How early signs offer clues about the Houston Astros' road ahead

TOO SOON?

Astros Yainer Diaz, Joe Espada, Yordan Alvarez
Are fans hitting the panic button way too soon? Composite Getty Image.

After another rough outing from Framber Valdez, some fans are already ready to give up — but should they? We break down the current state of the Houston Astros, why it's way too soon to count them out, and what the rest of the season could look like.

Don't miss the video below as ESPN Houston's Jeremy Branham and Joel Blank break it all down.

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The Astros hammered the A's, 11-4. Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images.

Jose Altuve and Victor Caratini hit three-run home runs in a seven-run sixth inning and the Houston Astros had a season-high 20 hits in an 11-4 victory over the Athletics on Wednesday night.

Framber Valdez (8-4) limited the A's to two runs and five hits in six innings to help the Astros win for the seventh time in eight games.

Altuve, Caratini, Jeremy Peña, Cam Smith, and Jake Meyers had three hits apiece, and Yanier Diaz and Mauricio Dubón each added two.

Nick Kurtz hit a double and scored on a single by Austin Wynns to give the Athletics a 1-0 lead in the second. The 22-year-old rookie had a solo homer in the ninth.

Dubón hit a leadoff homer in the third inning and Peña's RBI single off starter Luis Severino (2-7) in the fourth made it 2-1.

The Athletics had a four-game win streak snapped Tuesday with a 13-3 loss to Houston.

Key moment

Tyler Ferguson replaced Severino to start the sixth and gave up a single to Meyers before Dubón grounded into a 4-6-3 double play but Peña followed with a single, Isaac Paredes followed with a walk and Altuve's three-run shot sparked Houston's seven-run sixth that made it 9-1.

Key stat

The Athletics gave up three home runs and have yielded a major league-leading 113 this season, sixth most before the All-Star break in franchise history. The A's are on pace to allow 247 homers this season and shatter the franchise record of 220 set by the 1964 Kansas City A’s.

Up next

Houston's Colton Gordon (2-1, 4.70 ERA) was scheduled to pitch Thursday against Jacob Lopez (1-4, 4.80) to wrap up the four-game series.

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