STATEMENT MADE
Hunter Brown dominates early as Astros storm back to beat New York
Mar 11, 2025, 3:46 pm
Everything was working for Hunter Brown on Tuesday. Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images.
The Houston Astros secured a 7-4 victory over the New York Mets, fueled by dominant pitching performances and a late offensive surge.
Hunter Brown set the tone early, delivering a dominant start with four scoreless innings while striking out six. His command and poise on the mound kept the Mets' hitters off balance, showcasing why the Astros have high expectations for the young right-hander.
Josh Hader followed with a scoreless fifth inning, and Bryan Abreu continued the trend with a shutout sixth. Abreu also flashed his athleticism, making a slick play off the mound to throw out a runner at first.
Things took a turn in the seventh when Tayler Scott struggled, allowing three hits and walking the bases loaded with two outs. Donovan Walton capitalized, crushing a high fastball for a grand slam to put the Mets up 4-0. Despite his rocky outing, Scott ended up with the win as Houston mounted a comeback.
Brendan Rodgers helped ignite the rally, slashing a ground-rule double to cut the deficit to 4-2. He later told the Astros’ broadcast team that he has been working to shorten his swing. Jose Altuve then delivered in the clutch, ripping a double down the left-field line to even the score at 4-4. Moments later, Luis Guillorme singled to right, bringing home Altuve and giving the Astros a 5-4 lead.
Houston kept the momentum going in the eighth, tacking on two more runs for insurance. Steven Okert continued his impressive spring, striking out the side in the eighth while keeping his hitless streak intact. Logan VanWey sealed the victory with a scoreless ninth, earning the save.
With another strong team effort, the Astros showed resilience and depth as they continue to prepare for the regular season.
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The Houston Astros are in the middle of a midseason surge that’s turned heads across the American League, but don’t let the win streak distract from one key truth: they’re doing this with less.
So what’s powering the Astros’ recent run? It starts with elite pitching. Despite an offense that's been merely middle-of-the-pack — 14th in OPS, 20th in runs scored, and 17th in slugging — Houston ranks fifth in team ERA and leads the majors in batting average against (.218). That’s how they’re winning series while missing key pieces of their core.
Still, there’s more to this run than numbers. Is the resilience we’re seeing tangible evidence of the Astros’ winning culture? Absolutely — especially lately. Rookie Cam Smith is the latest example. He delivered the first walk-off hit of his career over the weekend and looks like he belongs in the big leagues. Meanwhile, the lineup has caught fire over the last week hitting:
- Jose Altuve: .429
- Jeremy Peña: .417
- Cam Smith: .304
- Yainer Diaz: .292
- Christian Walker: .278
And all of this has come without one of Houston’s top two hitters being unavailable for the Twins series, Isaac Paredes, who remains sidelined with a sore hamstring.
With 71 games in the books, the conversation around second-year manager Joe Espada is beginning to shift — from quiet confidence to serious consideration for AL Manager of the Year. The case is strong. Espada has navigated a bruised and bruising season that’s seen Yordan Alvarez miss extended time with a fractured bone in his hand and three key starting pitchers (Spencer Arrighetti, Hayden Wesneski, Ronel Blanco) land on the shelf — two of them for the year.
So, what would it take for Astros owner Jim Crane to give GM Dana Brown the green light to aggressively pursue help at the deadline? History suggests pitching would be the priority. But with young arms like Colton Gordon, Ryan Gusto, and Brandon Walter stepping up, a move may not feel necessary, especially if it means exceeding the luxury tax threshold.
The Astros might be banged up, but they’re thriving and proving they don’t need to be at full strength to play like contenders.
There's so much more to cover! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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