Astros' winning streak snapped in final game in Boston

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

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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Running back Dameon Pierce is getting some help. Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images.

The Houston Texans have made several moves in free agency that are beginning to focus in on the vision they are trying to create on offense.

Houston has signed veterans including Robert Woods, Jimmie Ward, Dalton Schultz, Devin Singletary and Case Keenum so far. One of the first things head coach DeMeco Ryans said was his goal for the entire team is to be an attack-first, aggressive program, and that includes on offense.

The signings of Woods, Schultz, fullback Andrew Beck and running backs Singletary and Mike Boone are early indicators aligning with Ryans’ philosophy. In order to be aggressive on offense, Houston needs to have a strong offensive line, but it also has to have great blockers and assertive runners all over the field.

Woods and Schultz have proven with their previous teams they are more than capable of being above-average blockers. Texans fans have first-hand experience with Singletary and his running style, and they already have Dameon Pierce, who has proven he is more than capable of being a punisher out of the backfield.

With the signing of Beck, it also adds an extra layer of versatility for Houston. The San Francisco, Shanahan style is predicated on making every play — whether it be a run or a pass — look as similar as possible.

The 49ers utilized fullback Kyle Juszczyk as a lead blocker, an occasional runner and even as a pass-game threat in the red zone. Beck could be utilized in a similar capacity.

The same can be said for Schultz, who’s caught 57 or more passes in the past three seasons. Woods outside of the trenches is a good lead blocker on potential outside runs too.

With an influx of rookies set to join after the NFL Draft, general manager Nick Caserio is positioning the team to have a great balance between veterans and first-year players. An example is with Keenum, who fits right with Ryans’ aggressive mindset.

It is expected Houston will take a quarterback with its No. 2 overall pick in the draft. Keenum is an experienced veteran that has played every role as a quarterback — from backup to starter. Woods replaces Brandin Cooks as a veteran to lead the receivers room, and Singletary is another key presence with the running backs.

With the mix of age, experience and different roles from the players Houston has signed so far, it is another remark from Ryans’ introductory news conference coming true. Which was to add diversity, in terms of different NFL backgrounds on the team in all different kinds of ways, to the Texans.

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