Astros lose in extra innings

Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 3 hits from the 4-3 loss

Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images

With a special win the night before on Apollo 11 night to start the three-game set, Houston could lock up the series with a victory on Tuesday night. Here is how the middle game wound up:

Final Score (11 innings): A's 4, Astros 3.

Record: 65-38, first in the AL West.

Winning pitcher: Yusmeiro Petit (3-2, 2.59 ERA).

Losing pitcher: Collin McHugh (3-5, 5.12 ERA).

1) Gurriel just can't stop driving in runs

Houston gave former-teammate Mike Fiers the most trouble in the second inning. Michael Brantley started the inning off with a single, which gave Yuli Gurriel a chance for another RBI when he came to the plate with one out.

What should have been no surprise with how he has performed of late, Gurriel came through with a ball to center field which got by Ramon Laureano and went all the way to the wall. Gurriel kicked himself into gear, getting around the bases for an inside-the-park home run to give Houston a 2-0 lead.

2) Miley nearly throws a complete game shutout

Wade Miley, who usually moves fast on the mound, was even more efficient and quick than usual on Tuesday night. He took complete control of the game with each Oakland batter, retiring the first sixteen he faced in order. He allowed his first baserunner and hit with one out in the sixth.

He worked around that hit, getting the next two batters out to finish off the inning. He would allow two more hits in the seventh but stranded both of them as well to keep his shutout going to the eighth. He recorded yet another 1-2-3 inning in the eighth and did so on eleven pitches to earn a chance to finish the game in the ninth.

In the ninth, Miley had his chance to complete the game, but after a leadoff walk and a single had his excellent night drawn to a close. It was his longest start of the season, beating the seven innings he pitched back on May 29th.

The closer Roberto Osuna came in to erase the runners and notch a save, but instead allowed a go-ahead three-run home run, with two of the those charged to Miley. Miley's final line: 8.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 0 HR.

Osuna would retire the next three batters in order, giving the Astros the bottom of the ninth to tie or walk it off.

3) Astros send it to extras but lose in the eleventh

In the bottom of the ninth, Yuli Gurriel got on base with a one-out single, then was pinch-run for by Myles Straw. Straw moved to third on a single by Josh Reddick, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Aledmys Diaz. Houston would be unable to walk it off, sending things to extra innings.

Will Harris was next out of Houston's bullpen to pitch the top of the tenth and worked around a two-out single to send the game to Houston's half of the inning. In the bottom of the tenth, George Springer led the inning off by reaching base on an error, but he would be erased on a double play as Houston came up empty to extend the game another inning.

Collin McHugh was the next reliever on the mound, and he would struggle in the top of the eleventh. He allowed a one-out single, then a walk, setting up a go-ahead double to put Oakland in front 4-3. He would get one more out before Chris Devenski came in to get the third out.

Houston would not be able to come through in the bottom of the eleventh, losing the middle game of the series and setting up Wednesday as the deciding matchup.

Up Next: Houston and Oakland will wrap up this series tomorrow afternoon with a day game at 1:10 PM. The Astros will have Justin Verlander (12-4, 2.99 ERA) on the mound to try and win the series, going against Chris Bassitt (7-4, 3.96 ERA).

The Astros daily report is presented by APG&E.

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Can the Astros afford to let Alex Bregman hit free agency.?Composite image by Brandon Strange.

Astros owner Jim Crane may want to check under his sofa cushions for loose change, start clipping coupons, take a hammer to his piggy bank, and consider playing golf after 1 p.m. and eating dinner before 5 p.m. for the early bird special. Because the price of signing star third baseman Alex Bregman to a contract extension – which the Astros have said is on their to-do list – just went through the Minute Maid Park roof.

Breggy may want to send Manny Machado a thank you note and a free case of salsa.

The San Diego Padres signed their All-Star third sacker Machado to an 11-year contract worth $350 million this week. If Machado got $350 million, what will Bregman be worth if the Astros allow him to hit the free agent market after the 2024 season?

Let's compare and contrast. Actually there isn't much to contrast. Machado and Bregman have put up remarkably comparable numbers during their careers.

Career batting average: Machado (.282), Bregman (.277).

On-base percentage: Machado (.341), Bregman (.375).

OPS: Machado (.833), Bregman (.872).

Slugging: Machado (.493), Bregman (.497).

Both are slick fielders and fan favorites in their home cities. Machado was the third player taken in the 2010 draft. Bregman went No. 2 in 2015. Bregman has the edge in postseason statistics, a higher batting average and, of course, two World Series rings to Machado's zero. Of course, it helps that Bregman has played his entire 7-year career with the Astros while Machado has bounced from Baltimore to Los Angeles to San Diego during his 12 years in the big leagues.

Getting back to … if Machado is worth $350 million now without having to go through free agency, what might Bregman command on the open market if he stays healthy and productive through the 2024 season? The number could be staggering.

Bregman's agent is Scott Boras, who isn't exactly known for playing footsie with team owners and offering hometown discounts. You see Machado's $350 million? His agent is Boras. While we can only guess what baseball's economy will be like in 2024 heading into the 2025 season, what goes up doesn't always come down.

The stars and dollar signs are lining up for Bregman. The New York Yankees might be lurking for a third baseman. The current Yankee third baseman is Josh Donaldson. If you're real quiet, you can hear the echo of Yankees fans booing him last season when Donaldson hit a career low .222, He's also 37 years old. The Yankees played a split-squad game this week. Donaldson was with the B-team. While Donaldson is still the starter, consider that a message delivered.

Machado is 30 years old. That's how old Bregman will be at the end of 2024.

Bregman has a lot of intangibles in his favor. He is a baseball fanatic, obsessed with the game. He is involved with the city, offering his time to charities. He was born to do post-game interviews. He is a marketing dream. He has his own line of condiments.

Unlike the Astros, the Yankees aren't averse to offering long-term contracts, which Bregman surely could command in free agency. Sure, Bregman is saying all the right things down in spring training. He loves the Astros, he loves Houston, he loves his teammates. The Astros certainly would love to have Bregman play his entire career in Houston. His agent loves money and long-term deals, though.

Let's not minimize this, especially if he hits free agency and the Yankees are desperate for a third baseman. Bregman is Jewish. He would be a dream acquisition for New York. There are 1.6 million Jews in New York City. That's more than Tel Aviv and Jerusalem combined. Endorsement deals? Fugeddabbout it. Bregman's wife Reagan is a regular guest on Channel 2's Houston Life show. She would be hosting Coffee Talk on cable in New York.

Bregman, to his credit, isn't shy about saying he's open to suggestions of what might be available to him. Beloved as Bregman is in Houston, the Astros have said goodbye to popular players rather than offer long-term contracts. What the Astros could do is this - tear up his current contract and offer Bregman insane money, whatever it takes, over five years. That would keep Bregman here at least for the short haul, and Bregman would be only 33, still in his prime, when he's up for a new contract. Done deal.

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