Astros stay in the win column
McCullers Jr. returns to the mound as Astros start 2-0 against the Mariners
Jul 25, 2020, 6:03 pm
Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images
Lance McCullers made his return to the MLB mound in a win on Saturday
With the first game and win under their belt, the Astros went back to work on Saturday against the Mariners in Houston. They worked behind Lance McCullers Jr., making his return to the mound after missing the 2019 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. McCullers would put together a strong start, and Houston's offense continued to stack up runs en route to the win and a 2-0 record.
Final Score: Astros 7, Mariners 2.
Record: 2-0, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Lance McCullers Jr. (1-0, 3.00 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Taijuan Walker (0-1, 13.50 ERA).
Houston strikes first and builds an early lead
In the bottom half of the first inning, the Astros wasted no time at the plate, getting a one-out walk by Jose Altuve, who moved to second on a single by Alex Bregman, then scored on an RBI-single by Michael Brantley, grabbing a quick 1-0 lead.
Yuli Gurriel made his first hit of 2020 an impressive one, crushing a ball in the bottom of the fourth for a solo home run to extend the lead to 2-0. Later in the same inning, Kyle Tucker would end Taijuan Walker's day with an RBI-double to make it 3-0, and Martin Maldonado added two more on a two-RBI double to push the lead to 5-0.
Stack it up. đ#ForTheHÂ pic.twitter.com/3VCQD1cLyYÂ
â Houston Astros (@astros) July 25, 2020
McCullers Jr. provides six strong innings
Lance McCullers Jr. struggled with his command early in the game, starting in the top of the first loading the bases after a double and two walks. He would get a much-needed double play to end the threat, keeping the game scoreless. He had more traffic in the second inning but again was able to induce groundballs to keep the lead. His first clean inning came in the third as he was able to settle in, though in the top of the fifth, George Springer made a nasty collision with the center-field wall going after a fly ball, which resulted in a leadoff triple.
The Mariners turned that into a run with a sacrifice groundout, but McCullers Jr. would follow that with two strikeouts to end the frame. In the bottom of the fifth, Carlos Correa made it a five-run lead again with an RBI-single to bring the score to 6-1. McCullers Jr. would complete the sixth inning, even after allowing a solo home run to trim the lead to 6-2, leaving in position for the win. His final line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 1 HR.
We could watch this 24 times in a row. #ForTheHÂ pic.twitter.com/GAcJLJvPvHÂ
â Houston Astros (@astros) July 25, 2020
Houston's bullpen wraps things up again
After the scary impact with the wall earlier, Springer must have felt just fine, launching a two-out dinger in the bottom of the sixth to make it 7-2. In the top of the seventh, another Astro made their major-league debut, this time Cristian Javier out of the bullpen. Javier worked around a one-out single for a scoreless inning of work.
Cy Sneed took over on the mound in the eighth, and he was able to work around a one-out double by striking out three Mariners. Still 7-2 after eight, Roberto Osuna made his 2020 debut in the top of the ninth after being labeled as questionable to take part in this series after a slow progression in Summer Camp. Osuna was able to put an end to the game, throwing a scoreless inning to move the Astros to 2-0 on the early season.
Up Next: Game three of this four-game set will be on Sunday at 1:10 PM Central at Minute Maid Park. The pitching matchup will be Yusei Kikuchi on the mound for Seattle, going opposite of Zack Greinke for Houston. Greinke will be making his first meaningful start since Game 7 of the 2019 World Series.
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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