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McCullers struggles, Astros bats go silent in Game 3 loss to Phillies
Nov 2, 2022, 12:01 am
It was a long night for Lance McCullers. Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images.
When it rains, it pours. Boy did it pour. The Astros lost Game Three of the World Series 7-0 to the Phillies in Philadelphia. The game was supposed to be played on Halloween, but MLB decided to postpone the whole series by a day because of the rain. It must've been enough to throw off the Astros' momentum. The bats came out flat and stayed that way. Meanwhile, the pitching staff gave up a World Series record-tying five home runs in the blowout loss.
Bryce Harper got the action started with a two-run blast in the bottom of the first. Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh hit solo shots in the bottom of the third. Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth followed by a solo blast from Rhys Hoskins. The Phillies seemed to be sitting on Astros' starter Lance McCullers Jr's pitches. Either they knew the breaking stuff was coming or sat on the fastball. They shelled one of the Astros' best pitchers to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
The bats struck out seven times total. Chas McCormick and David Hensley each struck out twice. However, they also had a hit a piece, and those were two of the five hits this team managed in the game. So, there's that.
Another World Series appearance, another NL East opponent, another series deficit. The Astros have been here before. They were down in 2017, then came back and beat the Dodgers. No one wants them to win. Most of the media is still bringing up the sign stealing scandal. Opposing fans are relentlessly showering Astros' fans with cheating this and cheating that. The conspiracy theories abound. Misinformation is still very pervasive. I wouldn't have it any other way.
This team is resilient. They've had their backs against the wall before. They know how to come out swinging. Literally and figuratively. I expect Game Four to be an Astros win and the series tied 2-2 heading into the pivotal Game Five. Justin Verlander will take the mound, get his first World Series win, and this thing heads back to Minute Maid Park for Game Six with the home team up 3-2.
From there, closing out the series in front of the home crowd will be a fitting cap to proving all the haters wrong. This is a great team and a great organization. Jim Crane needs to bring James Click back and continue to allow him to build this thing. If Click isn't back, I hope Crane finds someone else who'll be able to keep thing rolling. That said. Let's focus on winning Game Four and quieting that raucous Philly crowd.
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Astros outslug Orioles as bullpen bends but holds
Aug 22, 2025, 10:50 pm
The Houston Astros will try to build on Thursday’s bounce-back victory when they continue their series against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night at Camden Yards.
Houston (70-58) ended a four-game skid with a 7-2 win in the opener, powered by Jesús Sánchez’s five-hit breakout and home runs from Christian Walker and Yainer Díaz. The victory evened the season series at 2-2 and kept the Astros a game over .500 on the road at 32-31.
Lance McCullers takes the mound for Houston, making his return from the injured list (blister). The right-hander has long been a stabilizing presence when healthy, and the Astros are counting on him after their rotation posted a 6.02 ERA over the last 10 games.
Baltimore (59-68) counters with Cade Povich, who enters 2-6 with a 4.98 ERA but has shown flashes of missing bats with 90 strikeouts. The Orioles have been at their best when keeping the ball in the yard, holding a 27-14 mark in games where opponents don’t homer.
Offensively, Baltimore leans on Jackson Holliday, who ranks second on the team with 34 extra-base hits, and Jordan Westburg, who’s 11 for his last 37 with a pair of home runs. For Houston, Díaz has emerged as a key run producer with 18 homers and 55 RBIs, while Carlos Correa has strung together an 11-for-39 stretch over his last 10 games.
Both clubs are trending differently of late—Baltimore has won six of its last 10 while outscoring opponents by 18 runs, while Houston has dropped six of 10 with a .193 team batting average and been outscored by 38 runs.
First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. EDT.
Betting odds
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Orioles -112, Astros -107; over/under is 9 1/2 runs
Roster Moves
Besides McCullers rejoining the roster, Houston also made some other moves. Newly acquired RHP Craig Kimbrel has joined the club in Baltimore. LHP Bennett Sousa heads to the 15-day IL(No!!!) with elbow inflammation. RHP Logan VanWey is returning to Sugar Land, and Brandon Walter has been moved to the 60-day IL.
We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/QyRnbpYq5D
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 22, 2025
Starting lineup
With a lefty on the mound, Joe Espada opts to shake things up with an all right-handed lineup. The top 3 in the lineup remain the same with Pena, Correa, and Altuve (DH).
LMJ Day.
⚾️: 6:05pm CDT | 7:05pm EDT
📺: @SpaceCityHN
🎙️: @SportsTalk790 | Spanish: 93.3 FM#BuiltForThis x @reliantenergy pic.twitter.com/jxOk5CYPaK
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 22, 2025
Coming off a strong performance, Christian Walker (1B) will hit cleanup, followed by Yainer Diaz (C), Ramon Urias (2B), Mauricio Dubon (LF), Cam Smith (RF), and Chas McCormick (CF).
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