The Dog Days of Summer Have Often Been Special for the Astros
· Yahoo Sports
With the calendar turning to August, you couldn’t script a more compelling month ahead, mixed with storylines and intriguing matchups for the Astros. Currently in the midst of their rivalry with the Rangers with first place hanging in the balance, the stage is already set for a compelling stretch ahead.
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Over the next 31 days the Astros will have trips to the West Coast and the East Coast. Sandwiched in between will feature nine contests at home within divisional foes in the Mariners, A’s and last place Angels.
The Astros have always had a rich history when this particular month rolls around. If no-hitters are your thing, August has not disappointed. In recent years, we’ve seen Mike Fiers (pre-turncoat era) in his just his third start throw a no-no against the Dodgers on 8/21/2015. Four years later, the likes of Aaron Sanchez, Will Harris, Joe Biagini and Chris Devenski combined to toss a no hitter against the Mariners. That milestone was August 3rd, 2019.
Some of the finest months record wise have also landed during August. Two seasons ago, the Astros posted a mark of 18-10. In 2019, the did one better, finishing the month at 19-9. Each of those take a back seat to the 2008 run. That particular August, the Astros on two different occasions had a pair of 8 game winning streaks which propelled them to 21 wins that month.
August was also the month when Yordan Alvarez officially arrived in a major way for the national columnists across the country who cover America’s Pastime. On August 10th, 2019, Yordan would launch 3 home runs and drive in 7 in a lopsided affair that was largely over before it even began vs. Baltimore. Houston would win that day by a score of 23-2. That record still stands as the largest margin of victory in franchise history.
Yordan is chasing the Triple Crown. As for a side-by-side comparison, it was actually August of 2012 when Miguel Cabrera started making some real noise. In Detroit’s first six games that August, Cabrera blasted 4 home runs and recorded a total of 10 hits. Expect the side-by-side stat comparison to only intensify this month.
The month ahead will also feature an interesting intersection of pitching eras Hunter Brown will turn 28 years of age on August 29th. Hunter shares a birthday with Roy Oswalt who was born on the same day back in 1977. Oswalt would of course to go on to win 143 games in an Astros uniform.
Enjoy the dog days! They’ll start off with a bang with the trade deadline looming. It will be another August to remember.