Astros lose in extra innings

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

Chris Campise
Jul 23, 2019, 10:24 pm
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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ASTROS BLUEPRINT

Houston Astros' latest endeavor sounds like a home run for baseball fans

A new hotel is in the works near Minute Maid. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images

Astros owner Jim Crane says the team is ready to break ground on a major construction project that will include a hotel and entertainment complex across the street from Minute Maid Park as soon as the 2023 baseball season wraps up – hopefully with another World Series parade in downtown Houston.

AstrosWorld!

But another hotel? Another entertainment complex? More construction downtown? My first reaction was, how much more does Houston need? I remember when the Super Bowl was held in Houston in 2004, clubs and restaurants sprung up downtown practically overnight, only to disappear virtually the morning after. When it came to downtown development, the expression “less is more” turned out true. At least that Super Bowl.

I asked my contacts in government and the Houston welcome wagon, is this a good idea, building a hotel and entertainment complex next door to Minute Maid Park? Do we need it? Can we sustain it?

The answer every time was a resounding yes! For a couple of reasons: first, downtown Houston, coming out of Covid, is booming, leadership is creative and budget-minded these days, and most important, if Jim Crane is behind the idea, you can trust it’ll work. The guy’s got a track record.

“In 2004, the idea was to turn downtown’s Main Street into Bourbon Street. Is that what we really want? It was a misguided plan, the wrong philosophy, and businesses opened and closed in short order,” a source told me.

It was a different story when the Super Bowl returned to Houston in 2017. This time Houston saw the Marriott Marquis, a 1,000-room hotel complete with an iconic Texas-shaped swimming pool, open in time for the tourist onslaught. Also, Avenida Houston greeted downtown visitors with new restaurants and entertainment venues. Both the Marriott and Avenida Houston have continued to thrive long after the Super Bowl left town.

“We want our downtown to attract visitors while providing services for the growing number of singles and families who are making their home downtown. As we continue to host major events and conventions, there will be a need for more hotel rooms,” the source said.

The Astros’ plan to build a sprawling hotel and entertainment complex originally was discussed in 2021 but was put on hold due to Covid. Now Crane and the Astros are ready to come out swinging. Similar complexes operate successfully next to the baseball stadium in St. Louis, Chicago and other cities.

An Astros-themed hotel adjacent to Minute Maid Park is particularly intriguing. The lobby could be home to an Astros museum and team Hall of Fame. Rooms and restaurants could be decorated in honor of Astros legends – the “Nolan Ryan honeymoon suite,” or “Strech Suba’s Bullpen Bar and Grille.” There could be meeting space for autograph and memorabilia shows. There could be a broadcast facility for post-game interviews and analysis. And maybe one day, fingers crossed, a betting parlor like the Cubs have at Wrigley Field.

The Astros have a contract to play at Minute Maid Park through 2050 – the only long-term contract that doesn’t make Crane cringe. Anything that enhances the fan experience and generates revenue is good for the team and the city. I might even consider going downtown on non-game nights.

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