URQUIDY TAKES THE BALL
How Houston Astros starting pitching stacks up to Twins in Game 4
Oct 11, 2023, 1:41 pm
Jose Urquidy takes the ball for Houston in Game 4 of the ALDS. Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
Urquidy, Astros hold on to early runs to secure series against Rays
After a 9-1 thumping of the Minnesota Twins, the Astros now lead the ALDS 2-1 with an opportunity to move on to the ALCS with a win on Wednesday night.
The Astros bats were out in full force in Game 3, and the club will be looking for Jose Abreu and Yordan Alvarez to continue mashing balls out of the yard.
Game time: Wednesday 6:07 PM CST
Game 4 probable pitchers: Twins RHP Joe Ryan (11-10, 4.51 ERA) vs. Astros RHP Jose Urquidy (3-3, 5.29 ERA).
Joe Ryan
Ryan is set to make his 30th start of the season.
Ryan pitched at least 5 innings in his last 3 starts.
In his last start, he surrendered 6 earned runs to the Rockies, allowing 3 homers over 5 innings.
The Astros went 7-for-37 with three homers and nine RBI in 10 innings against Ryan this season.
Joe Ryan, who pitches for the Twins tonight, is in the bottom 5% in max exit velocity and bottom 23% in avg exit velocity.
Will the ball fly tonight?
— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) October 11, 2023
Jose Urquidy
Urquidy is set to make his 11th start of the season.
In his last start, he pitched 6 scoreless innings against the Diamondbacks.
Urquidy has pitched in 12 career postseason games, starting 6 of them.
He has a postseason ERA of 3.72.
Conclusion
Jose Urquidy's playoff experience should give manager Dusty Baker a lot of confidence in his starter, and JP France and the rest of the Astros bullpen will be ready to go when called upon.
Houston's high leverage relievers (Ryan Pressly, Bryan Abreu, Hector Neris) should be rested and ready, with only Bryan Abreu pitching in Game 3. He threw 12 pitches on Tuesday.
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.