ASTROS REPORT
Yuli Gurriel and Yordan Alvarez stay hot to keep Astros above .500
May 10, 2021, 5:18 pm
What a year so far for Yuli Gurriel. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.
The Astros had an interesting week that saw them face their toughest road series of the season so far, and saw a former Astros' homecoming spoiled by the injury bug.
After winning two of three games against the Tampa Bay Rays, Houston looked to conclude their road trip against the New York Yankees.
This was the first time the Astros played them since Jose Altuve's walk-off home run that sent them to the World Series in 2019.
Since their first playoff meeting in 2015, Houston and the Yankees have built a decent rivalry. The bad blood between the two clubs has since been exacerbated due to the Astros' cheating scandal.
Needless to say, the New York faithful were ready to show their disdain for Altuve and the rest of the Astros for the first time since the aforementioned scandal.
10,000 plus Yankees fans showed up to boo Altuve, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa and Yuli Gurriel relentlessly every time they stepped into the batter's box.
"It sounded like a packed house," Astros manager Dusty Baker said.
Game 1 of the series saw Zack Greinke face off with Domingo German.
Neither pitcher lasted longer than five innings as the hits came early for both the Astros and the Yankees.
In front of a chorus of booing fans, Alex Bregman silenced the crowd with a 410-foot homer to left center to start the game.
The celebration was short-lived as Giancarlo Stanton hit a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 1st to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead
Stanton continued to be a menace throughout the game finishing with four hits and three RBI.
The Astros were able to tie the game at 3-3 with a Michael Brantley solo shot and a Gurriel RBI double.
This was as far as the Astros would go this game as the Yankees would score four unanswered runs to win the first game of the series 7-3.
A scary moment occurred towards the end of the game as Yankees' second basemen Rougned Odor collided with Astros' catcher Martin Maldonado. Both had to be helped off the field and did not return.
The second game of the series saw more of the same as Astros did not have an answer for Stanton.
The Yankees' DH knocked in four runs as they bested Houston for the second night 6-3.
The final game showcased Gerrit Cole pitching against the Astros for the first time since he joined the Yankees after the 2019 season.
Cole gave up two solo homers to Yordan Alvarez and were the only RBIs surrendered by the Yankees' ace.
Chad Green came into relief for Cole and got into a little trouble as he gave up a leadoff walk to Kyle Tucker and Aledmys Diaz reached on an infield single.
This brought Altuve to the plate, and he delivered a 404-foot homer to left field, putting the Astros ahead 5-3 on his birthday.
Altuve had been 1 for 11 with no RBI in the series until this moment.
Yankee Stadium was dead silent after the home run.
"It quieted the fans," Astros' manger Dusty Baker said "for a little while, anyway."
The Yankees did score one run in the bottom of the 8th inning to make it a 4-5 contest.
Astros' catcher Martin Maldonado made his return after the collision with Odor and had his best game of the season. He collected three hits and hit a 2-run homer to put the game away for the Astros in the top of the 9th.
Houston won the game 7-4 but lost the series. Their first series loss since they were swept in Colorado on April 21st.
The Astros looked to return home to face another former Astro in George Springer and the Toronto Blue Jays (I know still weird to say.)
This homecoming was ruined by the injury bug, as Springer was placed on the injured list with a strained right quad.
The Toronto outfielder still made the trip to Houston and received a warm welcome by his former team's fans.
The touching moment was followed by an offensive showcase by the Astros.
Yuli Gurriel continued his hot hitting as he tied a career high with fours hits and drove in four runs.
Carlos Correa added a two-run homer to help the Astros route the Blue Jays in a 10-4 victory.
Astros pitcher Jose Urquidy continues to be a solid fixture in this rotation as he threw 7 strong innings for his second consecutive start and gave up only 2 runs.
Game two of the series saw Houston and Toronto flip scripts as the Blue Jays offense was rolling led by a name that will sound familiar to Astros fans.
Cavan Biggio, son of Astros Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, hit his first career home run at Minute Maid Park in front of his family to lead the Blue Jays to a series tying 8-4 victory.
"I've sat in the seats for hundreds of games watching my dad play and now it's a little reversed," Biggio said. "It's pretty cool to be able to do that in front of him in his building."
Cristian Javier received his first loss of the season giving up five earned runs in less than six innings of work.
Game three of the series set up the rubber match between the two clubs.
The bats were once again flying for the Astros as both Kyle Tucker and Altuve went deep to help them win the game 7-4.
Yordan Alvarez continued his hot hitting as he is now third in the league with a .362 batting average.
Houston got off to a 7-0 run before Zack Greinke gave up four runs and was pulled in the 5th inning without recording an out.
This is the third consecutive start that saw Greinke throw four innings or fewer.
The Astros finished the week with a 3-3 record and improved to 18-16 overall.
UP NEXT: Houston will continue their home stand for seven straight games against their division opponents in the Angels and the Rangers.
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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!
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