How Houston Astros just crossed into new area of concern for righting the ship
May 7, 2024, 8:23 am
The Yankees host the Astros on Tuesday night. Composite Getty Image.
What a weekend it could have been. The Astros had an opportunity to take the series from the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, but the bullpen once again let the team down. A different day, but the same old story.
Bryan Abreu and Josh Hader both allowed runs late in the game, and the Astros' offense wasn't able to pick them up. Bullpen struggles and an inability to hit with runners in scoring position have been the two main factors haunting the club in 2024.
Houston now heads to New York to face the Yankees sitting 10 games under .500. This will be an important stretch for the Astros as one quarter of the season will be in the books next week.
While there are 128 more games to play, if things don't change soon, this team could be in real trouble. There are clubs we can point to that got off to a worse start than this version of the Astros and still won a World Series. Houston fans certainly remember the 2019 Washington Nationals, who got off to a terrible start and won a championship.
But you know you're in a bad spot when you're having to point to outliers like the 2019 Nationals to keep hope alive. However, there is one more factor giving us hope for this season. Everything has seemingly gone wrong for the 'Stros this year. Perhaps if they can get on a roll, momentum will snowball in the other direction.
They certainly have the talent on this roster to do it. But it needs to happen soon before they dig themselves a hole they can no longer get out of.
Don't miss the video above as we discuss who has to step up for the Astros to right the ship before the point of no return.
Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan every Monday on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel! We'll continue to drop more episodes throughout the week.
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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.