Astros complete the sweep of Seattle
Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 3 hits from the 6-1 win
Jun 30, 2019, 4:02 pm
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
With the series win already locked up, the Astros looked to complete the series sweep on Sunday to end their homestand on a high note. Here's a quick rundown of Sunday's game:
Final Score: Astros 6, Mariners 1.
Record: 53-32, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Gerrit Cole (8-5, 3.28 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Marco Gonzalez (9-7, 4.39 ERA).
1) Alvarez back in the lineup
After getting a couple of days to rest his knee that he fouled a ball off earlier this week, Yordan Alvarez was in the lineup for the first time in this series against the Mariners. He made his presence in the batting order known, erasing a 1-0 deficit in the bottom of the first inning with a two-RBI double to give the Astros a 2-1 lead.
Alex Bregman blasted a ball with one out in the bottom of the third, coming just short of a home run but getting a fortunate bounce off the wall to result in a stand-up triple. Alvarez was up next and quickly took advantage, getting his third RBI of the day on a single to extend the lead to 3-1. He'd go 2-for-3 with an intentional walk and the 3 RBIs on the day.
2) Great day for Cole
Gerrit Cole did not look like he was going to have a great day after the first inning where he allowed a one-out solo home run to give Seattle a quick 1-0 lead. He'd quickly and efficiently rebound from that mistake, though, locking in and keeping the Mariners off the board over the next six innings.
He'd also work his was to another double-digit strikeout game, getting ten over his seven innings to bring his season total to 161. Cole's final line: 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K, 1 HR.
Gerrit Cole double-digit K machine. 🔥#TakeItBack pic.twitter.com/ejYfl7dvD3
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 30, 2019
3) Astros tack on a few more
With Cole's day done after his seven innings of one-run baseball, Collin McHugh took over in the top of the eighth. He would get the first two outs relatively quickly, but then allowed a single and a walk, prompting another call to the bullpen to bring out Ryan Pressly to get the final out of the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, Houston put runners on second and third on a leadoff single from Josh Reddick followed by a double from Max Stassi. With one out, Jake Marisnick took advantage and drove in both with a two-RBI single to extend the lead to 5-1, then later scored on an RBI-single by Jose Altuve to make it 6-1.
With the five-run lead, Houston turned to Josh James to wrap up the game and the sweep in the top of the ninth. He did just that, striking out the side to help the Astros extend their division lead to 6.5 games with the win.
Up Next: The Astros will travel to Colorado tonight and get a day off tomorrow before starting a quick two-game series with the Rockies on Tuesday. With Brad Peacock going onto the injured list, Houston has not yet named their starter for the first of the two games, but the Rockies are expected to start German Marquez (8-3, 4.29 ERA).
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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