ASTROS BLANK ORIOLES
Astros 5 1/2 games up in AL West after shutting out Orioles
Aug 22, 2024, 9:16 pm
Astros defeat Orioles, 6-0. Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images.
Spencer Arrighetti outpitched Corbin Burnes, Ben Gamel drove in two runs in his Houston debut and the Astros extended their lead in the AL West to a season-high 5 1/2 games with a 6-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night.
Arrighetti (6-11) allowed three hits in six innings, striking out six with one walk. Burnes (12-6) permitted five earned runs in 5 2/3 innings in the second straight rough outing for the Baltimore ace. He allowed a career-high eight runs in his previous start against Boston.
Houston has won nine straight road games, its longest streak since an 11-game run in 2018.
Gamel, acquired off waivers from the New York Mets, delivered RBI singles in the fourth and sixth, when Houston did all its scoring. The Astros are 62-39 since their 7-19 start, and they've opened a comfortable lead over second-place Seattle in the AL West. Houston was 10 games behind after losing to the Chicago White Sox on June 18.
The Orioles, meanwhile, fell 1 1/2 games behind the AL East-leading New York Yankees.
Burnes allowed eight hits. They were all singles, but they were all clustered in two innings, making them extra profitable for the Astros. Yordan Alvarez and Gamel hit RBI singles in the fourth. Then Gamel drove in another run with a sixth-inning hit.
Jake Meyers' bunt single made it 4-0, and when Burnes threw wildly to first for an error on that play it left runners on second and third. Shay Whitcomb followed with a two-run single to chase the Baltimore right-hander.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Astros: Alex Bregman (elbow) was in the DH spot for a second straight game. Manager Joe Espada said putting Bregman at 1B could be a possibility at some point.
Orioles: Manager Brandon Hyde said RHP Zach Eflin (shoulder) should be ready to return when he's eligible to come off the injured list in early September.
UP NEXT
Hunter Brown (11-7) starts for Houston on Friday night against Baltimore rookie Cade Povich (1-6). Brown is 10-2 with a 2.33 ERA since the start of June.
Sunday night matchups don't get much exciting than this, as the Houston Texans host the Detroit Lions in prime-time at NRG.
The Lions come into this game on a six-game winning streak looking every bit of the best team in football. Houston on the other hand has lost two of their last three games with a struggling offense unable to protect their quarterback.
CJ Stroud has only one passing touchdown over this span, and is clearly having trouble adjusting to life without Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins.
If Houston is going to come away with an upset victory, they will need big performances from Tank Dell and Joe Mixon. After catching 4 passes against the Colts two weeks ago, Mixon not only failed to catch a single pass against the Jets, but he wasn't even targeted.
Considering the Texans' offensive line issues, choosing not to use Mixon as a pass catcher is hard to fathom. Especially since he and Dell are the team's top 2 playmakers.
What's working in the Texans' favor?
They play this game at home, where they are undefeated this season. A lot of the team's protection issues have popped up on the road, so communication should be easier for the offense on their home turf.
Bulls on Parade
We have good news and bad news about the defense this week. On the positive side, Azeez Al-Shaair and Jimmy Ward have returned to practice. If they're able to contribute on Sunday night, that would give the defense a lift.
And now for the bad news. Will Anderson has yet to practice this week after rolling his ankle in the Jets game. If he is unable to practice on Friday, it's hard to imagine he'll be active against Detroit.
X-factors
The Texans have to show some improvement on the offensive line this week.
Houston must lean on Joe Mixon again, as Nico Collins isn't expected to play.
Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the league, and he does most of his damage from the slot. If the Texans continue to deploy Jalen Pitre against premier receivers in man coverage, St. Brown is going to light up the scoreboard.
What would a win over the Lions mean to Houston?
The Texans are no longer considered a true championship contender because of their losses to the Packers, Vikings, and Jets. In fact, the Bills are the only team with a winning record that the Texans have beaten.
An upset win over the streaking Lions would change that narrative.
What does Vegas think?
The Lions are currently favored by 3.5 and the total is set at 49 points.
Don't miss the full preview of Texans-Lions in the video above!
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