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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The Orioles series didn’t just sting; it left behind some red flags the Astros can’t ignore. For all the excitement that came with Carlos Correa’s arrival, Houston has stumbled to a 7-8 record since the trade deadline. Correa has delivered at the plate, but the support around him has been spotty at best. Jesús Sánchez and Cam Smith have both gone cold in August, hitting .188 and .205, respectively, and those struggles have only magnified the bigger issue: the Astros are sputtering both on the mound and at the plate.
The numbers paint the picture. Houston sits in the bottom third across the league this month in both pitching and offense — 25th in runs scored, 20th in OPS, and 23rd in ERA with a 4.93 mark. Once the backbone of this team, the rotation has wobbled. Framber Valdez has posted a 5.89 ERA over three August starts, Spencer Arrighetti has been roughed up for a 7.27 ERA in two outings, and Brian King and Bennett Sousa have been hit hard out of the bullpen as well.
This stretch of games was supposed to be where the Astros put their foot down in the division race. Instead, they’ve left the door wide open. If Houston doesn’t take advantage, Seattle is more than capable of snatching away the AL West. The Astros should still be able to cling to a wild-card spot, but the margin for error is shrinking by the day.
A silver lining?
Help, at least on paper, is on the way. Dana Brown has said Lance McCullers Jr. is close to rejoining the rotation, with Luis Garcia set for one more rehab start before a return. J.P. France isn’t far behind either. That would give Houston eight legitimate starters, even if they shift to a six-man rotation. It’s hard to imagine all of them sticking in starting roles — which means some will inevitably move into the bullpen.
That bullpen, though, has been a problem. Since July 7, Houston’s relievers have watched their ERA balloon from 3.21 to 4.99. Losing Josh Hader for the rest of the regular season only makes that situation more urgent.
The Astros still control their own fate in the AL West, but the cracks are obvious. Between an offense that has gone quiet, a rotation fighting inconsistency, and a bullpen trending in the wrong direction, the club is walking a fine line. If things don’t change soon, this season could shift from promising to precarious in a hurry.
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