After 12-2 Humiliation by Dodgers, the Astros Are Running Out of Time

There is no easy way to put this. What happened at Daikin Park on Wednesday afternoon was downright embarrassing. The Houston Astros were beaten 12-2 by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The game was so lopsided that the Astros backup catcher, César Salazar, had to take the mound.

Yes, that’s right. In the ninth inning, a catcher took the mound to finish out the game because the bullpen had been depleted.

The World Champions are playing well, and they deserve the credit for that. They scored 12 runs while the Astros put up a measly two.

Somewhere in the wreckage, Jason Alexander is finding himself optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land.

The Sad Scene at Daikin Park

Brice Matthews | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The Dodgers’ Andy Pages set career highs with three home runs and six RBI. Shohei Ohtani broke out of his recent slump with two hits. The one bright spot was Tyler Glasnow allowing a solo home run in the first inning, but in the end, that didn’t matter.

The Dodgers sent Jack Dreyer to the mound and he pitched two scoreless innings. He was one of six Dodgers relievers who in total held the Astros to just one run.

Pages set his personal best by hitting a three-run homer off Lance McCullers Jr. in a nasty five-run third inning that ultimately made the score 6-1. He then went on to add a two-run long ball in the fifth off Jason Alexander and then finished off his historic day by connecting with Salazar for another solo shot.

Brice Matthews gets the credit for the Astros solo home run and Zach Cole drove in the only other score in a game that was hard to find much positive.

Alexander is Out, Now What?

Jason Alexander | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

This decision was long overdue. On the season, Alexander has pitched 6.1 innings to a disappointing 14.21 ERA. This really doesn’t need an explanation, and the organization surely didn’t have a choice here.

The bigger question that has to be answered is, now what? Who are they going to fill that spot with? Removing Alexander wasn’t really a question, but they are not overflowing with options here.

Yes, the cavalry, as I have referred to them, is getting closer to being back, but they aren’t yet. Josh Hader and Tatsuya Imai both made rehab appearances on Tuesday, and it has been announced that Imai's next outing will be on the MLB field.

Hader has a target date of May 24, but who knows until they step on the field if the timeline will hold.

Until these arms are back, this team is in trouble.

The Hot Seat is Getting Hotter

Speaking of being in trouble. At 15-23, Houston is now tied for the last spot in the AL West. The questions surrounding Dana Brown and Joe Espada are no longer speculation. This is the loudest conversation being conducted around Houston baseball.

Most of the talk started with Espada, but Brown’s seat is burning. The only thing that might save him right now is timing. This is the final year of his and Espada’s contracts. If owner Jim Crane has given up on the season, he may be willing to let it ride through their contracts and then rebuild.

The truth is, every loss counts right now and not in any way positive. Brown will get more blame every time the team goes down.

Espada’s job has been hard, especially the last two years, when the roster has been decimated with injuries. Firing the manager doesn’t heal baseball players. It might make fans feel like there was some positive action occurring, but the truth is it would be a move out of frustration rather than forward thinking.

What Needs to Happen

Josh Hader | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Astros have immediate needs. Hader needs to return healthy and able to be effective immediately. The bullpen is struggling.

Second, Imai needs to stay in the rotation, but he’s got to perform. Most recently he has blamed the pitching clock for his lack of effectiveness. Imai has got to figure out MLB baseball and fast.

Third, Hunter Brown needs to be back by early June.

If these things happen, Houston stands a chance, and Brown, along with Espada, may be able to take a breath. But, if they don’t, if even just one of these things doesn’t happen, this team is facing a first half they won’t recover from.

The Astros are off on Thursday. They will travel to Cincinnati to kick off a three-game series. Maybe a day of rest and recovery will spark something.

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