Astros' winning streak snapped in final game in Boston
Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 3 hits from the 4-3 loss
May 19, 2019, 4:03 pm
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
With Houston taking the first two games of the series, they were looking to make it a sweep with a win on Sunday in Boston. Here are the quick facts then three hits from the game:
Final Score: Red Sox 4, Astros 3.
Record: 31-16, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Marcus Walden (6-0, 1.37 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Framber Valdez (1-2, 4.42 ERA).
1) Miley only able to make it through five
Wade Miley allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning, giving Boston an early 1-0 lead. He had a good three innings after that, keeping the Red Sox off the board in the second, third, and fourth innings. However, in the fifth, he ran into some trouble and allowed a solo home run then RBI-single to tie the game 3-3 at the time. His final line: 5 innings, 3 runs (2 earned), no walks, and two strikeouts. His day ending after five innings meant another longer outing for the bullpen.
2) Correa provides biggest hit of the day
The Astros loaded the bases in the bottom of the second, but would only be able to come away with one run on a wild pitch, tying the game 1-1 at the time. Alex Bregman led off the third with a walk, and Carlos Correa capitalized on the situation with a one-out two-run home run to put Houston ahead 3-1. Those would be the only RBIs of the day, though, with Chris Sale then Boston's bullpen keeping the Astros off the board the rest of the way.
3) Bullpen unable to hold Boston down
Framber Valdez was first out of the bullpen for Houston, taking over for Miley in the bottom of the sixth inning. After a scoreless sixth, the Red Sox would break the tie with a go-ahead RBI-double off of Valdez in the bottom of the seventh, ending his appearance after five outs. Hector Rondon finished off the seventh, then stayed on for a scoreless eighth to send the game on to the ninth, where the offense would come up empty.
Up Next: The Astros will fly back to Houston tonight to start a ten-game homestand on Monday night. First up will be a four-game series with the White Sox, and the first of those four games will get underway at 7:10 PM Monday night. Houston will send Brad Peacock (4-2, 4.01 ERA) to the mound opposite of Manny Banuelos (2-3, 7.26 ERA) for Chicago.
The Astros daily report is presented by APG&E.
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Coming off the opening series win over the Mets, there's a lot for the Astros to be excited about. The starting pitching led the way in all three games, and Houston's high-leverage relievers delivered when it mattered most.
Bryan Abreu and Josh Hader closed the door on the Mets in games 1 and 3. Bryan King has also looked impressive, and it appears he'll be counted on in the seventh inning to hand the lead to Abreu and then Hader.
If Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski can deliver consistent performances similar to the other starters, the Astros will have one of the most feared rotations in baseball.
Plus, more help could be on the way with Lance McCullers making another step in his rehab pitching for Sugar Land over the weekend.
As good as the pitching has been, there are some legitimate concerns about the offense. Their struggles to hit with runners in scoring position in 2024 are still an issue through the first series of 2025.
Newcomers Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker have yet to do much with the bat, and the only extra-base hits this season (2) have come from Jeremy Pena and Yordan Alvarez.
As far as the learning curve in the outfield, Jose Altuve and Cam Smith are off to a decent start. And despite the shakeup at second base, the team is still getting zero production from Mauricio Dubon and Brendan Rodgers.
It appears Joe Espada's plan in the Mets series was to get everyone some playing time, which seems like a smart strategy early in the season. However, the game plan didn't pay off on Saturday, with Zach Dezenzo, Victor Caratini, and Dubon combining for zero hits.
Polarizing bats
Finally, how are we feeling about the Torpedo bats sweeping the league?
While the Yankees aren't the only team with players sporting these new sticks, their results have been the talk of MLB with the Bronx Bombers mashing 15 dingers over just three games.
With the Astros sitting at one homer on the season, why not give them a try? One thing is for sure, don't be surprised if players opt to use these new bats to break out of a slump at some point this season.
We have so much more to cover. 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 live right after the game. Click here to catch!
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