The Astros managed to pitch less badly than their opponent for the first time in eight games, breaking their losing streak and taking down the Colorado Rockies 7-6 in the first game of the homestand.
The Rockies greeted returning journeyman starter Colton Gordon rudely in his first start of the season with a solo, first-inning Hunter Goodman homerun.
The Rockies piled on against Gordon in the second, when, with two outs, three consecutive hits yielded two runs, the killer strike a triple by Jake McCarthy.
Despite losing eight straight going into the game, the Astros weren’t quitting. Christian (Sky) Walker hit his fourth homer of the season, a solo shot 422 feet high above the Crawford Boxes.
Some hard hitting and a little luck in the third gave the Astros their first lead in what seems like forever. It started with a Christian Vazquez leadoff double, followed by a fielding error putting Jose Altuve on base, a balk, and a Yordan Alvarez two-run double.
Two fielders’ choices, the second by Christian Walker scoring Alvarez, gave the Astros their first lead in the game. Cam Smith’s single scoring Carlos Correa gave the Astros a 5-3 lead. Joey Loperfido unofficially knocked in another run on a hard hit grounder to second, wrongly ruled an error, and with two outs, Vazquez, who started the inning, singled home the Astros’ seventh run.
When will Vazquez earn a starting role?
The Rockies weren’t about to cry uncle with Gordon on the mound. In the fourth, Jordon Beck hit one just beyond the reach of right fielder Cam Smith to make the score 7-4. Two hits and a hit-by-pitch later loaded the bases for the Rocks, bringing A.J. Blubaugh in for Gordon. Given the course so far of the 2026 season, the sparse crowd at Daikin Park expected disaster, but Blubaugh got Mickey Moniak to pop up, limiting the damage and preserving the lead.
Gordon’s performance was about par for the course for Astros starters this year, at least those not named Brown. He allowed four runs in 3.2 innings, giving him a 9.82 season ERA. He did throw strikes, 50 out of 68 pitches. His five Ks were balanced by two homers allowed.
The Astros were not out of the woods. Goodman led off the fifth inning with his second homer of the night. But with bated breath, Astros fans watched anxiously as Blubaugh managed to complete the inning without allowing another run.
The Rockies mounted a threat in the eighth as Kai Wei Teng, in his second inning pitched, walked two runners, bringing on Bryan King with one out. King quickly gave up an RBI single to Troy Johnson but came back to record a strikeout and pop up to preserve the lead, 7-6.
King made it dramatic, trying to close the game in the ninth. Cruising for the first two outs, he then allowed two singles on 0-2 counts, putting runners on first and third for Enyal De Los Santos. Santos got the save, striking out Jordan Beck to put the Astros in the win column again at long last.
Astros pitchers have failed to hold their opponents to fewer than five runs for nine straight games. On the plus side, the Astros still lead the league in most important hitting categories, and had 10 hits, three doubles, and a homer tonight. It was another big night for Walker, who was 3-4 and is hitting .313 with a .983 OPS on the season.
The two teams clash again tomorrow. The pitcher has not been announced, but the game could mark the return of beloved Spaghetti, Spencer Arrighetti.
I’ll be the first of many to say this’d. We want Vasquez catching 2/3’s of the games from now on. I don’t even want to see a 50/50 split. Enough is enough.
Also Walker has found another gear man. Crow is being served up happily.
Yeah.
There are a couple of factors that I think add to the stink of the pitching staff
Eric Katz: Coming from the White Sox and bringing his loser stink with him. I believe as part of the analytics/information portion of the pitching coach staff, he relays his “gameplan” to Miller…..and it ain’t it…AT ALL (add the fact that the pitchers are not used to his intel, all they knew was Bill Murphy’s…..)
Yainer Diaz: Diaz is a complete utter Muppet when it comes to catching/calling a game for his pitcher/having any semblance of strike zone recognition
I need the adults to take over please (as in Josh Miller and Christian Vasquez), and stay in control.
The Katz pickup in the front office is head scratching. Why would any team want something from the White Sox in front office approach???
pitch less badly 😂
if we score 7 runs a game we should be just fine
Is this the new normal? Gifting 5 runs every game?