Roberto Osuna blows the save to end Houston's winning streak
Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 3 hits from the 8-7 loss
Aug 11, 2019, 4:02 pm
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
After bludgeoning the Orioles 23-2 on Saturday to secure the series win, the Astros had the chance for a sweep and their ninth-straight victory on Sunday afternoon. Here is a recap of the finale in Baltimore:
Final Score: Orioles 8, Astros 7.
Record: 77-41, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Richard Bleier (3-0, 6.00 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Roberto Osuna (3-3, 3.04 ERA).
1) O's give Verlander griefÂ
Justin Verlander had a surprisingly rough outing against the Orioles on Sunday. It started in the bottom of the first when the Orioles would jump out to a 1-0 lead by scoring a run on three hits against him. After Houston took over 3-1 in the top of the second, Baltimore would keep getting to Verlander by getting another run on a couple of hits and a walk, trimming the lead to 3-2.
He settled back in after that, working around a double and hit batter in the third to maintain the lead then getting his first 1-2-3 inning in the fourth. The Orioles would regain the lead against him in the bottom of the fifth, though, tagging him with two more runs before his pitch count would cause his day to end early.
While he left after five innings with his team down 4-3, Verlander was still able to make it five-straight double-digit strikeout games, getting eleven in his otherwise rough outing. His final line: 5 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 11 K, 0 HR.
2) Correa showcases his power again
After going down 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning, Houston was able to quickly take a lead of their own in the top of the second. Alex Bregman led the inning off by working a walk, followed by a single by Yordan Alvarez. That put two runners on base for Carlos Correa, who drilled a home run to left-center field, much like his monster the night before, giving him back-to-back games with a homer.
Carlos crushed it. đź’Ş pic.twitter.com/hOW9X5hUtdÂ
— MLB (@MLB) August 11, 2019
They would watch that lead dissipate over the next few innings as Verlander would give up the go-ahead runs in the fifth. Chris Devenski was first out of Houston's bullpen to pitch the bottom of the sixth, but he too would allow a run on a two-out RBI-single to extend Baltimore's lead to 5-3.
3) Houston mounts a comeback, Osuna blows the save
The Astros went to work against Baltimore's bullpen in the top of the seventh, getting runners on second and third with no outs after a couple of hits to start the inning. Jose Altuve drove in a run on an RBI-groundout to make it a one-run game, but they would strand two runners to remain down 5-4.
Will Harris was able to keep the score where it was by throwing a scoreless 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh with a little help from a terrific defensive play by Carlos Correa. Correa led off the top of the next inning with a single, giving him a multi-hit game, but would become another stranded runner.
Joe Biagini took over on the mound in the bottom of the eighth and although he would load the bases with one out, would get out of the jam to keep it a one-run game going to the ninth. Houston had the top of their lineup up in the top of the ninth, and they put the first two runners aboard.
Michael Brantley came through for Houston, drilling a ball into the right-field corner and coming all the way around to score on a hit which would go down as a triple and an error instead of an inside-the-park home run, but either way gave Houston a 7-5 lead.
A Little League homer for the lead! pic.twitter.com/V2Rws9ZEWvÂ
— MLB (@MLB) August 11, 2019
Roberto Osuna would be brought in to wrap things up in the bottom of the ninth, but instead allowed three runs including a two-run walk-off homer. The loss ended Houston's eight-game winning streak.
Up Next: Houston will stay on the road and start a new series with the White Sox in Chicago on Monday night. The opener will begin at 7:10 PM Central and the expected pitching matchup is Zack Greinke (11-4, 3.08 ERA) making his second start for Houston going against Dylan Cease (2-4, 6.00 ERA) for Chicago.
The Astros daily report is presented by APG&E.
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Jul 16, 2025, 10:57 am
The Houston Astros entered the 2025 MLB Draft with limited capital but a clear objective: find talent that can help sustain their winning ways without needing a full organizational reboot. With just under $7.2 million in bonus pool money and two forfeited picks, lost when they signed slugger Christian Walker, the Astros needed to be smart, aggressive, and a little bold. They were all three.
ÂA swing on star power
ÂWith the 21st overall pick, Houston selected Xavier Neyens, a powerful left-handed high school bat from Mt. Vernon, Washington. At 6-foot-4, Neyens is raw but loaded with tools, a slugger with plus power and the kind of bat speed that turns heads.
He’s the Astros’ first high school position player taken in the first round in a decade.
If Neyens develops as expected, he could be the next cornerstone in the post-Altuve/Bregman era. Via: MLB.com:
It’s possible we’ll look back at this first round and realize that the Astros got the best power hitter in the class. At times, Neyens has looked like an elite hitter who’d easily get to that pop, and at times the swing-and-miss tendencies concerned scouts, which is why he didn’t end up closer to the top of the first round. He was announced as a shortstop, but his size (6-foot-4) and his arm will profile best at third base.
Their next big swing came in the third round with Ethan Frey, an outfielder/DH from LSU who was one of the most imposing college hitters in the country.
He blasted 13 home runs in the SEC and helped lead the Tigers to a championship.
ÂFilling the middle
ÂIn the fourth round, the Astros grabbed Nick Monistere, an infielder/outfielder out of Southern Miss who won Sun Belt Player of the Year honors.
If Kendall likes the pick, I like the pick. https://t.co/NQKqEHFxtVÂ
— Jeremy Branham (@JeremyBranham) July 14, 2025
He doesn’t jump off the page with tools, but he rakes, hitting .323 with 21 home runs this past season, and plays with a chip on his shoulder.
They followed that up with Nick Potter, a right-handed reliever from Wichita State. He projects as a fast-moving bullpen piece, already showing a mature approach and a “fastball that was regularly clocked in the upper-90s and touched 100 miles per hour.”
From there, Houston doubled down on pitching depth and versatility. They took Gabel Pentecost, a Division II flamethrower, Jase Mitchell, a high school catcher with upside, and a host of college arms, all in hopes of finding the next Spencer Arrighetti or Hunter Brown.
ÂStrategy in motion
ÂMissing multiple picks, Houston leaned into two things: ceiling and speed to the majors. Neyens brings the first, Frey and Monistere the second. And as they’ve shown in recent years, the Astros can develop arms with late-round pedigree into major league contributors.
The Astros didn’t walk away with flashy headlines, they weren’t drafting in the top 10. But they leave the 2025 draft with a clear direction: keep the farm alive with bats that can produce and arms that can fill in the gaps, especially with the club managing injuries and an aging core.
If Neyens becomes the slugger they hope, and if Frey or Monistere climbs fast, this draft could be another example of Houston turning limited resources into lasting impact.
You can see the full draft tracker here.
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