With a bullpen full of names few people outside the Astros ‘ fanbase have even heard of, and having to pitch five or more innings every day, it’s no surprise the Guardians were able to overcome a late Astros lead to take Game 2 of the series in Cleveland, 8-5.
In a clash between Astros fringe major league starter Ryan Weiss and Guardians ROY candidate Parker Messick, it was all Messick to start the game. But at least Weiss kept the game close for the Stros, going 3.1 innings, allowing two runs on a homer to Angel Martinez and an RBI single to George Valera. Walks hurt Weiss, allowing four to go with the five hits allowed.
On the other hand, Messick held the Astros scoreless for four innings. But after throwing 112 pitches in his near no-hitter in his last start, Messick appeared to tire in the fifth inning.
Isaac Paredes started the inning with a single, and with one out, Yanier Diaz doubled Paredes to third. Paredes scored on a Brice Mathews single, but Mathews got thrown out trying to take second on the play. However, with two outs, the rally was not over, as Messick hit Dustin Harris and walked Carlos Correa. This brought up mighty Yordan Alvarez with the bases loaded, and he didn’t disappoint, singling home two runners to give the Astros a 3-2 lead. Unfortunately, Alvarez was thrown out at second base when, upon review, it was determined his foot left the base during the tag.
So the Astros scored three in the fifth despite losing two runners on the basepaths.
The Guardians threatened in their fifth after reliever Colton Gordon allowed two singles with one out. But Kai Wei Teng came in to snuff out the rally with two Ks to hold the lead. Teng stayed in for the sixth inning and held the Guardians three up, three down.
In the seventh inning, the Astros started the inning putting runners on first and second against reliever Connor Brogdon on a Cam Smith infield hit and a hard-hit Diaz error. Both runners advanced on a Mathews sacrifice bunt. The bases were loaded when Daniel Johnson, in his first Astros AB, was hit by new Guardians pitcher Tim Herrin. Correa then blooped a lazy fly single to right field to score the Astros’ fourth run. Unfortunately, the meat of the order failed to add on. Alvarez’s short fly to right kept Diaz stranded on third, and Altuve grounded out to limit the promising rally to one run.
To everyone’s surprise, Teng came back to pitch the seventh inning for the Stros, holding the Guardians for the full 2.2 innings he pitched. In a season when Astros pitching looks historically disastrous, Teng radiates like a beam of sunshine through dark storm clouds.
But if you thought the no-name, overworked Astros bullpen couldn’t hold the Guardians for the whole game, you were right. Enyal De Los Santos allowed a run in the eighth inning before surrendering the mound to Bryan King with two runners and one out. King walked his first batter to load the bases and then allowed a bases-loaded triple to Chase De Lauter to give the Guadians a 6-4 lead. King then intentionally walked Jose Ramirez, who stole second, and scored with De Lauter on a Kyle Manzardo single. Guardians, 8-4.
The Astros managed a meaningless run in the ninth on another Alvarez RBI, but the game ended on an Altuve strikeout, who has gone hitless so far in two games in Cleveland.
Still, but for better baserunning in the fifth, and some clutch hitting in the seventh, the Astros could have taken this game despite allowing eight runs. But five runs should win games, unless you have the league’s worst ERA at 5.93. The bullpen’s 5.66 is the second worst in baseball, and that’s before tonight’s meltdown.
What on Earth happened to the legendary Astros pitching?
Continuing a post mortem discussion at the end of yesterday’s discord gamethread, I’m not sure there were a lot of good options to finish out that game.
It’s day 12 of 13 games in a row with 2 travels in there. The starters have given no length. The pen, as aptly described by bill in the headline is tired. Weiss gives you just 3.1 innings yesterday.
When I saw DLS was coming in, I figured this must be a somewhat desperate (but maybe necessary) play by Espada to get a 6 out save from him. Because Abreu looks to have already been moved off the 9th and King threw an insane 40 pitches Sunday.
I obviously don’t want 16 ERA Abreu in these games, but the fact that “recently pitched 40 Pitches” King was more on the table than Abreu is telling about Abreu.
But really there weren’t any good options. Long stretch of games, taxed pen, you can’t hide anybody.
(Edit: sorry I meant that as a new post, not specifically as a reply to you, ragtime.)
We used Okert-Blubaugh-Murray the day before. Had already used Gordon-Teng-Santos that game. Abreu and King were quite literally the only relievers left to pitch. I doubt the outcome of the game changes had Abreu came in the game instead of King.
Billy Murphy left……and Ethan Katz replaced him…..
In this run of the games, the pitching isn’t on fumes. It’s in an intensive care bed with a code being called. Espada tried to put the paddles on King, but it wasn’t enough.
And still one more left today 🤦♂️
if Lambert doesnt give us any length today idk what will happen to the BP but it wont be pretty
Pretty is not a word I’ve seen come up much this season anyways.
HOU leads the AL in innings pitched by the bullpen. (Despite rarely ever having to cover the 9th inning on road games)
It’s rough.