Astros rookie emergence raises the stakes for rotation, playoffs
PRESENTED BY COORS LIGHT
27 July 2023
Coming off a series win against the Rangers, the Astros are two games back in the AL West with about two months to go in the regular season.
And as we look at the team's starting rotation, the pitcher with the best ERA is no longer Astros' ace Framber Valdez. Rookie JP France holds the best ERA of the starters at 2.87.
While France certainly passes the eye test and has been the club's most consistent starter as of late, he's only pitched about 85 innings this year. It will be interesting to see if he's still as effective over the next couple of months.
We've seen Framber, Cristian Javier, and Hunter Brown wear down a bit over the last several weeks. And they've all pitched over 100 innings to date.
If France is able to push through without wearing down, what happens in the postseason? Would Dusty Baker slot France in as the No. 2 starter?
And if France can finish the season strong with an ERA in the two's, could he be in the Rookie of the Year conversation?
Be sure to watch the video above as we share our thoughts on Houston's impressive rookie pitcher, and much more!
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Presented by Coors Light.
Mauricio Dubón scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the 10th inning, Jeremy Peña and Isaac Paredes opened the game with home runs, and the Houston Astros beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 on Friday night.
Peña led off the 10th with a single that advanced automatic runner Dubón to third. Dubón scored when Hunter Strickland, who hadn’t allowed a run in 14 2/3 innings of his first 13 appearances with the Angels, threw a pitch behind the back of Paredes.
Houston closer Josh Hader (5-1) retired the side in order in the ninth and Bennett Sousa retired three straight batters in the 10th for his second save.
Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi gave up home runs to Pena and Paredes for a 2-0 Astros lead in the held the Astros to four hits, striking out nine and walking none, for the rest of his seven-inning start.
Jo Adell trimmed Houston’s lead to 2-1 in the fourth with a 426-foot homer off Astros starter Hunter Brown. Angels rookie Christian Moore, a first-round pick out of Tennessee in 2024, tied it 2-2 with his first major league homer to open the seventh.
Tempers flared in the third when Brown hit Angels shortstop Zach Neto in the elbow with a 95-mph sinker. Both benches and bullpens emptied, but no punches were thrown, and order was quickly restored.
Key Moment
Astros center fielder Jake Meyers raced to the gap in left-center to make a spectacular, full-extension diving catch of Adell’s drive with a runner on first base and one out in the bottom of the eighth to preserve a 2-2 tie.
Key Stat
The home runs by Peña and Paredes marked the first time in three years the Astros have opened a game with two homers. Jose Altuve and Peña last accomplished the feat on July 24, 2022 at Seattle.
Up Next
Astros LHP Brandon Walter (0-0, 1.53 ERA) opposes Angels RHP José Soriano (4-5, 3.54) on Saturday night.
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