After looking so lackluster in the first two games of the season, the Astros fought like honey badgers today in the fourth game of this four-game series, securing a hard-won split with the Angels.
It was the rookie debut of highly touted Japanese free agent Tatsuya Imai, and his future looked bright it in the first two innings, striking out Mike Trout on three pitches while shutting out the Halos with four Ks.
It looked like Imai might cruise after the Astros scored four runs in their half of the second, led by a Joey Loperfido double, a two-run Christian Vasquez single, an RBI Yordan Alvarez single, and a throwing error by Angels’ third baseman Yoan Moncado, scoring the fourth run.
But Imai’s debut was not going to be so easy after all. The Angels tied the score in the third on two walks, two singles, and a three-run double by Jorge Soler. With two outs, Rule 5 pickup Roddery Munoz put out the flames, striking out Josh Lowe.
Imai finished the game allowing four earned runs on four hits, four strikeouts, and four walks in 2.2 IP.
In the fifth, Munoz found himself again in trouble. But with runners on first and third and two outs, Christian Roa came in to strike out Travis d’Arnaud, keeping the game close.
It got closer in the fifth inning, as red-hot Christian Walker (red-hot who?) smacked a two-out, two RBI double to tie the score at six, scoring Isaac Paredes and Jose Altuve.
Scoreless relief work by Steven Okert and two innings by AJ Blubaugh set the stage for the Astros’ go-ahead eighth inning featuring a Paredes two-run double and an Altuve RBI double, his first extra-base hit of the season.
It was all but over. Just hand the ball to shutdown closer Bryan Abreu and get the shower water warmed up.
Oh no. Something was terribly wrong with Abreu. A guy who normally hits 98, his velocity was around 92 today, and he managed only four strikes on the fourteen pitches he threw before being relieved by Bryan King.
Let’s hope it’s just a bad day, but I fear it’s worse than that. Time will tell. But today Bryan King struck out his last two batters after surrendering an RBI single to get the save and secure an Astros split of the season’s first series.
As this series progressed, there seems to be an inversion of concerns about the Astros. Going into the season, most of us thought starting pitching was the strength of the team. But the ERAs of the #s 2, 3, and 4 pitchers are 7.94, 11.57, and 13.50, respectively. The Astros had 27 walks in the series and lead the league in pitch count. On the other hand, the Astros’ offense managed 20 runs in their last two games, although Angels generosity accounted for quite a few of those.
The Astros send Lance McCullers against the Red Sox tomorrow and Hunter Brown on Tuesday. Hopefully, he can add better control to the strikeout arsenal he showed on Opening Day.
Feature photo from @astros on X, Source Link.
I don’t like to hear Abreu’s velocity drop. That’s never a good sign.
Lance tomorrow, not Brown!
Too many pitches the night before a day game. Not surprising his velo dropped. I suspect he was also trying to be more careful and throw strikes. (It didn’t work.)
Offensive approach the last 2 games is a fantastic sign and led to crooked numbers (11 runs and 9 runs).
You could thank the Angels generosity, but last season we were CLAMORING for RISP numbers to improve along with approach, instead of either striking out or GIDP….and we DIDN’T do that here last 2 games.
Yordan is LOCKED IN and if Suzuki is already giving him the Bonds treatment, the league is screwed….
I credit Suzuki for being the first opposing manager to not just be like “oh well it’s ok to pitch to Yordan, I have a lefty on the mound” as if Yordan doesn’t crush lefties too.
He opted to let his lefty pitch to righty Paredes rather than risk Yordan taking swings. Now it didn’t work out for him, but I still credit him for making that call.