PRESSLY BLOWS THE SAVE
Astros' 8th inning collapse leads to Mariners victory
May 29, 2024, 7:54 am
PRESSLY BLOWS THE SAVE
Julio Rodríguez drove in the go-ahead run with an infield single in the eighth inning after Josh Rojas tied the game with an RBI double and the Seattle Mariners beat the Houston Astros 4-2 on Tuesday night.
A second run also scored on Rodríguez’s single, as Alex Bregman’s throwing error allowed Rojas to score and Rodríguez to take second base.
Mitch Haniger led off the inning with a double and Jonatan Clase came in to pinch run. Clase reached third on a wild pitch and scored on Rojas' double down the first-base line after rookie Ryan Bliss walked and J.P. Crawford struck out.
Rodríguez hit an infield dribbler to Bregman, who looked home before throwing the ball past first baseman José Abreu to allow Rojas to score.
The winning rally came off reliever Ryan Pressly (0-2).
“It was the double by Haniger and the (Bliss) walk,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “That was a huge at-bat there. We needed to put away hitters and we just did not do that in the inning.”
The Astros had retired 15 straight Mariners hitters before Haniger’s double, as Astros starter Hunter Brown allowed just one run and four hits over six innings with nine strikeouts. Brown retired the final 12 batters he faced, and Astros pitchers struck out 14 Mariners.
Straight ⛽️
Season high Ks for Hunter Brown pic.twitter.com/cqwK56TuLw
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 29, 2024
“You can't panic out there,” Rojas said. “And I think tonight was another case of that. Being down a run for majority of the game, it felt like, but there was no sense of panic. I think everybody knew, we've just got to put together one good inning.”
Rodríguez got the scoring started for Seattle with an RBI single in the first inning.
Houston's Jeremy Peña hit a deep fly ball to left field in the second, but Luke Raley robbed him of a home run to keep the Mariners in the lead.
Two innings later, Bregman hit a two-run homer off Mariners starter Luis Castillo, who gave up five hits and two earned runs over six innings, with six strikeouts.
BREGGY GIVES US THE LEAD #RELENTLESS pic.twitter.com/Fo01q1uoRk
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 29, 2024
Castillo now has made nine consecutive starts where he has gone five-plus innings while allowing two or fewer earned runs, tied for the third-longest streak in Mariners history.
Austin Voth and Taylor Saucedo (2-0) each pitched one scoreless inning of relief for Seattle, and Ryne Stanek worked a perfect ninth inning for his third save.
The Mariners have now won three straight games.
“We're on a good roll here,” manager Scott Servais said. “You know, after having a rough little end of the road trip there, it's nice to see guys get back going again, confidence coming and again, it's how we win games. We pitch really well, you good defense, and you get some big hits and big at-bats late in the game.”
TRAINER'S ROOM
Houston: The Astros claimed RHP Kaleb Ort from Baltimore and optioned him to Triple-A Sugar Land. Ort spent parts of three years in the big leagues with Boston, but had an 0-1 record with a 12.08 ERA in 14 games this season for Triple-A Norfolk.
UP NEXT
Houston RHP Justin Verlander (3-2, 3.60 ERA) will take the mound for the Astros on Wednesday against Seattle RHP George Kirby (4-5, 4.33 ERA)
Sunday night matchups don't get much exciting than this, as the Houston Texans host the Detroit Lions in prime-time at NRG.
The Lions come into this game on a six-game winning streak looking every bit of the best team in football. Houston on the other hand has lost two of their last three games with a struggling offense unable to protect their quarterback.
CJ Stroud has only one passing touchdown over this span, and is clearly having trouble adjusting to life without Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins.
If Houston is going to come away with an upset victory, they will need big performances from Tank Dell and Joe Mixon. After catching 4 passes against the Colts two weeks ago, Mixon not only failed to catch a single pass against the Jets, but he wasn't even targeted.
Considering the Texans' offensive line issues, choosing not to use Mixon as a pass catcher is hard to fathom. Especially since he and Dell are the team's top 2 playmakers.
What's working in the Texans' favor?
They play this game at home, where they are undefeated this season. A lot of the team's protection issues have popped up on the road, so communication should be easier for the offense on their home turf.
Bulls on Parade
We have good news and bad news about the defense this week. On the positive side, Azeez Al-Shaair and Jimmy Ward have returned to practice. If they're able to contribute on Sunday night, that would give the defense a lift.
And now for the bad news. Will Anderson has yet to practice this week after rolling his ankle in the Jets game. If he is unable to practice on Friday, it's hard to imagine he'll be active against Detroit.
X-factors
The Texans have to show some improvement on the offensive line this week.
Houston must lean on Joe Mixon again, as Nico Collins isn't expected to play.
Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the league, and he does most of his damage from the slot. If the Texans continue to deploy Jalen Pitre against premier receivers in man coverage, St. Brown is going to light up the scoreboard.
What would a win over the Lions mean to Houston?
The Texans are no longer considered a true championship contender because of their losses to the Packers, Vikings, and Jets. In fact, the Bills are the only team with a winning record that the Texans have beaten.
An upset win over the streaking Lions would change that narrative.
What does Vegas think?
The Lions are currently favored by 3.5 and the total is set at 49 points.
Don't miss the full preview of Texans-Lions in the video above!
_______________
Fans of Houston sports and Houston food can now score tickets to The Tailgate, CultureMap's all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit. The event, presented by Verizon, goes down from 6-9 pm November 11 at 8th Wonder. Tickets are $75 for VIP and $50 for General Admission. For a limited time, we’re giving you $10 off; use code SPORTSMAP at checkout. Get your tickets now!