Am I surprised that the Astros’ lineup struggled tonight against George Kirby? Nah, not really. I mean, he entered Monday with a career 2.17 ERA in ten career starts against Houston (58 innings). The odds felt pretty high that he could closely replicate those past performances entering this contest, especially against a lineup that has scuffled in recent games.
But the Astros did manage seven hits off of Kirby, albeit all were singles. So, you know, not really much of a consolation prize. Seven of the lineup’s nine hits were from the top three hitters in the lineup: Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, and Isaac Paredes. The outfield, in particular, had a rough evening at the plate, with Zach Cole, Cam Smith, and Brice Matthews going 0-for-10 with seven strikeouts and two walks. For as much as that outfield alignment intrigues me, the downside risk is real. Cole and Matthews, both of whom have issues with whiffing, accounted for six of the team’s 13 strikeouts. Other than Paredes’ RBI single to drive in Altuve in the bottom of the fifth, this offense did little else.
The pitching staff, though, did well. Yes, Peter Lambert couldn’t escape a jam in the second inning before allowing two runs. And Julio Rodríguez did blast a solo home run in the third. But seven innings of three-run ball is a positive development for this pitching staff, although it occurred in a losing effort was highly frustrating. The loss doesn’t fall on Lambert as much as it does on the lineup’s inability to secure some proper run support.
Back to the lineup for a quick minute.
The Astros, as you may recall, had a strong start to the 2026 season in the run-scoring department. From Opening Day through April 30, only three teams scored more runs than Houston’s 168: the Braves (177), Nationals (175), and Cubs (169). The closest American League team was the Twins with 154 runs scored. Not only was this a good lineup, but it was also one of the best.
We’re only 11 days into May, so take what I am about to share with a grain of salt. But, for this month, the Astros have had one of the worst lineups in baseball in terms of run scoring. Entering Monday, only two teams have scored fewer runs to start this month than Houston’s 28: the Angels (27) and Giants (26). 16 of those 28 runs took place in two games. 12 runs across the other seven games. And roughly around the time that this pitching staff decided to become average at run prevention.
Yeah, that sounds about right for how this season has started.
Now ten games under .500 with a 16-26 record, and already dropping their fifth game of the season to Seattle, things don’t bode well for the Astros at the moment. Honestly, it hasn’t since that 1-9 road trip in April, but you get the point. This week of home games against the Mariners and Rangers could likely determine how the 2026 season unfolds for Houston. This first game encourages me from a pitching standpoint, yet the lack of run scoring in recent weeks is increasingly disconcerting.
Feature photo from @astros on X, Source Link
Gotta pull something good from the game – so yeah Lamber has been good lately. Another 7ip QS. He is quietly becoming one of our best trade chips DT the deadline
I’ll take this performance every time. From a guy who was like 9th or 10th on the SP depth chart to a rotation anchor (at least for now), one of the few bright spots of this season.
An old theme of mine. Espada doesn’t move the runners, doesn’t manufacture runs. Not even in extra innings. We need four hits in one inning to score one run.