Houston is on a rough losing streak
Astros trounced by Kershaw and Dodgers in series opener
May 25, 2021, 10:38 pm
The Astros couldn't keep up with Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers Tuesday night. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
The Astros couldn't keep up with Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers Tuesday night.
After a disappointing series in Arlington, where they were swept over three games, the Astros returned to a full-capacity Minute Maid Park to start a new homestand. First up was a two-game set with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who would get the better of Houston and Zack Greinke to take the opener.
Final Score: Dodgers 9, Astros 2
Astros' Record: 26-22, second in the AL West
Winning Pitcher: Clayton Kershaw (7-3)
Losing Pitcher: Zack Greinke (4-2)
Greinke loses the exciting pitching battle with Kershaw
The game's first three innings lived up to the high expectation of a pitching matchup between Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw. Both starters retired the opposing lineup in order the first time, leaving all zeroes on the scoreboard after three innings. A leadoff walk to Mookie Betts by Greinke in the top of the fourth proved costly, as Justin Turner would follow with the first hit of the game, a two-run homer to put the Dodgers in front 2-0.
Oppo š® for @redturn2. šŖ pic.twitter.com/mrAqqR0RVL
ā MLB (@MLB) May 26, 2021
Houston would get their first knock in the bottom of the inning but would otherwise continue to struggle against Kershaw while bringing no runs across. Greinke rebounded from the two-run fourth with a 1-2-3 fifth but would then unravel in the sixth. After two outs, he would load the bases on a single and two walks, then giving up a two-RBI single to Chris Taylor, extending LA's lead to 4-0. He would finish that inning but go no further. His final line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 88 P.
Houston's bullpen struggles continue as Dodgers trounce the Astros
Joe Smith was the first reliever to take the mound and allowed a leadoff single, which would come around to score and make it a 5-0 game after another single and a wild pitch. Alex Bregman would finally get the Astros on the board and give Kershaw his first blemish of the day, launching a leadoff solo homer to start the bottom of the seventh.
After getting the last out of the seventh, Enoli Paredes continued on the mound in the top of the eighth, getting two outs while loading the bases on a single, a walk, and a hit batter, prompting a pitching change to bring in Kent Emanuel. Emanuel would face just one batter, allowing a four-pitch walk before his low velocity would prompt trainers out, ultimately removing him from the game. Andre Scrubb would enter quickly, but he too would struggle, issuing two more bases-loaded walks to make it 8-1 before getting the third out to end the suffering.
Scrubb returned to try and eat up the top of the ninth but would again struggle, loading the bases on two walks and a single before allowing another run to make it 9-1 before getting out of it. Houston would salvage a run in the bottom of the ninth on an error, but it would make no difference as the Astros would lose their fourth straight game.
Up Next: The second game of this quick two-game set will be slightly earlier on Wednesday, with a start time of 6:40 PM Central. Luis Garcia (2-3, 3.38 ERA) will start for the Astros, while Trevor Bauer (5-2, 1.98 ERA) will go for the Dodgers.
Itās May 1, and the Astros are turning headsābut not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starterāheās never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, heās slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
Whatās more troubling than the overall dip is when itās happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, heās hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outsā.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In ālate and closeā situations, when the pressureās highest, heās practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldnāt be clearer when you look at JosĆ© Altuveālong the engine of this franchiseāwho, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squadābut someone else may yet step into that role.
And yetāthe Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houstonās offense, in general, hasnāt lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). Theyāre 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where thereās been light, it hasnāt come from the usual spots. Jeremy PeƱa, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the teamās highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. PeƱaās balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then thereās the pitchingāHoustonās anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, itās the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. PeƱaās emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. Theyāre not dominating, but theyāre grindingāand in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesnāt, the turnaround weāre witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, thatās the story that needed to be written.
We have 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 āStros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
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