Houston has lost three straight
A.J. Hinch's Tigers get best of Greinke, take opener against Astros
Apr 12, 2021, 10:15 pm
Zack Greinke had his worst start of the early season Monday. Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images
Zack Greinke had his worst start of the early season Monday.
After dropping the final two games against the A's over the weekend to lose the series and fall to 6-3 on the year, the Astros welcomed in the 3-6 Tigers hoping to get back on track against a beatable team. Detroit's new manager had a warm welcome back in Houston, as A.J. Hinch, former Astros manager, made his first appearance in Minute Maid Park since he handed a one-year suspension from the league in 2020 for Houston's sign-stealing of 2017 and 2018.
Hinch's team would perform as well as the Astros did under his command, dominating Houston en route to a lopsided win to take the series opener and hand the Astros their third-straight loss.
Final Score: Tigers 6, Astros 2
Astros' Record: 6-4, second in the AL West
Winning Pitcher: Casey Mize (1-0)
Losing Pitcher: Zack Greinke (1-1)
Greinke struggles on the mound
Instead of the Astros' potent offense getting the better of a young pitcher in Casey Mize for the Tigers, it was Detroit roughing up Houston's veteran ace, Zack Greinke. They started by battling him for an extended first inning, getting a hit and two walks. They got on the board in the top of the second, sending seven batters to the plate and hitting a two-run homer to go up 2-0.
Before Greinke could try and settle in, the Tigers went back-to-back two-out solo homers in the top of the third, doubling the lead to 4-0. Greinke would get a scoreless fourth but then allowed two more runs on his way out in the top of the fifth, ending his shortest and the most disappointing start of the young season. His final line: 4.2 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 90 P.
Mize and Detroit's bullpen handle the Astros
Meanwhile, Mize was making relatively easy work of Houston's bats. The Astros had a runner in scoring position three times over the first four innings but could not get a run across to shift momentum and throw him off his game. After Mize would finish seven shutout frames, Michael Brantley would get the goose egg off the board with a solo home run off of Detroit's bullpen.
After Greinke, Luis Garcia, who recently moved to the bullpen after filling in as the temporary fifth starter in the rotation, took over to eat up innings in the lopsided game. He would have an impressive outing, albeit to no avail, finishing the remaining four and one-third innings for his team without allowing any runs. Carlos Correa would attempt to start a magical rally with a leadoff solo homer in the bottom of the ninth, but no more runs would come as Houston would be unable to undo the damage done by Detroit earlier in the night.
Up Next: This series will roll on Tuesday night with another 7:10 PM first pitch. Jake Odorizzi, a late off-season acquisition for the Astros, will make his first start for his new team after working his way back to starting form. Detroit will send Matthew Boyd (1-1, 2.13 ERA) to the mound.
Sunday night matchups don't get much exciting than this, as the Houston Texans host the Detroit Lions in prime-time at NRG.
The Lions come into this game on a six-game winning streak looking every bit of the best team in football. Houston on the other hand has lost two of their last three games with a struggling offense unable to protect their quarterback.
CJ Stroud has only one passing touchdown over this span, and is clearly having trouble adjusting to life without Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins.
If Houston is going to come away with an upset victory, they will need big performances from Tank Dell and Joe Mixon. After catching 4 passes against the Colts two weeks ago, Mixon not only failed to catch a single pass against the Jets, but he wasn't even targeted.
Considering the Texans' offensive line issues, choosing not to use Mixon as a pass catcher is hard to fathom. Especially since he and Dell are the team's top 2 playmakers.
What's working in the Texans' favor?
They play this game at home, where they are undefeated this season. A lot of the team's protection issues have popped up on the road, so communication should be easier for the offense on their home turf.
Bulls on Parade
We have good news and bad news about the defense this week. On the positive side, Azeez Al-Shaair and Jimmy Ward have returned to practice. If they're able to contribute on Sunday night, that would give the defense a lift.
And now for the bad news. Will Anderson has yet to practice this week after rolling his ankle in the Jets game. If he is unable to practice on Friday, it's hard to imagine he'll be active against Detroit.
X-factors
The Texans have to show some improvement on the offensive line this week.
Houston must lean on Joe Mixon again, as Nico Collins isn't expected to play.
Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the league, and he does most of his damage from the slot. If the Texans continue to deploy Jalen Pitre against premier receivers in man coverage, St. Brown is going to light up the scoreboard.
What would a win over the Lions mean to Houston?
The Texans are no longer considered a true championship contender because of their losses to the Packers, Vikings, and Jets. In fact, the Bills are the only team with a winning record that the Texans have beaten.
An upset win over the streaking Lions would change that narrative.
What does Vegas think?
The Lions are currently favored by 3.5 and the total is set at 49 points.
Don't miss the full preview of Texans-Lions in the video above!
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