Houston posts another poor offensive day

Astros held scoreless by White Sox to lose the series in Chicago

Astros' Framber Valdez
Framber Valdez's rough start on Sunday paired with Houston's lack of offense handed Chicago the series. Photo by Harry How/Getty Images.

Framber Valdez's rough start on Sunday paired with Houston's lack of offense handed Chicago the series.

With each team grabbing a lopsided win in the first two games of the series, the Astros tried to lock up the series with a win in the finale on Sunday behind Framber Valdez. It would not go their way, however, with Carlos Rodon holding Houston's potent offense in check for a second straight game, and the White Sox getting runs on the board against Valdez to take the series.

Final Score: White Sox 4, Astros 0

Astros' Record: 56-38, first in the AL West

Winning Pitcher: Carlos Rodon (8-3)

Losing Pitcher: Framber Valdez (5-2)

Valdez loses the pitching battle

While his offense was struggling to get anything done against Carlos Rodon, Houston's starter Framber Valdez was trying to power through to a quality start but would come up short. After a scoreless first, the White Sox struck first in the bottom of the second against him, turning a one-out walk into an RBI single later in the inning. He rebounded with a 1-2-3 third but was met with a leadoff solo homer to start the bottom of the fourth, making it 2-0.

He allowed another solo shot in the bottom of the next inning, then continued on the mound through to the bottom of the seventh, where after a leadoff walk and RBI single to make it 4-0, would allow a double to his last batter before Houston would make the call to their bullpen to bring in Ryne Stanek, who finished off the frame. Valdez's final line: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 2 HR, 97 P.

Astros get shutout as White Sox take the series

That planted Valdez firmly in position for the loss, as Rodon subdued Houston's offense to just one hit over seven innings before Chicago would go to their bullpen in the top of the eighth. Houston would stay unless, and in the bottom of the eighth, their next reliever was Blake Taylor who posted a 1-2-3 inning. Houston would continue to be held scoreless in the top of the ninth, with Chicago completing the shutout to take the game and the series.

Up Next: With this short three-game road trip complete, the Astros will return home to welcome in the Indians for a series starting Monday at 7:10 PM Central. The opener will feature the pitching matchup of J.C. Mejia (1-4, 7.42 ERA) for Cleveland and Luis Garcia (6-5, 3.06 ERA) for Houston.

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Jeremy Pena and Isaac Paredes have been the Astros' best hitters. Composite Getty Image.

It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but 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 starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s 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.

What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s 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 couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, 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 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.

And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.

Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.

But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s 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 there’s the pitching—Houston’s 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, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and 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 doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s 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 ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!

*ChatGPT assisted.

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