TCB Astros Hitter of the Week: August 5-11

It is interesting how a losing streak can impact your brain as a fan.  Logic goes out the window quickly.  When I was thinking about writing this all I could muster was "no one deserves to be recognized this week!"  What you think you see may not be what actually happened once you look at the numbers.  I had to take a step back and realize there were a few guys who didn't have bad weeks at all individually.

In the six games this past week, the Astros went 1-5.  Three of the five losses were by one run and the other two were by two runs.  The issue with driving in runs is highlighted by the fact that in half of the games they only scored one run.  While we wait for the bats to warm up for our next six game winning streak, here are the players that pulled their weight in this down time.

Honorable Mention

Luis Valbuena

For a guy who has been carrying a sub-.200 average all year, Valbuena has shown improvement in that area by raising it up to .215 this week.  And that is mostly due to the regression in his BABIP.  For the week it was .375, and since the All Star Break it has been .333.  Everyone can remember when all the talk was about his weird, unlucky season with a .193 BABIP before the break (yet having 19 home runs).

Valbuena's slash line this week was a very good .308/.400/.615 with one double and one homer.  Just keep putting the ball in play Luis, it looks like some of them are starting to fall.

Jose Altuve

Altuve had a good week at the plate, going 9-for-25 (.360) with nine singles.  Throw in the one walk he coaxed and he got on base over forty percent of the time, which is well above his OBP for the season.  Even though they didn't always take advantage of it, they had a guy setting the table at a good clip all week.  He also had three multi-hit games (including a three hit game against Oakland).  After last night's game he has raised his average up above .300 for the first time since the end of July.

Winner

Colby Rasmus

Colby provided what is probably the most memorable moment of the past week.  With the offense scuffling against the A's all day Sunday, he came to the plate down two runs with two on and turned the game around with a home run.  He drove in a full twenty percent of the total runs for the week on that one swing, so you can look at that as sad, or really efficient.

Rasmus slash line was a respectable .263/.300/.474 including the previously mentioned homer and three RBIs.  Even though it didn't change the outcome of the game when it was all said and done, I can't think of many more moments this season where I have been more excited in a game.