Astros get a walk-off win over Mariners
Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 3 hits from the 2-1 win
Jun 28, 2019, 10:38 pm
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
The Astros were still at home Friday night, looking to start a new series with the Mariners on a better foot than they ended their last with the Pirates. Here is a rundown of the first of three games with Seattle:
Final Score (10 innings): Astros 2, Mariners 1.
Record: 51-32, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Will Harris (2-1, 1.20 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Matt Festa (0-2, 4.67 ERA).
1) Miley does his part
Wade Miley was able to provide the Astros with a strong start on Friday night to keep them close in the game and give the offense a chance to take and hold a lead. Although Miley would work in and out of trouble a couple of times over his innings, the only real damage he allowed was a solo home run in the top of the third which gave Seattle a 1-0 lead.
Wade would go on to finish six innings while just allowing that one run, getting plenty of help on defense behind him while he induced a lot of soft contact. He would, unfortunately, not be able to get a win out of his quality start. Miley's final line: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HR.
2) Relief pitching keeps it close
After Miley's night ended, the bullpen came in and was able to keep it a one-run game to give Houston's offense plenty of chances to tie or go ahead. Josh James pitched a scoreless seventh despite loading the bases with two outs, then Ryan Pressly had a 1-2-3 eighth.
After finally getting a run on the board to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth, Houston sent out their closer Roberto Osuna to keep the game tied in the top of the ninth. He would do just that, getting a scoreless frame with two strikeouts to give the offense a chance to walk it off in the bottom half.
After coming up empty in the bottom of the ninth, Will Harris took over to start extra innings and worked around a leadoff single in the top of the tenth to keep the tie intact going to the bottom of the inning.
3) Offense does just enough
After looking mostly helpless on offense through the first seven innings, the Astros still had just a one-run deficit to overcome in the eighth. Things continued to look dreary until Josh Reddick delivered a two-out solo home run to tie the game and help shift the momentum back in favor of the Astros.
After getting a scoreless top of the ninth from Osuna, Myles Straw led off the bottom of the ninth with a single, then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jake Marisnick. He'd be stranded there, though, sending the game to extra innings.
Yuli Gurriel would play hero in the bottom of the tenth, hitting a one-out solo home run to win the game.
Up Next: Game two of this three-game set will be nationally televised on FOX tomorrow night with first pitch at 7:15 PM. Justin Verlander (10-3, 2.67 ERA) will be on the mound for Houston looking to continue his great season as he goes opposite of Yusei Kikuchi (4-5, 5.11 ERA) for Seattle.
The Astros daily report is presented by APG&E.
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Let’s be clear: the Astros didn’t lose their series to the Mariners just because the bullpen melted down late. They lost because the offense put them in that vulnerable position to begin with — and the decisions from the dugout didn’t help.
Houston’s bats were a no-show in Game 2 despite the win in extra innings, and it was a massive reason why their bullpen was stretched thin in the series finale. Game 3 starter, Luis F. Castillo, had more control issues than command, and handed out five walks. That should’ve been the Astros’ ticket to a win. Instead? Missed opportunities, weak contact, and a bullpen meltdown caused Houston to drop another series.
The middle of the lineup is a problem
Christian Walker has turned into a black hole in the cleanup spot. His .229 slugging percentage and .196 OBP are not typos — they’re proof that opposing pitchers can pitch around Yordan Alvarez with no fear. Walker ranks 12th-worst in baseball in OPS, and his lone RBI as a cleanup hitter is borderline unbelievable.
Isaac Paredes isn’t exactly lighting it up, either, slugging .255. If Walker wasn’t such a disaster, Paredes would likely be catching more heat. And then there’s Yainer Diaz, who’s been completely lost at the plate. The offensive struggles are deeper than one guy — they’re systemic.
The Astros currently rank dead last in MLB in slugging and doubles, plus they are second to last in OPS. Only two teams have hit fewer homers. That’s not a slump. That’s an identity crisis.
Espada’s decisions worsened the situation
Manager Joe Espada deserves his share of the blame for how the final game unfolded. With a bullpen already running on fumes, Espada pulled his best bats for defense, then rolled out minor-league caliber arms to protect a lead. If he had his full bullpen, fine. But he didn’t — and he knew it. He got greedy.
Instead of turning to Steven Okert to start the eighth after Luis Contreras survived the seventh, Espada went back to the well. That decision backfired, as it often does when a struggling pitcher has already done more than expected. Even more puzzling was the choice to use Contreras at all when Logan VanWey had just been called up. Why call him up if you’re not going to use him?
And why was Bennett Sousa in that game?
Abreu's pitch selection was asking for trouble
Bryan Abreu had multiple 0-2 counts. Inexplicably, he grooved high fastballs over the heart of the plate. Major league hitters don’t miss those very often.
Pitching strategy
Astros pitchers are consistently working deep into counts. They’re far too comfortable taking at-bats to 3-2, especially with runners on. That kind of approach balloons pitch counts, tires starters, and taxes relievers — all things this team can’t afford right now. And don't get us started on how many stolen bases they're allowing.
A Silver lining? Maybe one
Spencer Arrighetti’s fluke broken thumb is obviously unfortunate. But if you’re desperate for a silver lining, this could help limit his innings across the season and keep him fresher for the stretch run — assuming he returns to form quickly.
Bottom line
Yes, the bullpen blew it. But the offense put them in that position, and the coaching staff didn’t pull the right levers. The Astros are 5-7, but with the way they’ve played, it almost feels like they should be thankful it’s not worse. There’s time to turn it around — but it starts with accountability, and the bats doing their part.
We have so much more to cover. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
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