Jose Altuve has 12 hits with a homer, six RBIs, and six runs scored this week. He also swiped four bases, giving him a total of 35 for the season. It was just another great week in what has been an incredible month of September for Altuve. He now has nine multi-hit games and is batting .435 for the month.



The race for the first overall pick in 2014

1. Astros 51-98
2. Marlins 55-94

Astros 13 games left: 3 vs. Reds, 4 at Indians, 3 at Rangers, 3 vs. Yankees
Marlins 13 games left: 3 at Phillies, 4 at Nationals, 3 vs. Phillies, 3 vs. Tigers

We lost 2-1 to the Angels on Sunday but the Marlins found a way to one up us and lose 1-0 against the Mets in 12 innings. The Marlins are giving me a scary thought: Pairing Carlos Rodon with Jose Fernandez in their starting rotation for the next several years. But it's all good. We have four more losses with only thirteen games left so I don't believe we're going to miss out on the dominating lefty from NC State.

We start a three-game series against Cincinnati tonight. If you look at our last 13 games, we could very easily go 0-13. The Reds, Indians, Rangers and Yankees can sweep us even if we play some good baseball. I'm guessing we'll go 3-10 at best which will definitely clinch the first overall pick for us regardless of what the Marlins do these final two weeks.

But just in case, I hope the Marlins can beat the Phillies, Nationals and a Tigers team which could be resting players in that final series.

This post was edited by Madmartigan on Sep 16 2013 05:35am

Astros lost to the Reds 6-1 but the Marlins lost to the Phillies 12-2 on Monday Night.

1. Astros 51-99
2. Marlins 55-95

Still four games worse with 12 games left now. Just another game over with and inching closer to where we want to be.

We face Mike Leake (13-6, 3.35 ERA) on Tuesday Night so I expect another loss to reach 100 total on the season. Hopefully the Marlins can beat Roy Halladay and the Phillies tomorrow night but I doubt it. We're just going to lose our own games to win the Carlos Rodon sweepstakes.

A four-game cushion is still pretty safe I feel especially with twelve games left. But it would be better if it were five, six or seven games.

Tuesday was fun. Astros lost to the Reds 10-0 and the Marlins lost to the Phillies 6-4
Both the Astros and Marlins have lost 4 games in a row and don't appear too interested in winning.

1. Astros 51-100
2. Marlins 55-96

11 games left now. The Astros still have a 4-game lead for the first overall pick in next June's draft.

If both teams were to end up tied they would have a coin flip to determine who picks first.
But the way it looks, as long as the Astros keep losing, the Marlins will not catch us.
One more game left against the Reds, and then the Indians, Rangers and Yankees will beat us.

The Astros defensive play turned out to be one of the few bright spots during the three-game sweep by the Reds.



Wednesday turned out to be a good night. Astros lost 6-5 to the Reds in 13 innings and the Marlins beat the Phillies 4-3 in 10 innings.

The race for the first overall pick in 2014

1. Astros 51-101
2. Marlins 56-96

Astros 10 games left: 4 at Indians, 3 at Rangers, 3 vs. Yankees
Marlins 10 games left: 4 at Nationals, 3 vs. Phillies, 3 vs. Tigers

Astros have lost 5 games in a row and are now 5 games worse than the Marlins with only 10 games left to play.

The Astros start a four-game series at Cleveland tonight: Dallas Keuchel (6-9, 5.17 ERA) versus Ubaldo Jimenez (12-9, 3.49 ERA). The Indians and Rangers can't afford to lose any of these upcoming games against the Astros, with the importance of the American League wild card race, so I really wouldn't be shocked if the Astros lose all seven games and entered that final three-game series against the Yankees on a 12-game losing streak.



Carlos Rodon being drafted by the Houston Astros may soon be a reality

The Houston Astros are very close to clinching the first overall pick for a third straight year. I'm ready to hear this on June 5, 2014 on the MLB Network... "With the first pick in the 2014 MLB draft... The Houston Astros select... Carlos Rodon, North Carolina State."

Having a future starting rotation with Mark Appel, Carlos Rodon, Jarred Cosart and Brett Oberholtzer - righty, lefty, righty, lefty combo - should give us one of the best young starting rotations in all of baseball for the next 10 years or so.

Add to that, Carlos Correa, if he develops into a special shortstop or third baseman (assuming Johnathan Villar can be the real deal at SS), we may have a pretty special infield. We still have Jonathan Singleton waiting in the wings and ready to take over first base. Our outfield situation isn't going to be bad either. George Springer should be our everyday center fielder starting on opening day 2014. Robbie Grossman (injured right now) in left field and L.J. Hoes in right field are viable starters who can play great defense and hit for decent average.

But the real gem for our future outfield may be this young 21-year-old Dominican kid we have in the minor leagues named Domingo Santana, who we acquired from the Phillies in that Hunter Pence trade two years ago -- the one that may turn out to be an amazing trade for us getting three really talented prospects in Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singleton and Domingo Santana. He's a 6'5, 230-pound right fielder that has drawn comparisons to Vladimir Guerrero (same nationality and bigger size). He's still very raw but he hit 25 home runs this year at Double-A Corpus Christi. He's probably not going to be called up to the big leagues for another two seasons (2015). Maybe around the time Carlos Correa is called up.

The Astros may have something special very soon. The future seems very bright. The fans have to remain patient.
In the mean time, let's have some fun and clinch the first overall pick for the third straight year in a row.
The Astros should enter 2014 with a top three rated farm system. Most of their minor league teams made the playoffs this year.

Brandon Laird doesn't have the reliable glove that Matt Dominguez has at third base.
Our defense fell apart against Cleveland. A lot of rainy and damp weather but still...





The Indians sweep the four-game series: 2-1 in 11 innings, 2-1 in 7 innings (rain shortened), 4-1 and 9-2

The race for the first overall pick in 2014

1. Astros 51-105
2. Marlins 57-99

Astros 6 games left: 3 at Rangers, 3 vs. Yankees
Marlins 6 games left: 3 vs. Phillies, 3 vs. Tigers

The Astros have lost 9 games in a row. The Marlins split a double-header with the Nationals today. With six games left to play and six games worse than the Marlins, all we need now is one more Astros loss or one more Marlins win. Either one happening will seal the deal as the magic number is currently one.

The Astros can clinch the first overall pick with a loss tomorrow night against the Rangers on the road.
Pitching matchup for Monday Night: Jordan Lyles (7-8, 5.26 ERA) versus Derek Holland (9-9, 3.48 ERA)

It's almost time to put this miserable 2013 season behind us and focus on Spring Training in March and the 2014 MLB Draft in June. We will be picking first overall for the third straight year. I think we may become spenders in free agency this winter so the hot stove league will be fun to follow in November and December.

Astros owner Jim Crane made a team profit of nearly $100 million this year which was the highest financial gain that any baseball team made in 2013. Hopefully he will put some of that money into the future payroll. The Astros current payroll is at $23 million which is the lowest in all of baseball. Plenty of money to give another first overall pick. Signability isn't going to be an issue when it comes to negotiating a contract with Carlos Rodon.

Congrats on the #1 pick bro

We went 10-9 against the Angels and 4-3 against the White Sox this year.
LOL, those were the only two AL teams we had a winning record against.

This team gonna be the shit in a couple years

Marlins just beat the Phillies 4-0. The Astros have officially clinched the first overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft next June.
We're also losing 12-0 to the Rangers in the bottom of the 7th so we were going to lose our own game anyways.

The race for the first overall pick in 2014

1. Astros 51-106
2. Marlins 58-99

Astros 5 games left: 2 at Rangers, 3 vs. Yankees
Marlins 5 games left: 2 vs. Phillies, 3 vs. Tigers

The Astros have lost 10 games in a row. We're 7 games worse than the Marlins with 5 games left.



We officially clinch the first pick!!!!

LOL, the only question now is whether or not we can reach 110 losses? I think we will. We'll probably lose all five games left and finish the season on a 15-game losing streak and a 51-111 record. That would be a franchise worst for us. We went 55-107 in 2012 and 56-106 in 2011, our two previous lows for a season. We just need to lose two of our final five games to top that (108 losses).

Jose Altuve should have made his second all-star team this year but the American League is stacked at the position.
He's probably not going to win the gold glove award either even though he should be in the conversation.