AWFUL UMPIRING
Here's why the umpire from Astros-Yankees was even worse than we thought
May 5, 2021, 12:04 pm
AWFUL UMPIRING
Tuesday's Astros-Yankees game was very difficult to watch as an Astros fan. Home plate umpire Jose Navas missed so many calls it was hard for us to keep count during the game. Luckily, the folks at Umpire Auditor kept track of Navas' horrendous performance on Tuesday night. Navas wasn't just calling balls as strikes against the Astros, like during one of Carlos Correa's at-bats when he called two pitches that were below the strike zone as strikes. But he also squeezed Bryan Abreu in the 6th inning which led to the Yankees blowing the game open and never looking back. Astros catcher Martin Maldonado was so disgusted he could be seen arguing with the umpire throughout the inning.
According to Umpire Auditor, Navas missed an alarming 21 calls throughout the game. Have a look at how far outside this pitch was that he rung up Kyle Tucker on. This certainly felt like a game in which everyone outside of Houston wanted to see the Astros "take their medicine" in their first appearance at Yankee Stadium after the sign-stealing scandal went public.
Hopefully, with this game in the books, the Astros can move on and worry about beating the Yankees, and not think about having to beat the umpires too.
Tough night for umpire Jose Navas in the @Yankees @astros game. He missed 21 calls.
This called strikeout to @KTuck30 missed outside by 3.47 inches. pic.twitter.com/edJsMsm7Mb
— Umpire Auditor (@UmpireAuditor) May 5, 2021
After a rough weekend and a five-game home losing streak looming large, the Houston Astros return to Daikin Park on Monday night looking to get back on track against the visiting Washington Nationals. This three-game set opens a critical homestand for the first-place Astros, who, despite the skid, still lead the AL West with a 60-46 record.
Houston will turn to its ace, Framber Valdez, who’s quietly piecing together one of the most dominant seasons in the league. The left-hander is 11-4 with a 2.67 ERA and 129 strikeouts — and when he’s on, he’s a stopper in every sense.
The Nationals counter with Brad Lord, who brings a solid 3.39 ERA into the matchup but has just two wins in 7 starts. Lord’s numbers suggest he's pitched better than his record shows, though his 1.26 WHIP could be tested against a Houston lineup that has proven dangerous when clicking. The Astros are 33-7 this season when scoring at least five runs — the formula is no secret.
At the plate, José Altuve continues to anchor Houston’s offense, hitting .280 with 17 homers and 17 doubles on the year. The supporting cast has been inconsistent of late, with the Astros averaging just .241 and getting outscored by 17 runs over their last 10 games. Rookie Brice Matthews has shown flashes, with three homers in his last 10 games, but Houston is still searching for a rhythm without key power bats fully healthy.
The Nationals arrive in Houston at 43-62, last in the NL East but coming off a competitive 5-5 stretch. James Wood, one of their key young pieces, has slugged 24 homers and added 21 doubles while batting .263. Josh Bell has also been swinging the bat well, collecting 12 hits in his last 39 at-bats.
The Astros hold a 33-23 mark at Daikin Park this season, and they’ll try to lean on home-field advantage — something that’s recently been elusive — to jumpstart a second-half push. With the trade deadline approaching and the division tightening, Houston knows it can’t afford to drop games to teams below .500.
First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET, with the Astros listed as heavy -232 favorites on BetMGM’s sportsbook. The over/under is 7.5, a nod to the belief that pitching could dominate this series opener.
Injuries
You can see all the updates in Brian McTaggart's post below.
And a plethora of injury updates pic.twitter.com/G1ZjhQlJxZ
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) July 28, 2025
It sounds like Jeremy Pena will return the soonest, followed by Spencer Arrighetti. Pena is playing for Sugar Land on Tuesday.
Peña will play tomorrow in Sugar Land. He’s close https://t.co/fBnNkfTwc5
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) July 28, 2025
Joe Espada is shuffling his lineup
Taylor Trammell is leading off and playing right field, with Cam Smith getting the night off. Altuve is once again hitting second and playing left field and is followed by the DH, Victor Caratini. Christian Walker will hit cleanup and play first base, no surprise there.
Jacob Melton has been recalled to the big league roster and Jon Singleton has been DFA'd. So Melton will hit fifth and play center field followed by Yainer Diaz (C), Mauricio Dubon (3B), Brice Matthews (2B), and Zack Short (SS).
It's City Connect Monday, y'all.
⚾️: 7:10 PM
🏟️: Closed
📺: @SpaceCityHN
🎙️: @SportsTalk790 | Spanish: 93.3 FM#BuiltForThis x @reliantenergy pic.twitter.com/2FmPaf8qHd
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 28, 2025
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