Astros' winning streak extended to ten games
Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 4 hits from the 7-3 win
May 18, 2019, 9:47 pm
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
With a win under their belt from the night before, the Astros looked to secure the series win with a victory on Saturday night. Here are the quick facts and four hits from the game:
Final Score: Astros 7, Red Sox 3
Record: 31-15, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Josh James (1-0, 4.56 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Hector Velazquez (1-3, 5.53 ERA).
1) Starting with a bang
The Astros came out firing starting with leadoff man George Springer drilling a triple to start the game. He'd come around to score on an RBI-double by Michael Brantley to start a five-run first inning with RBIs from Josh Reddick and Yuli Gurriel, along with a two-RBI double by Tyler White, putting Houston ahead 5-0 and knocking Hector Velazquez out of the game before Boston could even come to the plate.
2) Rougher start for Martin
After a terrific debut last week by Corbin Martin, he had a tougher matchup in the Red Sox and in the hostile environment of Boston. He'd watch one run come across in the bottom of the first after walking the bases loaded on three consecutive two-out walks then a passed ball by Max Stassi scored the run to make it 5-1. After a quick second inning, Martin allowed a walk then RBI-double in the third, making it a 6-2 game at the time.
He allowed a solo home run just around Pesky's Pole in the bottom of the fourth, then after back-to-back singles to lead off the bottom of the fifth had his night come to an end. Josh James was able to come in and erase those runners, putting Martin's final line at 4 innings pitched, 3 runs (2 earned), 4 walks, and 0 strikeouts.
3) Staying out in front
After the big five-run first inning, the Astros made sure to maintain a multiple-run lead with Boston taking some runs back. In the second, Houston was able to get runners on the corners with one out, setting up an RBI sac fly by Carlos Correa to make it 6-1. Josh Reddick led off the fifth with a solo home run, putting the lead back to four runs at 7-3, a score that would hold until the end.
4) Five strong innings from the bullpen
As mentioned, Josh James came in to get all three outs in the fifth after Martin was unable to get through it. James would go on to eat up three big innings, all scoreless, maintaining the four-run lead and saving some other bullpen arms from having to be used. Will Harris entered the game to pitch the eighth and retired the Red Sox in order to send the game to the ninth. In the ninth, Roberto Osuna took over in a non-save situation and was able to finish off the win.
Up Next: Houston and Boston will wrap up this series tomorrow with the first pitch of the game at 12:05 PM. The Astros will send Wade Miley (4-2, 3.51 ERA) to the mound to try and complete the sweep, but to do so he'll have to beat out Boston's ace Chris Sale (1-5, 4.24 ERA).
The Astros daily report is presented by APG&E.
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It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
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