Astros’ Rotation: Javier, Blanco....and pray for rain?

Cristian Javier pitches on Sunday versus the Rangers.Sure, the headline is tongue in cheek. But the point is that Cristian Javier and Ronel Blanco have been solid starters for the Astros, but the rest of rotation fell off a cliff last week. With a full five man rotation on the injured list, the Astros are in a tough spot, hoping for better results from the weaker links in the rotation.

But first let’s discuss the great work by Javier and Blanco. Javier leaves the Rangers’ series with a 1.54 ERA and 3.60 x-ERA. Blanco has a microscopic 0.86 ERA and 1.74 x-ERA.

Both Javier and Blanco re-worked their pitch repertoire during the spring, developing change ups which they use as a significant…