Astros on life support: Realities for the tough final stretch
STONE COLD 'STROS
25 September 2023
With so much on the line for the Astros this past weekend, they couldn't possibly get swept by the Royals, could they?
That's exactly what they did thanks to some poor pitching, and an inability to get timely hits with runners in scoring position.
The Astros are currently clinging to the last wild card position as they head to Seattle to face the Mariners, with Justin Verlander on the mound for the 'Stros.
Starting pitching has been the biggest issue for the club as of late, with Hunter Brown looking unusable moving forward. Brown has given up, wait for this, 6 earned runs or more in 3 of his last 4 starts. His ERA for the season is now over 5.
So how will the rotation look over the final stretch of games? We know for the Mariners series the team is rolling out Verlander, Cristian Javier, and Framber Valdez.
The club is off on Thursday, and they head to Arizona for a 3-game series with the Diamondbacks that starts Friday. We predict JP France will pitch Friday, with Justin Verlander likely taking the ball Saturday.
Then all bets are off for Sunday. It could be Framber on 3-days rest, or all hands on deck for a bullpen game.
Of course, with the division race being so close, things could change on a daily basis. There's even a scenario where Arizona secures their wild card, and the final two games of the season don't matter for them.
The other big factor will be the outcome of the 4-game Rangers-Mariners series that finishes off the season.
Be sure to watch the video above as we examine all the scenarios leading up to the end of the regular season for Houston, and much more!
Watch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) every Thursday on SportsMap Houston's YouTube channel.
How a new chapter in Astros history was just written
Jul 2, 2025, 10:45 pm
Jose Altuve has passed Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell for second place on the career hits list for the Houston Astros.
With a bunt single in the first inning and a two-run single in the sixth on Wednesday night at Colorado, Altuve raised his career total to 2,315 hits, one more than Bagwell. Hall of Famer Craig Biggio is the franchise leader with 3,060 career hits.
You can relive the big moment in the video below!
He does it!
Jose Altuve is now 2nd in the Astros all time hit list. pic.twitter.com/ZNJVGcTjWp
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 3, 2025
Altuve, a nine-time All-Star who moved this season from second base to left field, is in his 15th major league season, all with Houston. Both Biggio and Bagwell also spent their entire careers with the Astros.
Among active players, Altuve is second in career hits behind Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, who had 2,351 entering Wednesday.
