Astros win in extra innings on Labor Day
Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 3 hits from the 3-2 win
Sep 2, 2019, 6:46 pm
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
Riding high after a phenomenal no-hitter by Justin Verlander on Sunday to close out the series with the Blue Jays in Toronto, Houston turned their attention to a quick two-game series in Milwaukee against the Brewers. The first of those two games was on Labor Day Monday, and here is how it shook out:
Final Score (10 innings): Astros 3, Brewers 2.
Record: 90-49, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Roberto Osuna (4-3, 3.13 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Junior Guerra (8-5, 3.63 ERA).
1) It wasn't a no-hitter, but still a gem by Cole
Gerrit Cole would see his chances of matching Justin Verlander with a no-hitter eliminated in the bottom of the first inning. Cole allowed a one-out solo home run, putting the Brewers up 1-0 early. He was quick to shrug off that early mistake, mowing down batters to get to another double-digit strikeout start with the tenth coming in the bottom of the fifth. In that same inning, Cole would face a tough test after loading the bases with two outs but would get another strikeout to end Milwaukee's threat.
With his pitch count rising, he emptied the tank in the bottom of the sixth trying to finish off one more inning before Houston would have to go to their bullpen. Cole would end up providing a 1-2-3 inning with two more strikeouts, bringing his total to fourteen on the day. His final line: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 14 K, 1 HR.
2) Bregman ties it, Alvarez gives Houston the lead
Houston's offense was able to work Adrian Houser deep into counts several times over the early parts of the game, but would not get on the scoreboard until the third inning when Alex Bregman hit an RBI-single to tie the game 1-1.
That tie lasted until the top of the sixth inning when Yordan Alvarez would hit a go-ahead solo home run to put Houston ahead 2-1. The homer was Alvarez's 22nd of his rookie campaign, tying Carlos Correa's rookie-record number from 2015.
22 dingers for the 22-year-old. 💪 pic.twitter.com/dn67RBZgo7
— MLB (@MLB) September 2, 2019
3) Osuna allows Milwaukee to tie, Springer puts Houston ahead in the tenth
With Cole finished after his six innings, the Astros turned the ball over to Hector Rondon for the bottom of the seventh to maintain the one-run lead. He did so, retiring the Brewers in order with two strikeouts. Will Harris was next out of Houston's bullpen to pitch the bottom of the eighth, and he was able to erase a one-out single by flashing a little leather on a double play to keep the Astros ahead by one run going to the ninth.
With the score still 2-1 going to the bottom of the ninth, Roberto Osuna would come in for another save opportunity. Instead, he allowed a leadoff home run to Christian Yelich to tie the game. After two outs, Osuna had a comebacker then botched the throw to first, extending the inning, but would get a strikeout to send the game to extra innings.
In the top of the tenth, George Springer immediately broke the tie with a leadoff dinger to put Houston back in front 3-2. Josh James, making his return from a stint on the injured list, came in for the bottom of the tenth and was able to hold off the Brewers, despite two walks, to complete the win.
This game was tied for about 5 minutes. #SpringerDinger #SeptemberBaseball pic.twitter.com/uxkA5gpzRT
— MLB (@MLB) September 2, 2019
Up Next: The Astros will wrap up this two-game set with the Brewers on Tuesday at 6:40 PM. The expected pitching matchup is Jordan Lyles (9-8, 4.55 ERA) for Milwaukee going up against Zack Greinke (14-4, 2.99 ERA) for Houston.
The Astros daily report is presented by APG&E.
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Jeremy Pena will look to stay hot against fireballer Paul Skenes. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.
The Houston Astros (32-27) travel to Pittsburgh to open a three-game series against the Pirates (22-38) on Tuesday night at PNC Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. EDT, with Houston sending Lance McCullers Jr. to the mound opposite electric rookie Paul Skenes.
McCullers (0-1, 5.89 ERA) is still searching for rhythm in just his sixth start since returning to the rotation. The veteran right-hander will need sharper command against a Pirates lineup that’s shown signs of life over the past week. Pittsburgh counters with Skenes (4-5, 2.15 ERA), whose early MLB run has been dominant. With a 0.92 WHIP and 77 strikeouts in just nine starts, the top prospect has already made himself a must-watch arm.
Houston enters the series riding a 7-3 run over its last 10 games, powered by a .288 team batting average in that span. Despite being outscored by one run during that stretch, the Astros' offense has shown signs of clicking. Jose Altuve is on a tear, batting .385 with five home runs and eight RBIs over the last 10 games, while Jeremy Peña continues to lead the team with a .309 average and nine long balls on the season.
The Pirates have gone 5-5 in their last 10 and have been more competitive than their record suggests. They’ve outscored opponents by seven runs during that stretch while hitting .272 and posting a 3.89 ERA. Oneil Cruz remains the top power threat with 12 home runs, and Andrew McCutchen has turned in a strong week at the plate, going 13-for-37 with a pair of homers.
This is the first meeting between the two clubs this season. The Pirates are slight home favorites at -146 on the moneyline per BetMGM, with the over/under set at 7.5 runs. Houston, just 10-15 on the road, will be looking to set the tone early as they continue to chase down first-place Seattle in the AL West.
Injury update
The Astros informed The Athletic's Chandler Rome that Zach Dezenzo is dealing with a "capsule sprain" in his left hand, and they will undergo imaging on the hand again after two weeks of rest.
Zach Dezenzo has a "capsule sprain" in his left hand, according to the Astros, who added "he has been prescribed with rest and is scheduled to undergo re-imaging in two weeks."
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) June 3, 2025
Here's a sneak peek at the Astros' lineup versus Skenes. Jacob Melton gets another start, this time playing left field. Altuve is getting the nod at second base with Yainer Diaz in the DH spot.
The Astros against Paul Skenes: Peña 6, Paredes 5, Altuve 4, Walker 3, Diaz DH, Caratini 2, Meyers 8, Smith 9, Melton 7
McCullers Jr. RHP
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) June 3, 2025
*ChatGPT assisted.
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