Astros take the opener in Toronto
Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 3 hits from the 7-4 win
Aug 30, 2019, 9:32 pm
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
After having their most recent winning streak snapped in the series finale with the Rays on Thursday, the Astros made the trip north of the border to start a weekend three-game series with the Blue Jays in Toronto. Here is a quick rundown of the series opener:
Final Score: Astros 7, Blue Jays 4.
Record: 88-48, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Collin McHugh (4-5, 4.70 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Trent Thornton (4-9, 5.34 ERA).
1) Miley struggles with an erratic strike zone
Wade Miley did not have an enjoyable time on the mound in the early goings of the game. He was struggling to find the zone, allowing a couple of walks in the bottom of the first, but was able to erase them to keep Toronto off the board.
Still struggling to throw strikes, and with a very questionable strike zone from the home plate umpire, Miley got himself into more trouble in the bottom of the second by walking the bases loaded before catcher's interference scored a run to put the Blue Jays ahead 1-0. He was able to strike out the next two batters to strand all three runners, but his pitch count was quickly rising.
His pitch count would come into play as he progressed over the next couple of innings, getting only two outs into fourth before allowing a single which prompted a call to Houston's bullpen. Collin McHugh was brought in and finished up the fourth. Miley's final pitching line: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 5 K, 0 HR.
2) Houston jumps on top in the middle innings
Houston's offense was finally able to crack Trent Thornton in the top of the fifth inning, getting a couple of runners on base after an error and one-out double. Josh Reddick recorded an RBI in his fourth-straight game with a single to tie the game 1-1, then George Springer pushed Houston ahead 4-1 after hitting a mammoth dinger 463 feet to score three more runs.
112.6 mph. 463 feet.
By George, he got all of it. pic.twitter.com/bW9wfob84V
— MLB (@MLB) August 31, 2019
Joe Biagini made his first appearance against his former team in the bottom of the fifth and was able to retire three in order. Houston continued to hit well in the top of the sixth, getting runners on second and third with no outs. Aledmys Diaz scored one on a sacrifice fly, then later in the inning Springer notched another RBI with a double to extend the lead to 6-1. Biagini was able to erase a leadoff single in the bottom of the inning, maintaining the five-run advantage to the seventh.
3) Wrapping up the win
Hector Rondon took over out of the bullpen for the bottom of the seventh but was met with a leadoff solo home run to cut the lead to 6-2. He was able to get the three outs to complete the inning, but not without two walks along the way. Alex Bregman was able to put the lead back to five runs with an RBI-single in the top of the eighth.
Chris Devenski was the next reliever for Houston in the bottom of the eighth, and despite allowing a two-out solo home run was able to keep the lead going into the ninth. Will Harris had the ninth, and he too allowed a solo home run but was able to record the final three outs to finish off the win.
Up Next: Game two of this three-game set will be Saturday at 2:07 PM. The expected pitching matchup is Clay Buchholz (0-3, 5.87 ERA) on the mound for the Blue Jays going against Framber Valdez (4-6, 5.14 ERA) for the Astros.
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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