Gerrit Cole sets more records as Astros win again

Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 3 hits from the 3-0 win

Chris Campise
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.

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.

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.

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THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT

Examining the Houston Astros latest moves and what they reveal

Yainer Diaz should be a big factor early in the season. Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images.

Opening Day for the Houston Astros is right around the corner and the reigning champions of the baseball world have set their final roster.

Three players whose names stood on the final 26 were catchers Yainer Diaz and Cesar Salazar as well as right-handed pitcher Ronel Blanco, and outfielder Corey Julks.

While some might be surprised to see their names on the main roster, the Astros’ logic behind it reveals the focus is not just on this season, but for the future as well.

Let’s start with Diaz and Salazar, who both edged out prospect Korey Lee for the backup catcher position. Lee was the Astros’ first-round selection in the 2019 draft. His numbers during 2023 spring training were .258/.343/.827 with two home runs and six RBI in 31 at-bats.

In comparison, Diaz’s slashes were .325/.317/.892 with one home run and eight RBI in 40 at-bats. Salazar put together a slash line of .286/.407/.978 with a home run and seven RBI in 21 at-bats.

While not making the opening day roster is a blow for Lee, Houston general manager Dana Brown said it is not necessarily a reflection of where the organization views him as a player.

Brown said it is vital for Lee to play every single day being a first-round sound selection. That would not be the case had he made the Astros roster, with Martin Maldonaldo solidified as the starter.

“He's like a big time, frontline guy with some power, so you can't have guys like that sitting on the bench at the Major League level, so you have to get him playing time,” Brown said. “Whereas Salazar is a backup catcher, and he fills that role better.”

While that argument works regarding Salazar, it will be interesting to see what Diaz does with his roster spot. Both Diaz and Lee are 24 years old. Diaz made his MLB debut last September and appeared in only six games for the Astros.

As for Blanco, the right-handed pitcher put together an impressive spring training for Houston that earned him his spot in the bullpen. The Dominican Republic native pitched 14 innings, giving up only one run. He put together a 0.64 ERA.

Blanco is going to be raring to showcase to Houston his improvement from last season. He had a rough 2022 season in the big leagues, appearing in only seven games and giving up five runs and accumulating a 7.11 ERA.

The 29-year-old beat out pitchers like Brandon Bielak and veteran Austin Davis to make the team’s crowded bullpen. For Blanco, it is all about producing in the majors.

One final player to spotlight is Corey Julks. He came as a bit of a surprise as well, with many thinking Justin Dirden's impressive spring could get him a spot on the roster. But Julks has more experience and posted a big year with the Space Cowboys in 2022. The former University of Houston Cougar crushed 31 home runs for Sugar Land last year and had a slash line this spring of .275/.318/.550 with 2 homers.

Cesar SalazarKorey LeeRonel Blancocorey julksastros

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