Astros sweep the two-game series in Mexico
Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 4 hits from the 10-4 win
May 5, 2019, 6:16 pm
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
After an offensive explosion powered them past the Angels in the first game on Saturday, the Astros looked to make it a two-game sweep in Monterrey, Mexico on Sunday afternoon. Here are some quick facts and three takeaways from the game:
Final Score: Astros 10, Angels 4
Record: 20-14, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Justin Verlander (5-1, 2.86 ERA)
Losing pitcher: Matt Harvey (1-3, 6.94 ERA)
1) Verlander allows more homers, still gets the win
Justin Verlander was not immune to the elevation and climate in Monterrey, giving up a solo home run in the bottom of the first to continue his 2019 trend of a home run in every start. He'd allow another in the bottom of the second, a two-run home run which put the Angels ahead 3-2, then a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh to end his day. He'd leave with a 6-4 lead and was still able to strike out seven during his six and one-third innings of work.
2) Correa extends his hitting streak in another high-offense game
Carlos Correa wasted no time moving his hitting streak to 15 games, putting the Astros up 2-1 in the top of the second inning with a two-run opposite-field home run. That would start the scoring for Houston as they'd go on to score double-digits for the second straight day, with Jose Altuve and Robinson Chirinos both getting RBI-doubles later in the game along with two more RBIs for Michael Brantley on a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to give the Astros some insurance runs.
3) Bregman hits his third homer in Mexico
Fresh off of his two-homer night on Friday, Alex Bregman had another opportunity for a big moment when he came to the plate with the bases loaded in the top of the fifth. As he's done so many times in his early career, he came through, blasting a ball to straight-away center for the grand slam to push the Astros ahead 6-3, a big enough lead to keep them ahead for good.
4) Pressly extends scoreless streak and Osuna closes it out
Ryan Pressly would finish off the seventh for Verlander before extending his scoreless streak to 33 innings, a new franchise record, with a scoreless eighth to set up Roberto Osuna for the ninth. Osuna would take the mound in front of his native crowd and closed out the win with a scoreless inning.
Up Next: The Astros will fly back to Houston tonight and kick off a full week of games at Minute Maid Park tomorrow night against the Royals. First pitch of game one of the three-game set will be at 7:10 PM tomorrow night and will feature Gerrit Cole (2-4, 3.95 ERA) on the mound for Houston going against Jakob Junis (3-2, 5.12 ERA) for Kansas City.
The Astros daily report is presented by APG&E.
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The Houston Astros wrapped up yet another series win this week, this time taking two of three from the struggling Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Despite missing several key players and a bullpen that wasn’t fully available, the Astros continued their recent run of success, pushing their record to 52-35.
Manager Joe Espada appeared to be playing the long game in the rubber match on Thursday. After Houston rallied to tie the game in the seventh inning, Espada stuck with reliever Jordan Weems instead of turning to his high-leverage arms. That decision, while frustrating to some fans hoping for the sweep, underscored the team’s cautious approach to workload management as they navigate a long season.
One bright spot continues to be rookie Cam Smith, who delivered again in the clutch with a two-run triple in the seventh inning on Thursday. Smith has been Houston’s most dependable bat with runners on base and is quickly settling into the cleanup role—a rarity for a first-year player but one he’s earned with his poise and production.
Astros cleanup hitter RBIs this season:
Cam Smith: 10 RBIs in 7 games
All others: 28 RBIs in 80 games
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) July 3, 2025
Off the field, the biggest storyline continues to be Yordan Alvarez’s injury. After reports surfaced that the slugger had experienced a setback in his return from a fractured hand, the team clarified that the issue is inflammation, not the fracture itself. Astros general manager Dana Brown said Alvarez received injections to address the irritation and is expected to rest for now. Encouragingly, the Astros say the fracture is no longer a concern, and while there’s still no definitive timeline for his return, the overall tone from the club was optimistic.
The transparency around Alvarez’s situation is part of a larger shift. After being criticized in recent seasons for vague injury updates, the Astros have begun issuing daily availability reports. It’s a move that signals the front office is trying to regain some trust with the media and fans after a stretch of frustrating ambiguity around player health.
Now, the Astros head to Los Angeles for a marquee matchup with the defending champion Dodgers. Friday’s opener will feature Lance McCullers Jr. making just his second start since returning from the injured list. McCullers gave up eight runs in his return against the Cubs and will be under the spotlight as he looks to settle back into form. Control will be the key, as walks have long been McCullers’ Achilles’ heel.
Saturday sets the stage for one of the most anticipated pitching matchups of the season: Framber Valdez versus Shohei Ohtani. With both teams fighting for positioning in their respective divisions, this weekend in LA should serve as a measuring stick—and perhaps a postseason preview.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
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