Normally, the top storyline to come from Wednesday's Houston Astros game would be on Framber Valdez allowing six first-inning runs and seven overall in five innings. Instead, the focus is on Mauricio Dubon hitting a two-run homer to cut the lead to 7-2. No, this wasn't a historic home run for Dubon, but it did mark the first time since Saturday. That's right they went more than three games - 31 innings, in fact, - without scoring a single run. How? I have no idea.
The Astros were shut out in three straight games for the first time since 1985, and they were actually shut out in four of their previous five games before Dubon ended their drought.
Yordan Alvarez and Isaac Paredes both sitting on the IL isn't helpful, and facing Tarik Skubal in the middle of a slump isn't either, but even without them, you'd think this Astros team has enough talent to score at least one run in. three-game span, right?
It goes without saying that several Astros players are to blame for the offensive drought reaching these epic proportions, and these four in particular stick out.
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4) Cam Smith, outfielder
Remember when Cam Smith was seemingly inserting himself into the AL Rookie of the Year race? Unfortunately, that feels like a distant memory. Smith entered Wednesday's action slashing .149/.237/.188 over his last 30 games, and after going 0-for-4, those numbers only look worse.
With another hitless game under his belt, Smith is now 1-for-16 over his last six games with eight strikeouts. Putting the ball into play has been a struggle recently for Smith, let alone hitting the ball hard.
It might feel unfair to place high expectations on a rookie, especially one with such little minor league experience, but in the beginning of July, it looked as if Smith was on a rocket to stardom, and he's done very little since. The Astros needed him to step up without Alvarez and Paredes, and he's done the opposite.
3) Jesus Sanchez, outfielder
Jesus Sanchez is far from a star, but when the Astros acquired him, it felt as if they had finally found the left fielder they had lacked all season long. Sanchez has looked good in the field, even robbing a couple of home runs, but his bat has disappeared since the trade. He entered the day slashing .164/.220/.255 in 59 plate appearances across 16 games, and after his 0-for-4 showing in Wednesday's game, those numbers are even worse.
Sanchez had a 103 OPS+ in 86 games with the Miami Marlins before the trade, meaning he was a tick above average as a hitter. In Houston, his OPS+ sat at 37 before the game, 63 percent below league average, and again, it only took a turn for the worst after another hitless performance.
During this six game stretch in which Houston has been shut out four times, Sanchez has gone 0-for-17 with six strikeouts. The Astros with Alvarez and Paredes might be fine with Sanchez skidding like this for a brief period, but without them, as you can see, it's been a disaster.
Nobody expected Sanchez to turn into a superstar with a change of scenery, but he's gone from average to unusable at the plate at the worst time for the Astros. Hopefully, that changes sooner rather than later.
2) Jeremy Pena, shortstop
It's hard to envision the Astros sitting in first place in the AL West as they are right now without Jeremy Pena. The 27-year-old made his first All-Star team this season, and could've easily been an All-Star starter if he was more popular in the eyes of the public. With that in mind, it's hard to place much blame on him for struggling recently, but we have to be objective. Pena has contributed to Houston's recent skid.
The shortstop went 1-for-4 with a walk on Wednesday, but when factoring that into his recent performance, he's recorded just two hits in his last 16 at-bats with three walks. Pena has been a bit banged up, but considering the year he's had, the Astros need a whole lot more than what they've gotten from him.
1) Jose Altuve, second baseman
Jose Altuve rebounding from a rough start to putting up the Altuve-like numbers we've become accustomed to has helped the Astros a ton, and again, it feels weird to be blaming him for anything negative happening in Houston, but he's objectively struggled lately.
After going 0-for-4 on Wednesday, Altuve is now 3-for-24 (.125 BA) in his last six games. A six-game sample size is obviously microscopic in the grand scheme of things, but with how the rest of the lineup has been going, the team has needed its leader to step up. Altuve has done the opposite. He can get going at a moment's notice, and it wouldn't shock me if he hit a home run in his first at-bat the next time the Astros play, but for now, he deserves blame for the team struggling like this.