Houston's offense comes up empty
Astros stymied at the plate again as Mariners get shutout win to take series
Sep 1, 2021, 6:32 pm
Jake Odorizzi cruised through the first five innings against the Mariners before his day ended in the sixth on Wednesday. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images
Jake Odorizzi cruised through the first five innings against the Mariners before his day ended in the sixth on Wednesday.
With a shutout loss in the middle game on Tuesday night, with the decisive blow coming from their former teammate on a grand slam, the Astros tried to rebound with a stronger performance on Wednesday to take the rubber game and get the series victory. It would end up being nearly the same result, though, as they'd get held scoreless, and Seattle would get the winning run off the bat of Abraham Toro.
Final Score: Mariners 1, Astros 0
Astros' Record: 78-55, first in the AL West
Winning Pitcher: Justus Sheffield (6-8)
Losing Pitcher: Jake Odorizzi (6-7)
Toro breaks a scoreless tie again
As in the game the night prior, both teams remained scoreless through much of Wednesday's finale. Seattle's starter, Logan Gilbert, kept the Astros' offense at bay by limiting them to four hits over five innings of work. Jake Odorizzi looked as though he would last longer, allowing just three baserunners through the first five innings on just one hit, a walk, and a hit by pitch.
He returned in the bottom of the sixth, but after allowing a leadoff single followed by a walk, he would hand the ball to Dusty Baker, who called in Phil Maton. Maton would get one out before loading the bases on a walk, bringing up Abraham Toro, who hit a sac fly to get the Mariners on the board, the first run of the day to make it 1-0. Maton would get out of the inning without allowing any more damage, finalizing Odorizzi's line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 87 P.
Astros shut out again as Mariners take the series
Yimi Garcia was next out of Houston's bullpen, coming in for the bottom of the seventh, and faced three batters, recording two outs while allowing a single. Blake Taylor entered to get the final out of the inning to move the game on to the top of the eighth. Houston had a chance, getting the tying run to second base, but would get turned away again as Seattle held on to their 1-0 lead.
Ryne Stanek was Houston's next reliever, and he worked around a walk to post a scoreless inning, bringing up Houston's last chance to tie or go in front in the top of the ninth. They again put the tying run in scoring position, getting back-to-back one-out singles, but would strand it there as the Mariners would shut them out again to take the series victory.
Up Next: The Astros will travel to San Diego before a day off on Thursday. On Friday, they'll pick up the last leg of this road trip, a three-game set with the Padres starting at 9:10 PM Central. Jose Urquidy (6-3, 3.38 ERA) will make his return from the IL for Houston, while San Diego's starter has not yet been announced.
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Nick Chubb didn’t expect to be a Houston Texan. At least, not until he got the call on a quiet Saturday at home and was on a flight the next day. It happened fast — too fast, even, for the four-time Pro Bowler to fully process what it all meant. But now that he’s here, it’s clear this wasn’t a random landing spot. This was a calculated leap, one Chubb had been quietly considering from afar.
The reasons he chose Houston speak volumes not only about where Chubb is in his own career, but where the Texans are as a franchise.
For one, Chubb saw what the rest of the league saw the last two seasons: a young team turning the corner. He admired the Texans from a distance — the culture shift under head coach DeMeco Ryans, the explosive rise of C.J. Stroud, and the physical tone set by players like Joe Mixon. That identity clicked with Chubb. He’d been a fan of Ryans for years, and once he got in the building, everything aligned.
“I came here and saw a bunch of guys who like to work and not talk,” Chubb said. “And I realized I'm a perfect fit.”
As for his health, Chubb isn’t running from the injuries that cost him parts of the past two seasons, he’s owning them. But now, he says, they’re behind him. After a full offseason of training the way he always has — hitting his speed and strength benchmarks — Chubb says he’s feeling the best he has in years. He’s quick to remind people that bouncing back from major injuries, especially the one he suffered in 2023, is rarely a one-year journey. It takes time. He’s given it time.
Then there’s his fit with Mixon. The two aren’t just stylistic complements, they go way back. Same recruiting class, same reputation for running hard, same respect for each other’s games. Chubb remembers dreading matchups against the Bengals in Cleveland, worrying Mixon would take over the game. Now, he sees the opportunity in pairing up. “It’ll be us kinda doing that back-to-back against other defenses,” he said.
He’s also well aware of what C.J. Stroud brings to the table. Chubb watched Stroud nearly dismantle Georgia in the College Football Playoff. Then he saw it again, up close, when Stroud lit up the Browns in the postseason. “He torched us again,” Chubb said. Now, he gets to run alongside him, not against him.
Stroud made a point to welcome Chubb, exchanging numbers and offering support. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s the kind of leadership that helped sell Chubb on the Texans as more than just a good football fit — it’s a good locker room fit, too.
It appears the decision to come to Houston wasn’t part of some master plan. But in retrospect, it makes perfect sense. Chubb is a player with a no-nonsense work ethic, recovering from adversity, looking to write the next chapter of a career that’s far from over. And the Texans? They’re a team on the rise, built around guys who want to do the same.
You can watch the full interview in the video below.
And for those wondering how Joe Mixon feels about Nick Chubb, check out this video from last season. Let's just say he's a fan.
I’ve seen some speculation indicating that Joe Mixon may not be happy the Texans signed Nick Chubb. If that is what you believe, watch this clip from an interview with @greenlight pod last year & get back to me. pic.twitter.com/3vaip85esj
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) June 11, 2025
*ChatGPT assisted.
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