SERIES PREVIEW
Astros aim for pivotal victories in showdown with Pirates
Jul 29, 2024, 3:18 pm
The Astros host Paul Skenes and the Pirates Monday night at Minute Maid. Composite Getty Image.
Pittsburgh Pirates (53-52, third in the NL Central) vs. Houston Astros (55-50, first in the AL West)
Houston; Monday, 8:10 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Pirates: Paul Skenes (6-1, 1.93 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 97 strikeouts); Astros: Jake Bloss (0-1, 6.94 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 11 strikeouts)
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Pirates -153, Astros +129; over/under is 7 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Houston Astros host the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday to begin a three-game series.
Houston has a 55-50 record overall and a 30-22 record at home. The Astros have a 43-26 record in games when they record eight or more hits.
Pittsburgh has a 53-52 record overall and a 27-26 record on the road. The Pirates have the sixth-ranked team ERA in the NL at 3.83.
Monday’s game is the first time these teams meet this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Yordan Alvarez has 25 doubles, two triples, 20 home runs and 54 RBI for the Astros. Jeremy Pena is 14-for-38 with two doubles, two home runs and six RBI over the last 10 games.
Connor Joe has 18 doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 31 RBI for the Pirates. Oneil Cruz is 13-for-40 with five doubles, a triple and three home runs over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Astros: 5-5, .248 batting average, 3.83 ERA, even run differential
Pirates: 6-4, .252 batting average, 3.54 ERA, outscored opponents by four runs
INJURIES: Astros: Justin Verlander: 15-Day IL (neck), Cristian Javier: 60-Day IL (forearm), Kyle Tucker: 10-Day IL (shin), Jose Urquidy: 60-Day IL (forearm), Oliver Ortega: 60-Day IL (elbow), Bennett Sousa: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Penn Murfee: 60-Day IL (elbow), Luis Garcia: 60-Day IL (elbow), Lance McCullers Jr.: 60-Day IL (elbow), Kendall Graveman: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Pirates: Nick Gonzales: 10-Day IL (undisclosed), Bailey Falter: 15-Day IL (arm), Daulton Jefferies: 15-Day IL (elbow), Jared Jones: 15-Day IL (lat), Ryan Borucki: 60-Day IL (tricep), Dauri Moreta: 60-Day IL (elbow), Endy Rodriguez: 60-Day IL (elbow), Johan Oviedo: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Here's the Astros lineup against Paul Skenes:
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A timely blast from Caratini fuels another Astros win
Jul 1, 2025, 11:32 pm
Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez has experienced a setback in his recovery from a broken right hand and will see a specialist.
Astros general manager Dana Brown said Alvarez felt pain when he arrived Tuesday at the team's spring training complex in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he had a workout a day earlier. Alvarez also took batting practice Saturday at Daikin Park.
He will be shut down until he's evaluated by the specialist.
“It’s a tough time going through this with Yordan, but I know that he’s still feeling pain and the soreness in his hand,” Brown said before Tuesday night's series opener at Colorado. “We’re not going to try to push it or force him through anything. We're just going to allow him to heal and get a little bit more answers as to what steps we take next.”
Alvarez has been sidelined for nearly two months. The injury was initially diagnosed as a muscle strain, but when Alvarez felt pain again while hitting in late May, imaging revealed a small fracture.
The 28-year-old outfielder, who has hit 31 homers or more in each of the past four seasons, had been eyeing a return as soon as this weekend at the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now it's uncertain when he'll play.
“We felt like he was close because he had felt so good of late,” Brown said, “but this is certainly news that we didn't want.”
You can watch Brown discuss the setback in the video below.
#Astros GM Dana Brown has the latest on Yordan Alvarez who will see a hand specialist tomorrow
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Also Tuesday, the Astros officially placed shortstop Jeremy Peña on the 10-day injured list with a fractured rib and recalled infielder Shay Whitcomb from Triple-A Sugar Land.