DEMOTED
Astros send former closer Ken Giles to minors after poor effort, outburst
SportsMap Staff
Jul 11, 2018, 3:37 pm
Ken Giles is headed to the minors. Al Bello/Getty Images
Ken Giles nearly blew a save Tuesday night. Then he blew a gasket.
Then on Wednesday the Astros blew him out of the water.
Giles was sent down to Triple-A Fresno, one day after giving up three straight singles to the Oakland Athletics. He was pulled by manager A.J. Hinch and appeared to utter an obscenity as he stormed off the mound.
Giles has been a poster boy of inconsistency all season. He has an 0-2 record and 4.99 ERA in 34 appearances. But he also has 31 strikeouts and 12 saves.
"We need to get him right," Hinch told multiple reporters before Wednesday's game. "He’s not right. We need to get him right mentally and physically.”
Reportedly he has groused about his role with the team, and Tuesday night's outburst was enough to bring about change. Cionel Perez was called up to take his spot on the roster. Perez was called up briefly recently but did not get in a game.
Perez, a lefty, was 6-1 at Corpus Christi with a 1.98 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 68.1 innings.
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How Astros just put league on notice with dominant pitching, clutch hitting
Jun 26, 2025, 7:08 pm
Cam Smith hit an RBI single in the eighth inning to give the Houston Astros a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.
CAM SMITH COMES THROUGH! #BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/Y6dtPpXF9J
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 26, 2025
The rookie's second hit of the game came off Orion Kerkering (5-3) and gave the Astros their fourth straight win.
Brandon Marsh tied the game on a sacrifice fly in the top of the inning to end the Phillies' 26-inning scoreless streak.
The Astros took a 1-0 lead on Yainer Diaz’s RBI single in the second inning. They only managed three more hits off Phillies starter Christopher Sanchez, who struck out 11 with zero walks over six innings. Sanchez has not issued a walk in three straight starts.
Hunter Brown lowered his league best ERA to 1.74 by scattering three singles over seven shutout innings, with nine strikeouts. He did not allow a runner to reach second base.
FULL THROTTLE.
Hunter Brown now leads the MLB in lowest ERA (1.74). #BuiltForFuel pic.twitter.com/nkwT2MpgJQ
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 26, 2025
Bryan Abreu (3-3) struck out Trea Turner to end the eighth, and then struck out Kyle Schwarber, Alec Bohm, and Nick Castellanos in the ninth.
Abreu joined Julia Morales after the game and talked about his impressive performance!
🧹🧹🧹
After the @Astros completed their sweep of the Phillies, @JuliaMorales visited with Bryan Abreu!#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/UeOOSNDKwW
— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) June 26, 2025
Rafael Marchán had two of the Phillies' four hits. Bryson Stott reached base twice and scored the Phillies' lone run.
Key moment
Smith’s RBI.
Key stat
Brown’s 1.74 ERA is the fourth best in Astros history through 16 starts and the best since Justin Verlander posted a 1.60 ERA through 16 starts in 2018.
Up next
The Astros open a three-game series against the Cubs on Friday with LHP Brandon Walter (0-1 3.80 ERA) on the mound.
The Phillies open a three-game series at the Braves on Friday with RHP Mick Abel (2-1 3.47 ERA) against Atlanta RHP Bryce Elder (2-4 4.77).