Mon Jun 16 11:38:20 2008

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Astros sinking toward mediocrity

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(Sports Network) - After showing the promise of being a contender for much of the season's first two months, the Houston Astros suddenly can't stop the losses from piling on.

For the second time in as many weeks, they've suffered a five-game losing streak. Houston went just 2-7 on its recent homestand, and the team has dropped 14 of its last 17 overall.

Sunday's 13-0 loss to the Yankees, which prompted a closed-door team meeting, may very well have been the last straw.

"I was totally embarrassed by this, and we're not going to settle for it any more -- won't happen again," manager Cecil Cooper said. "They don't play hard, they don't play. It's simple. "(Sunday) we didn't play hard, we didn't even show up. Didn't even compete. Total embarrassment. Forty thousand people, and we don't even show up. It won't happen again."

When the Astros kick off a six-game road trip in Baltimore Tuesday night, they'll be trying to avoid losing a seventh consecutive series. In order to do so, they'll have to improve upon several areas. One thing working against the Astros is their 16-21 road record. Another, is their many baserunning gaffes.

The Astros ran themselves into five outs in the first two games of the Yankees series this past weekend. Although they continue to lead the National League in steals (72), that aggressiveness often tends to get them into trouble. They've been caught stealing more times (25) than any other team in the NL. However,

Cooper doesn't sound like he intends to scale back the theft attempts.

"We've been stealing bases all year," he said. "This is what we do. We've emphasized it from Spring Training on. We're going to try and steal as many bases as we can and be aggressive."

In Cooper's defense, it's tough not to be aggressive when you're giving up more than eight runs per game, as the Astros have during their current skid. But that's just the way things are going for the team right now. More and more, it's looking like Houston will (or at least should) be sellers at the trade deadline. Cooper confessed he is beginning to run out of answers.

"It is awfully frustrating," he told the Houston Chronicle. "We got to dig down deep. It's a true test of your character in these times."

STARTERS GETTING SHELLED

It was only a matter of time before it became painfully evident that Lance Berkman and Miguel Tejada couldn't carry the offense all season long. At the moment, poor starting pitching is what's really dragging the team backwards.

With ace Roy Oswalt struggling, the Astros don't have a stopper in their rotation. Oswalt was knocked around in Sunday's 13-0 loss to the Yankees, and departed after giving up seven runs in 5 2/3 innings. On the season, he is just 5-7 with a 5.04 ERA; a stark contrast from his lifetime 3.19 ERA.

In particular, the biggest culprit for the starters has been the long ball. No rotation in the majors has yielded more home runs than the Astros' 65. Oswalt has given up 17, the fourth-highest total across the league.

The normally reliable Wandy Rodriguez was tagged for a season-high five runs in Saturday's 8-4 loss to New York. Shawn Chacon had back-to-back rough outings prior to Friday's gem (6 1/3 innings, one run). Brian Moehler was responsible for seven earned runs in 4 2/3 innings during Thursday's 9-6 loss to Milwaukee.

And on Wednesday against the Brewers, Brandon Backe lost his third straight start after giving up five runs (three homers) in four innings.

WHO'S HOT

Outfielder Carlos Lee has remained steady during the skid, posting nine hits in his last 21 at-bats. Michael Bourn is also starting to heat up, going 8- for-20 over the last six games.

WHO'S NOT

Oswalt and the rest of the rotation. Also, Hunter Pence is in a 2-for-23 slump.

A LOOK AHEAD

After an off-day today, Backe (4-8, 5.00) aims to rebound on Tuesday when he toes the rubber against Baltimore's Garrett Olson (5-2, 4.53). Moehler (3-3, 4.76) gets the nod Wednesday opposite Jeremy Guthrie (3-7, 3.71). And on Thursday, Chacon (2-2, 4.69) hopes to carry the momentum from his last start when he closes out the series against Brian Burres (5-5, 5.28). The Astros then play three in Tampa Bay for an interleague series with the Rays.