Bad weekend in Arlington
Astros swept by Rangers who get another extra-inning walk-off
May 23, 2021, 5:22 pm
A bad series all around for the Astros this weekend. Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
A bad series all around for the Astros this weekend.
With disappointing losses in the first two games of this series, the Astros tried to salvage a game to end this road trip on a positive note on Sunday at Globe Life Field against the Rangers. Instead, they would experience a repeat of Friday's game, losing to Texas in extra innings.
Final Score (10 innings): Rangers 3, Astros 2
Astros' Record: 26-21, second in the AL West
Winning Pitcher: John King (5-3)
Losing Pitcher: Ryan Pressly (2-1)
Quiet beginning at the plate for both teams
Neither team was able to provide many offensive highlights in the early parts of Sunday's finale. Both starters held the opposing bats scoreless through four innings, with Cristian Javier only allowing one hit and three walks over that span. Javier started to struggle to find the zone in the bottom of the fifth, walking the bases loaded while getting two outs before Dusty Baker would move to Brooks Raley to try and get out of the jam. Raley would also fight to get into the zone against his first batter, walking in the first run of the game before getting a strikeout to end the inning.
Astros rally late as another game goes to extras
Raley remained on the mound in the bottom of the sixth, erasing two singles by retiring the next three batters to keep it a one-run game. Bryan Abreu did not fare as well, allowing a single and RBI double to double Texas' lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the seventh. Houston put together their best offensive inning in the top of the eighth, loading the bases on three hits, one by Jose Altuve to extend his hitting streak to seventeen games.
The Astros put their first run on the board on a wild pitch, cutting the lead in half at 2-1. Michael Brantley then tied the game on an RBI groundout, also moving the go-ahead run to third in the process. They wouldn't be able to bring him in, with the game staying 2-2 as Ryne Stanek came in as the new pitcher in the bottom of the eighth. Stanek erased a leadoff walk, but Houston would not manage to reach base in the top of the ninth. Ryan Pressly took over in the bottom of the inning, trying to force extra innings. He made quick work of the Rangers, retiring them 1-2-3 on just eight pitches.
Astros come up empty in extras, Rangers finish the sweep
Jose Altuve started the top of the tenth by moving the free runner to third with a single. However, the following three at-bats were not as notable, all three resulting in outs to leave the go-ahead run at third. Pressly returned for the bottom of the inning to try and force another, but instead, Adolis Garcia would get the RBI single to complete the three-game sweep of the Astros.
Up Next: With this six-game road trip in the books, the Astros will return to Houston before a day off on Monday. Tuesday, they'll kick off a short two-game set with the Los Angeles Dodgers, with a fascinating pitching matchup between Zack Greinke (4-1, 3.77 ERA) and Clayton Kershaw (6-3, 3.18 ERA). It will also be the first time since 2019 that Minute Maid Park will be open to full capacity.
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With spring training about to get started, it appears Alex Bregman has finally narrowed down his options to three teams, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.
Olney indicates the Astros are out of the mix, and Bregman will choose between the Tigers, Red Sox, and Cubs. There is also a belief that Breggy will make his decision by the end of the week, and MLB Network's Harold Reynolds said his sources are telling him Alex is heading to Chicago.
We still haven't seen any concrete evidence that there's a long-term deal on the table greater than the Astros offer, which makes us think he'll sign a shorter deal with a higher AAV. Don't be surprised if Breggy inks a 3-year $105 million deal with opt-outs just like Carlos Correa did a few years back.
Houston reportedly increased their offer to Bregman last week, but we don't know exactly what that entails. Based on reports Scott Boras didn't feel Breggy should take a pay cut. It would make sense if Houston added some money to the frontend of the deal, but whatever they did, it doesn't look like it's enough.
Had the Astros been willing to go 6-years, $180 million, perhaps that would have sealed the deal. But there's also a possibility Bregman is ready to move on to another team. Maybe he doesn't feel like the club is heading in the right direction after trading Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly. There were also reports last season that he wasn't happy with the communication from Astros manager Joe Espada when he was moved down in the order. We'll definitely have more clarity when we see the final numbers from the contract he ultimately accepts.
Call to the bullpen
Speaking of Espada, he joined the Crush City Territory podcast this week and spoke about some pitchers that will be counted on this season with Pressly now in Chicago.
The three pitchers he named were Tayler Scott, Bryan King, and Forrest Whitley. Espada spoke about how he trusted Scott in high-leverage spots, and how well King through the ball last season. He also mentioned Whitley as a player he's excited about. Based on these comments, we expect Scott and King to get opportunities in the seventh inning with Pressly out of the picture.
What does Vegas think?
It depends on which sportsbook you look at. But as a frame of reference, MyBookie has the Astros as the favorites to win the division, and they have their win total at 88.5.
If the Astros end up winning the division after moving on from Bregman, Tucker, and Pressly, should Houston fans consider that a win?
Don't miss the video above as the crew from Stone Cold 'Stros breaks it all down!
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