Astros rally late to win in primetime
Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 3 hits from the 4-1 win
Apr 28, 2019, 8:55 pm
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
After the big walk-off win on Saturday, the Astros turned to Sunday Night Baseball to try and get the series split and take over sole possession of first place in the AL West with a win. Here are the quick facts then three hits from the game:
Final Score: Astros 4, Indians 1
Record: 17-11, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Framber Valdez (1-1).
Losing pitcher: Carlos Carrasco (2-3).
1) Decent game for Miley
Wade Miley cruised through the first three innings, allowing just two baserunners on one walk and one single. Cleveland did much better against him the second and third times through the lineup, though, getting a solo home run in the fourth then putting pressure on him the rest of his night. Miley finished an out shy of a quality start, finishing five and two-thirds during which he allowed just the one run on six hits, two walks, and three strikeouts.
2) Astros break through against Carrasco in the seventh
After Carlos Carrasco had dominated the lineup through the first six innings, holding them to just one hit, Houston finally got ahold of him for a huge seventh inning. Michael Brantley started things with a one-out single, then scored on an RBI-double from Yuli Gurriel to tie the game 1-1. Carrasco issued and intentional walk to Josh Reddick to bring up Robinson Chirinos, who greeted him with a first-pitch three-run home run to put the Astros ahead 4-1.
3) Bullpen stands strong to notch the save
With Miley's night done early with two outs in the sixth, it was up to the bullpen to keep the game close and then eventually get the save, and they'd have to do it without Roberto Osuna who pitched two innings in Saturday's extra-inning game. Chris Devenski came in for the final out of the sixth, then Framber Valdez took over with two great scoreless innings of relief in the seventh and eighth. That set up Ryan Pressly who took the mound for the ninth and was able to get the save to finish off the come-from-behind win.
Up Next: Houston will fly out to Minnesota tonight to start a four-game set with the Twins starting tomorrow. The four games will complete the season series with the Twins since these teams just played three games in Houston this past week. First pitch of Monday night's game will be 6:40 PM and will feature Justin Verlander (4-0, 2.61 ERA) on the mound for Houston opposite of Jake Odorizzi (2-2, 4.37 ERA).
The Astros daily report is presented by APG&E.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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