The Houston Astros are lighting up spring training, crushing the Marlins 8-2 Monday in a Grapefruit League romp that’s got fans buzzing. Jose Altuve went deep twice, and Framber Valdez spun five scoreless innings, showing why Houston’s still a force post-cheating scandal. With Opening Day looming, this was a flex—are the Astros the AL’s team to beat?
Imagine this—third inning, Altuve gets a fastball middle-up, and it’s gone, a moonshot to left that’s got the crowd roaring. He’s back for more in the fifth—another homer, this one to right—and Valdez is dealing, painting corners with a sinker that’s filthy. Houston’s lineup raked—12 hits, three doubles—and their pen locked it down. The Marlins hung early, but this was Astros baseball: power, pitching, precision.
Houston’s been to seven straight ALCSs—they’re not fading, even with Verlander aging. Altuve’s locked in, Valdez looks Cy Young-ready, and the depth’s still there—Kyle Tucker’s lurking too. Fans online are hyping a World Series push, and Monday’s romp backs it—spring’s spring, sure, but this feels real. The AL West’s tough—Seattle’s scrappy—but Houston’s got that edge.
Thursday’s the real start, but this tune-up’s a tone-setter—Astros are hungry, and they’re showing it. If the bats stay hot and Valdez keeps rolling, October’s theirs to lose. The Marlins got smoked; the league’s next. Houston’s back, and they mean it.
11. Iowa State Women Fall to Texas—NCAA Longhorns Charge On
Texas women’s basketball took down Iowa State 78-70 Sunday in the NCAA second round, powering into the Sweet 16 with a display that screamed Big 12 dominance. Madison Booker led with 24 points and eight rebounds, outmuscling an Iowa State squad that’s been a bracket thorn. After a shaky regular season, Texas is peaking—are they the women’s title dark horse?
Step into the grind—second half, Booker posts up, spins, and hits a jumper to push the lead to 10, then seals it with free throws. Texas shot 50% and owned the paint—38 pointsSorry about that, something didn’t go as planned. Please try again, and if you’re still seeing this message, go ahead and restart the app.
