How Houston Astros starting pitching stacks up to Twins in Game 4
URQUIDY TAKES THE BALL
11 October 2023
Jose Urquidy takes the ball for Houston in Game 4 of the ALDS. Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
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.
José Soriano and two relievers combined for a two-hitter and Oswald Peraza hit his first home run since a trade from the Yankees to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Soriano (10-9) allowed one hit and struck out eight in seven innings. Luis García allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth for his 25th save.
There were two outs in the fifth when Peraza connected off Hunter Brown (10-7) into the bullpen in right-center field to put the Angels up 1-0. His homer comes after his two-run single in the ninth inning Saturday helped Los Angeles to a 4-1 victory that snapped a three-game skid.
Yoan Moncada walked to start the eighth and scored on Mike Trout’s double that bounced off the wall in center field to make it 2-0. Taylor Ward walked before Luis Rengifo reached and Trout scored on an error by Lance McCullers Jr. when the pitcher overthrew first base.
Yordan Alvarez singled with no outs in the first and Soriano walked a batter in the second and sixth innings. The Astros didn’t get another hit until Ramón Urías doubled with one out in the eighth inning. Los Angeles outfielder Taylor Ward was injured trying to make a catch on that hit when he crashed face-first into the metal scoreboard in left field.
He was carted off the field holding a towel to the right side of his face. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance where interim manager Ray Montgomery said he would receive stitches to close the cut and be evaluated.
Brown allowed three hits and a run with five strikeouts in six innings. McCullers Jr. allowed three hits and two runs in his first relief appearance since 2018.
Key moment
The home run by Peraza.
Key stat
It’s the fifth time the Astros have been shut out this month.
Up next
LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) will start for Los Angeles in the series finale Monday against RHP Luis Garcia, who’ll make his return after sitting out since May 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.
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