angle.comSugarland Astros, Behind Lucas Spence’s Three Home Runs, Take Opener in SacramentoThree home runs from unheralded rookie Lucas Spence propel Astros to a 7-5 win over the Athletics, maintaining a tie for first place in the AL West with three games remaining.
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Environmental Awareness – Sutter Health Park: Astros at Athletics, 9-24-26, 8:40 CT Game 159 Preview The fate of the 2026 Astros will be decided against the A's at Sutter Health Park, a ballpark more hitter-friendly than even Coors Field. It's not because of elevation or dimension. It's the wind…

launch-angle.comEnvironmental Awareness – Sutter Health Park: Astros at Athletics, 9-24-26, 8:40 CT Game 159 PreviewThe fate of the 2026 Astros will be decided against the A's at Sutter Health Park, a ballpark more hitter-friendly than even Coors Field. It's not because of elevation or dimension. It's the wind and heat that turn warning track fly balls into home runs.
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The Astros Launch Briefing: September 24, 2026 – Javier, Matthews, Meyers, Alvarez, Verlander, Ohtani, Cease, Holliday, Steer Welcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss…

launch-angle.comThe Astros Launch Briefing: September 24, 2026 – Javier, Matthews, Meyers, Alvarez, Verlander, Ohtani, Cease, Holliday, SteerWelcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss and share in the comments! It’s the Thursday Launch! Houston Astros News Injuries/Roster Moves Recap Javier is done for the year (HC) Astros call up Josh Hendrickson (NBC) Brice Matthews is gone too…
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Astros Lose 6-5 to Mariners In A Brutal Walkoff Well, this one stings. It’s late, so I’ll keep the recap relatively short. But this game was one of the most brutal losses I’ve watched in a while. Josh Hader finally looked human for a change, walking four and picking up the loss in the process. On…

launch-angle.comAstros Lose 6-5 to Mariners In A Brutal WalkoffWell, this one stings. It’s late, so I’ll keep the recap relatively short. But this game was one of the most brutal losses I’ve watched in a while. Josh Hader finally looked human for a change, walking four and picking up the loss in the process. On 44 pitches, too. I wouldn’t expect to see him again for a couple of days.
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Five Alive for Ethan Pecko and the Astros: Astros at Mariners, 9-23-26, 9:10 CT Game 158 Preview The dramatic decrease in Pecko's hard hit ball and walk rate has resulted in reduction of his xStats across the board. He's gone from a pitcher against whom everyone hits like Shohei Ohtani to a…

launch-angle.comFive Alive for Ethan Pecko and the Astros: Astros at Mariners, 9-23-26, 9:10 CT Game 158 PreviewThe dramatic decrease in Pecko's hard hit ball and walk rate has resulted in reduction of his xStats across the board. He's gone from a pitcher against whom everyone hits like Shohei Ohtani to a pitcher where everyone hits like Marcus Semien. That will play at a major league level.
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The Astros Launch Briefing: September 23, 2026 – Burrows, Barrosa, Varsho, Correa, Pederson, Judge, Green, Bregman, Verlander, Breslow Welcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the…

launch-angle.comThe Astros Launch Briefing: September 23, 2026 – Burrows, Barrosa, Varsho, Correa, Pederson, Judge, Green, Bregman, Verlander, BreslowWelcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss and share in the comments! It’s the Wednesday Launch! Houston Astros News Injuries/Roster Moves Recap Burrows is back (CBS) Barrosa is down (FP) And Varsho is hurt… because of course (CBS)
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The Bullpen and its Breaking Point: Astros at Mariners, 9-22-26, 8:40 CT Game 157 Preview Another weekend where the Astros just needed to avoid being swept, and another weekend where they couldn't do that, and now the Astros enter the final 6 games of the season out of playoff position. Can they…

launch-angle.comThe Bullpen and its Breaking Point: Astros at Mariners, 9-22-26, 8:40 CT Game 157 PreviewAnother weekend where the Astros just needed to avoid being swept, and another weekend where they couldn't do that, and now the Astros enter the final 6 games of the season out of playoff position. Can they still make it to October? Sure, but however many wins the Rangers get in their last 6 games, the Astros will need to get one more.
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The Astros Launch Briefing: September 22, 2026 – Mayer, Playoffs, Diaz, Mariners, Rangers, Bregman, Cease, Sabato, Mantiply, Mayer Welcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league.…

launch-angle.comThe Astros Launch Briefing: September 22, 2026 – Mayer, Playoffs, Diaz, Mariners, Rangers, Bregman, Cease, Sabato, Mantiply, MayerWelcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss and share in the comments! It’s the Monday Launch! Houston Astros News Injuries/Roster Moves Bryce Mayer elected to the Texas League All-Star team A look at the Houston Astros playoff chances…
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Hall of Fame Index: What about Thurman Munson? One of my favorite features in both Hall of Fame Index books are what I would lovingly call the “what about” series. I determined that Gene Tenace was the most qualified candidate at catcher amongst the Veterans Committee crowds which immediately…

launch-angle.comHall of Fame Index: What about Thurman Munson?One of my favorite features in both Hall of Fame Index books are what I would lovingly call the “what about” series. I determined that Gene Tenace was the most qualified candidate at catcher amongst the Veterans Committee crowds which immediately would inspire people to ask, “What about Thurman Munson?” That happens to be a very good question at catcher. Unfortunately, some of those questions at other positions have caused problems.
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The Astros Launch Briefing: September 21, 2026 – Astros, Roster, Yordan, 30/30, Wilson, Quantrill, Bregman, Skubal, Fraley Welcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss…

launch-angle.comThe Astros Launch Briefing: September 21, 2026 – Astros, Roster, Yordan, 30/30, Wilson, Quantrill, Bregman, Skubal, FraleyWelcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss and share in the comments! It’s the Monday Launch! Houston Astros News Injuries/Roster Moves This team is crumbling. Recap Astros make multiple roster moves (YS) Yordan speaks on the team’s downward spiral…
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Astros Swept By Braves, Lose Finale 4-2 Mercifully, this season is almost finished. Whether it stops in September or October is another question. But, after this weekend, I am leaning toward September. Negatives abound in this sweep. Seven runs in three games. A couple of bullpen implosions. A…

launch-angle.comAstros Swept By Braves, Lose Finale 4-2Mercifully, this season is almost finished. Whether it stops in September or October is another question. But, after this weekend, I am leaning toward September. Negatives abound in this sweep. Seven runs in three games. A couple of bullpen implosions. A losing record at home. At least the starting pitchers (Peter Lambert, Hayden Wesneski, and Hunter Brown) did relatively well, but that's about the extent of any positives from this weekend.
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The Launch Angle Reader Appreciation Piece: Braves at Astros, 9-20-26, 1:10 CT Game 156 Preview In the spirit of Astros Fan Appreciation Day, I would like to make this game preview "The Launch Angle Reader Appreciation Piece." This inaugural season of The Launch Angle has been nothing short of a…

launch-angle.comThe Launch Angle Reader Appreciation Piece: Braves at Astros, 9-20-26, 1:10 CT Game 156 PreviewIn the spirit of Astros Fan Appreciation Day, I would like to make this game preview "The Launch Angle Reader Appreciation Piece." This inaugural season of The Launch Angle has been nothing short of a massive success.
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Astros Lose 6-3 to Braves I think the Astros really miss Steven Okert. You can’t really assess the Astros’ bullpen without addressing the elephant in the room: the real lack of depth in the bullpen at this moment. Tatsuya Imai continues to occupy a roster spot despite being essentially relegated…

launch-angle.comAstros Lose 6-3 to BravesI think the Astros really miss Steven Okert. You can’t really assess the Astros’ bullpen without addressing the elephant in the room: the real lack of depth in the bullpen at this moment. Tatsuya Imai continues to occupy a roster spot despite being essentially relegated to mop-up duty. For a team already stretched thin for pitching depth in both the rotation and bullpen, carrying a pitcher it doesn't seemingly trust in meaningful situations is a damning indictment of how this roster has been constructed.
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Wake Me Up When September Ends: Braves at Astros, 9-19-26, 6:10 CT Game 155 Preview "If you don't come in on Friday, don't bother coming in on Monday." Well, if the Astros don't show up in September, they're not invited to October. It's been put up or shut up, and in the month of September, the…

launch-angle.comWake Me Up When September Ends: Braves at Astros, 9-19-26, 6:10 CT Game 155 Preview"If you don't come in on Friday, don't bother coming in on Monday." Well, if the Astros don't show up in September, they're not invited to October. It's been put up or shut up, and in the month of September, the Astros have been silent, leaving Astros fans speechless themselves.
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Astros Lose 6-2 to Braves Another day, another game lamenting the bottom half of the Astros lineup. Or, in this case, most of it. There are only so many ways to say that this isn't a postseason-caliber lineup, even with a potential AL MVP in it. The outfield is a mess. The infield isn't much…

launch-angle.comAstros Lose 6-2 to BravesAnother day, another game lamenting the bottom half of the Astros lineup. Or, in this case, most of it. There are only so many ways to say that this isn't a postseason-caliber lineup, even with a potential AL MVP in it. The outfield is a mess. The infield isn't much better as of late. Well, except for Isaac Paredes. I will not tolerate slander about him.
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The Importance of Jeremy Peña: Braves at Astros, 9-18-26, 7:10 CT Game 154 Preview Yordan Alvarez is obviously the best player on the Astros. No questions about that. I mean, he's a favorite for the AL MVP. But for as good as the slugger has been this season, he can't do it all by himself in every…

launch-angle.comThe Importance of Jeremy Peña: Braves at Astros, 9-18-26, 7:10 CT Game 154 PreviewYordan Alvarez is obviously the best player on the Astros. No questions about that. I mean, he's a favorite for the AL MVP. But for as good as the slugger has been this season, he can't do it all by himself in every single game. For the Astros to succeed, qualify for the postseason, and possibly advance deep into October, it'll take more than Alvarez.
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The Astros Launch Briefing: September 18, 2026 – Yordan, Alvarez, Trammell, Okert, AL West, Dìaz, Pages, Cavalli Welcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss and share in…

launch-angle.comThe Astros Launch Briefing: September 18, 2026 – Yordan, Alvarez, Trammell, Okert, AL West, Dìaz, Pages, CavalliWelcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss and share in the comments! It’s the Friday Launch! Houston Astros News Injuries/Roster Moves Yordan remembers how to hit home runs! Recap Comparing the remaining schedules between Houston and the Rangers…
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Astros Take Series, Hold Advantage in the AL West with 6-2 Win Over Royals The Astros parlay five solo homers into a 6-2 win over the Royals. The win gives the Astros a series win, puts them over .500, and keeps them in the driver's seat for the AL West pennant.

launch-angle.comAstros Take Series, Hold Advantage in the AL West with 6-2 Win Over RoyalsThe Astros parlay five solo homers into a 6-2 win over the Royals. The win gives the Astros a series win, puts them over .500, and keeps them in the driver's seat for the AL West pennant.
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The Last Ten Games: Royals at Astros, 9-17-26, 6:15 CT Game 153 Preview For as much complaining as I've done this season about the pitching staff, particularly the rotation, it may not be their fault if the Astros don't qualify for the postseason. Or, more accurately, not entirely their fault.…

launch-angle.comThe Last Ten Games: Royals at Astros, 9-17-26, 6:15 CT Game 153 PreviewFor as much complaining as I've done this season about the pitching staff, particularly the rotation, it may not be their fault if the Astros don't qualify for the postseason. Or, more accurately, not entirely their fault. Instead, the lineup is my main focus at this moment as the last ten games occur. To state the obvious, the Astros have an incredibly top-heavy lineup.
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The Astros Launch Briefing: September 17, 2026 – Crane, Brown, Schiavone, Urías, Tillion, Lasko, Flag, Holliday, Bradish Welcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss and…

launch-angle.comThe Astros Launch Briefing: September 17, 2026 – Crane, Brown, Schiavone, Urías, Tillion, Lasko, Flag, Holliday, BradishWelcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss and share in the comments! It’s the Thursday Launch! Houston Astros News Injuries/Roster Moves Recap Crane dealing with backlash from plane incident (HC) Hunter Brown has a new pitch thanks to Strom…
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Hitting Struggles Continue; Astros Lose 5-2 to Royals In 14 September games, including Wednesday's loss to the Royals, the Astros have scored 45 runs, or roughly 3.2 runs per game. No other team in baseball has scored fewer runs this month. Only the Royals have fewer hits this month. That overall…

launch-angle.comHitting Struggles Continue; Astros Lose 5-2 to RoyalsIn 14 September games, including Wednesday's loss to the Royals, the Astros have scored 45 runs, or roughly 3.2 runs per game. No other team in baseball has scored fewer runs this month. Only the Royals have fewer hits this month. That overall lack of hitting and run scoring is far from ideal for a team with postseason aspirations. To be fair, the top half of the Astros lineup wasn't entirely quiet against Kansas City.
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Is Cristian Javier on a Path Back to Dependable Starting Pitcher? : Royals at Astros, 9-16-26, 7:10 CT Game 152 Preview As the 2022 season ended, starting pitcher Cristian Javier appeared headed toward a promising future as one of the top tier MLB starting pitchers. He pitched to a dazzling 2.54…

launch-angle.comIs Cristian Javier on a Path Back to Dependable Starting Pitcher? : Royals at Astros, 9-16-26, 7:10 CT Game 152 PreviewAs the 2022 season ended, starting pitcher Cristian Javier appeared headed toward a promising future as one of the top tier MLB starting pitchers. He pitched to a dazzling 2.54 ERA in 2022, and two of his starts were no hitters--against the Yankees in the regular season and versus the Phillies in the World Series. He earned a lucrative contract extension based on his promise.
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The Astros Launch Briefing: September 16, 2026 – Correa, Trammell, Loperfido, Jump, Pederson, Luzardo, Devers Welcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss and share in…

launch-angle.comThe Astros Launch Briefing: September 16, 2026 – Correa, Trammell, Loperfido, Jump, Pederson, Luzardo, DeversWelcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss and share in the comments! It’s the Wednesday Launch! Houston Astros News Injuries/Roster Moves Recap Correa comeback is not happening (HC) Trammell and Loperfido swap on roster thanks to paternity leave…
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The Astros break a three game losing streak by beating the Royals, 4-2 thanks to home runs by Jeremy Pena and Yordan Alvarez.

launch-angle.comPena And Alvarez Blasts Carry Astros to 4-2 Win Over RoyalsOh, how we missed thee, Jeremy Pena and Yordan Alvarez. Since August, the Astros have been one of baseball's worst-hitting teams. That, in large part, is due to the disappearance of the #1 and #2 hitters in the lineup, Jeremy Pena and Yordan Alvarez. Although four runs is not exactly a breakout for the struggling offense, tonight these two not only accounted for all the Astros' runs, but all the hits too.
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Beat the Bad Teams or Risk Being a Bad Team: Royals at Astros, 9-15-26, 7:10 CT Game 150 Preview What a disastrous weekend. Are we nearing the end of an 11 year era of dominance? After 2 championships, several more championship appearances, playoffs in all but 2 seasons, is it possible that bad…

launch-angle.comBeat the Bad Teams or Risk Being a Bad Team: Royals at Astros, 9-15-26, 7:10 CT Game 150 PreviewWhat a disastrous weekend. Are we nearing the end of an 11 year era of dominance? After 2 championships, several more championship appearances, playoffs in all but 2 seasons, is it possible that bad drafting and roster management has doomed this dynasty to end? I mean Ja’marr Chase had just twelve yards. Twelve yards! And is Kyren Williams a committee back now?
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No need for the Houston Astros fan to sweat a possible lockout, right?  Welcome to the stretch run, when baseball starts to separate the contenders and pretenders. Somehow, someway, the Houston Astros find themselves in the thick of the playoff picture, with the chance to clinch a division and…

launch-angle.comNo need for the Houston Astros fan to sweat a possible lockout, right? Welcome to the stretch run, when baseball starts to separate the contenders and pretenders. Somehow, someway, the Houston Astros find themselves in the thick of the playoff picture, with the chance to clinch a division and host games (pay no attention to the current 7-game home playoff game losing streak). High drama in the regular season awaits, with everything this side of the NL West up for grabs, to say nothing of the lottery crucible that is the postseason.
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The Astros Launch Briefing: September 15, 2026 – Executive, Altuve, Hader, Rashi, Sánchez, Lopez, Dodgers, Meyer Welcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss and share in…

launch-angle.comThe Astros Launch Briefing: September 15, 2026 – Executive, Altuve, Hader, Rashi, Sánchez, Lopez, Dodgers, MeyerWelcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss and share in the comments! It’s the Tuesday Launch! Houston Astros News Injuries/Roster Moves Astros lose long time executive to the NHL (Chron) What in the world will Houston do with Altuve?
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The Astros Launch Briefing: September 14, 2026 – Correa, West, Yordan, Langeliers, Devers, Gurriel, Cabrera, Bradish Welcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss and…

launch-angle.comThe Astros Launch Briefing: September 14, 2026 – Correa, West, Yordan, Langeliers, Devers, Gurriel, Cabrera, BradishWelcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league. Discuss and share in the comments! It’s the Monday Launch! Houston Astros News Injuries/Roster Moves That was really bad. Recap Next step for Carlos…..rehab starts (HC) Astros still control their own destiny in the West…
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Astros Swept, Lose Finale to Rays 14-4 Another stinker of a game. At least the first two losses in this series were competitive, though. The third game? It wasn't even close. Hayden Wesneski obviously struggled, with his velocity down and his pitches not looking sharp. He only generated four…

launch-angle.comAstros Swept, Lose Finale to Rays 14-4Another stinker of a game. At least the first two losses in this series were competitive, though. The third game? It wasn't even close. Hayden Wesneski obviously struggled, with his velocity down and his pitches not looking sharp. He only generated four whiffs on 31 swings. Of the 14 batted balls that the Rays put into play against Wesneski in his three innings, seven were classified as hard hits.
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Yordan Or This Lineup Goes Bust: Astros at Rays, 9-13-26, 12:40 CT Game 150 Preview Today is a shorter preview than usual, but I did want to highlight one point. Since August 1, only two teams have scored fewer runs than the Astros (149): the Pirates (142) and Angels (133). That doesn't seem…

launch-angle.comYordan Or This Lineup Goes Bust: Astros at Rays, 9-13-26, 12:40 CT Game 150 PreviewToday is a shorter preview than usual, but I did want to highlight one point. Since August 1, only two teams have scored fewer runs than the Astros (149): the Pirates (142) and Angels (133). That doesn't seem great, does it? For as fun as it's been to see this team somehow take the lead in the AL West, I'd be lying if I stated that this lineup doesn't concern me.