Astros set franchise record with 104th win of the year
Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 2 hits from the 3-0 win
Sep 25, 2019, 11:44 pm
Astros set franchise record with 104th win of the year
After an absolute gem by Gerrit Cole the night before lifting the Astros to a franchise record-tying 103rd win, Houston was back in Seattle on Wednesday night to wrap up the season series with the Mariners and continue their quest to lock up the best record in the league. Here is a quick rundown of the game:
Final Score: Astros 3, Mariners 0.
Record: 104-54, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Zack Greinke (18-5, 2.93 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Yusei Kikuchi (6-11, 5.46 ERA).
Zack Greinke had a tough road in front of him in terms of trying to follow Gerrit Cole's great night in the game on Tuesday. He stood up to the challenge, retiring every batter he faced until he allowed a walk in the bottom of the sixth, which turned into an inning-ending double play.
That would go down as the only baserunner for Seattle through the first eight innings, as Greinke would take a no-hitter into the ninth inning. He would allow a one-out single in the bottom of the ninth, followed by another to prompt A.J. Hinch out of the dugout to go to his bullpen and bring in Will Harris to get the last two outs. Greinke's final line: 8.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, 0 HR.
64 MPH filth. 𤎠pic.twitter.com/mioKC5Vk2AÂ
â MLB (@MLB) September 26, 2019
Houston wasted no time getting some runs on the board, getting a leadoff single by George Springer who would score from first on an RBI-double by Alex Bregman. Bregman would score on an RBI-double by Yordan Alvarez in the next at-bat, creating an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first.
Alex Bregman would finish with another efficient night at the plate, going 3-for-4 with the RBI. Those two would end up being the only runs scored until the ninth inning, when Kyle Tucker would hit a leadoff solo homer to extend the lead to 3-0.
Up Next: Houston will begin their final series of the regular season, a four-game set in Los Angeles against the Angels, with the opening game Thursday at 9:07 PM. Wade Miley (14-6, 3.91 ERA) will get another chance to show that he hasn't completely fallen off the wagon for the Astros, while the Angels are expected to start Jaime Barria (4-10, 6.43 ERA).
The Astros daily report is presented by APG&E.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
ÂDepth finally runs dry
ÂIt would be easy to point to a âDodger hangoverâ as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But thatâs not the story here.
Houstonâs energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesdayâs finale.
But scoring isnât everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
ÂCracks in the pitching core
ÂAnd the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasnât spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles werenât isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpenâs collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
ÂInjury handling under fire
ÂHoustonâs injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesdayâs finale. He didnât even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astrosâ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
ÂPressure mounts on Dana Brown
ÂAll eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act â and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. Heâs been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio DubĂłn stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthewsâ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipelineÂÂ
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
â FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
Thereâs also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers donât jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
ÂA final test before the break
ÂBefore the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio â Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown â to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold âStros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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