DONE FOR THE SEASON
Astros manager reveals another bump in the road for starting rotation
Aug 5, 2024, 1:15 pm
Lance McCullers Jr. is not expected to pitch in 2024. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.
Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. won’t pitch this season, manager Joe Espada said Sunday.
McCullers hasn’t pitched since he took the loss in Game 3 of the 2022 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Astros won the series in six games.
The 30-year-old had right forearm surgery in June 2023. He had been working his way back and threw a bullpen session in June but was shut down shortly after.
“Where he’s at right now, I think it’s safe to say I don’t think he’ll pitch this season,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “It’d be almost too much to ask for him to ramp up and get him back this season.”
McCullers is 49-32 with a 3.48 ERA in seven seasons, all with Houston.
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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.