Gerrit Cole sets more records as Astros win again
Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 3 hits from the 3-0 win
Sep 25, 2019, 12:02 am
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
With the division won on Sunday, the Astros took to the road for the final week of regular-season play. First up was a two-game set with the Mariners in Seattle. Here is a quick look at the game:
Final Score: Astros 3, Mariners 0.
Record: 103-54, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Gerrit Cole (19-5, 2.52 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Tommy Milone (4-10, 4.76 ERA).
1) Alex Bregman's 40th home run starts the scoring
With both offenses struggling to string hits together through the first third of the game, the Astros and Mariners stayed gridlocked at 0-0 going to the fourth. Alex Bregman changed that with one swing, leading off the fourth inning with a solo home run, his 40th of the season to continue the improvement of his numbers to go after Mike Trout for the MVP award. Reaching number 40 also put him on a list with only three other Astros in franchise history to reach that mark in a single season.
4⃣0⃣@ABREG_1's making the final push for MVP. pic.twitter.com/RmzGDx0SKK
— MLB (@MLB) September 25, 2019
Houston added to their lead in the top of the seventh, getting a leadoff double by Kyle Tucker followed by an RBI-double by Aledmys Diaz. Diaz tagged to third on a fly out, then scored on an RBI by Josh Reddick to make it a 3-0 lead.
2) Cole breaks more records in seven shutout innings
Meanwhile, Gerrit Cole was having himself another dominant night on the mound resulting in more historical milestones achieved. Reaching double-digit strikeouts for the eighth straight start, he tied the all-time record joining just Chris Sale and Pedro Martinez as the only others to reach that mark.
The double-digit strikeout start was also his 20th of the season, joining Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan, and Randy Johnson as just the fourth pitcher to do so. Additionally, with his twelfth strikeout of the night, he reached number 314 on the season, a new franchise record for a season. Cole would complete seven innings, allowing just two hits while racking up fourteen strikeouts. His final line on a historic night: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 14K, 0 HR.
We're running out of records for @GerritCole45.
Cole's 314 Ks are the most by an AL pitcher in a season since Nolan Ryan in 1977. pic.twitter.com/pd3K5OaPl0
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) September 25, 2019
3) Wrapping up win number 103
With Cole's night over after seven innings, Houston turned the ball over to the bullpen for the last two. Ryan Pressly took the mound in the eighth and worked around a one-out walk and single to strike out the side. Roberto Osuna would wrap things up in the ninth with another save. That improved the Astros to 103-54, tying the franchise record for wins set in 2018.
Up Next: The season series finale between Houston and Seattle will be on Wednesday with another late start at 9:10 PM. Zack Greinke (17-5, 3.05 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros while the Mariners are expected to start Yusei Kikuchi (6-10, 5.55 ERA).
The Astros daily report is presented by APG&E.
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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