GET OUT THE BROOMS
Astros get 6-3 win over Marlins to complete 3-game sweep
Jul 11, 2024, 10:13 pm
Astros sweep the Marlins! Composite Getty Image.
Jake Meyers hit an RBI double and the surging Houston Astros beat the Miami Marlins 6-3 on Thursday night, completing a three-game sweep with their ninth straight victory at home.
Houston has won nine of 12 overall to improve to 49-44.
After coming off the injured list, Jake Bloss allowed four hits and two runs over four innings for the Astros in his second major league start. Tayler Scott (6-2) got the last two outs in the sixth for the win and Josh Hader struck out two in a scoreless ninth for his 17th save.
Bryan De La Cruz and Jazz Chisholm Jr. each hit a solo homer for the National League-worst Marlins, who were swept for the eighth time this season.
Miami rookie Roddery Muñoz (1-4) permitted five hits and six runs — four earned — in 6 2/3 innings. He also had two wild pitches and a balk.
There was one out in the first when De La Cruz homered to left field to put the Marlins up early.
Alex Bregman walked with one out in the bottom of the inning before a double by Yainer Diaz. Houston tied it when Bregman scored on a sacrifice fly by Jon Singleton.
Jeremy Peña’s single on a line drive to right sent another run home to put Houston up 2-1.
Xavier Edwards walked to start the second and moved to second on a wild pitch by Bloss. Another wild pitch left Edwards at third with two outs, and the Marlins tied it when he scored on a single by Nick Fortes.
Trey Cabbage hit a one-out double in the second and advanced to third on a wild pitch by Muñoz. The Astros regained the lead when Cabbage scored on a groundout by César Salazar.
Joey Loperfido walked with no outs in the fourth and scored on a double by Meyers that made it 4-2. Salazar was hit by a pitch with one out before Jose Altuve reached on a fielder’s choice as third baseman Jake Burger committed a fielding error that loaded the bases.
Bregman grounded into a forceout that scored Meyers to extend the lead to 5-2.
Shawn Dubin replaced Bloss to start the fifth and was greeted with a towering home run by Chisholm that made it 5-3.
The Astros added another run in the fifth thanks in large part to sloppy play by the Marlins. Singleton reached to start the inning on an error by right fielder Jesús Sánchez when he dropped a routine fly. There was one out when Singleton moved to second on a wild pitch by Muñoz and then took third on a balk by the right-hander. Houston made it 6-3 when Singleton scored on a sacrifice fly by Loperfido.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: DH/OF Yordan Alvarez was out of the lineup after leaving Wednesday's game in the third inning with tightness in his right hip. But manager Joe Espada said Alvarez was doing OK and sat out as a precaution. … Altuve will skip next week’s All-Star Game to rest his sore left hand. He missed one game before returning to the lineup after being hit on the hand by a pitch last Friday.
UP NEXT
Marlins: RHP Yonny Chirinos (0-0, 4.19 ERA) opposes Cincinnati RHP Carson Spiers 2-2, 3.64) in the opener of a three-game series Friday night.
Astros: RHP Hunter Brown (6-6, 4.48 ERA) faces Texas LHP Andrew Heaney (3-9, 3.80) on Friday night.
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Just one week ago, it looked like the Astros’ bats might finally be waking up. There was a noticeable uptick in offensive numbers, optimism in the air, and a belief creeping in that Houston could be on the verge of an offensive breakthrough. But if there was any momentum building, it collapsed over the past week.
In their latest seven-game stretch, the Astros were near the bottom of the league in virtually every key offensive metric — 24th in runs scored, 27th in OPS (.610), and 26th in slugging percentage (.337). These numbers aren't just a one-week blip. They are more aligned with the team’s season-long struggles, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to argue that the Astros are simply off to a slow start. The numbers don’t lie: 25th in home runs (39), 20th in OPS (.689), 23rd in slugging (.372), and 20th in total runs.
The hope was that Houston’s offense would eventually climb into the top 10. That no longer feels realistic. What’s becoming clearer each week is that this is a bottom-third offense — and the only thing keeping them competitive is elite pitching.
Pitching keeps the ship afloat
While the bats have sputtered, the arms have delivered. The Astros currently rank 7th in team ERA (3.39), 1st in WHIP (1.12), and 2nd in opponent batting average (.212). That’s championship-caliber stuff. But as the American League hierarchy takes shape, it’s worth noting that contenders like the Yankees and Tigers boast both top-five pitching and offense — a balance the Astros currently can’t come close to matching.
Core hitters going quiet
So what’s wrong with the offense? Much of it comes down to three players who were supposed to be key contributors: Jose Altuve, Christian Walker, and Yainer Diaz. All three rank in the bottom 30 in MLB in OPS.
For Altuve, the struggles are especially glaring. The month of May has been a black hole for the veteran. He has yet to hit a home run or drive in a run this month. His season numbers (.241/.296/.646) are troubling enough, but the trend line is even worse:
- Last 7 games: .148 AVG / .233 OBP / .185 SLG
- Last 15 games: .175 AVG / .242 OBP / .228 SLG
- Last 30 games: .193 AVG / .256 OBP / .272 SLG
That last stretch has Altuve ranked with the 8th worst OPS (.537) in all of baseball over the last month.
Yet despite the slump — and a 35-year-old body showing signs of wear — Altuve continues to be penciled into the lineup almost daily. Even after missing a game on May 11th with hamstring tightness, he returned the next day. Manager Joe Espada’s reluctance to give Altuve extended rest is becoming a storyline of its own. If he continues to produce at this level, it will be hard to justify keeping him at the top of the lineup.
Rotation takes a blow
The week delivered more bad news — this time on the injury front. The Astros announced that right-hander Hayden Wesneski will miss the remainder of the season and require Tommy John surgery. What makes the injury particularly frustrating is that the signs were there. Decreased velocity led to a longer rest period, but in his return start, the team allowed him to throw 40 pitches in the first inning. That start would be his last of the season.
With Wesneski out, the pressure now shifts to Lance McCullers, whose return was once seen as a bonus but now feels like a necessity. Spencer Arrighetti’s comeback becomes more critical as well. The Astros' rotation has depth, but the margin for error just got thinner.
The road ahead
The American League isn’t dominated by a juggernaut, which gives the Astros some breathing room. But the Yankees and Tigers are pulling away in terms of balance and consistency — the very thing Houston has lacked.
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!
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