It was Care Bear night at Daikin Park. But all the cute Teddy Bears in the world will not help the Astros faithful sleep any better tonight. This abysmal season grinds on. Tonight the Astros were humiliated yet again, 10-2.
Tonight was Tatsuya Imai’s return to the major league mound. It started with promise, getting the heart of the Mariners’ lineup 1-2-3 in the first inning. But as the game went on, it was the same Imai we saw earlier in the season. His luck did not hold in the second, as a Randy Arozarena two-run homer gave the Mariners the early lead.
The Astros answered in their half of the second with one run on a Braden Shewmake RBI single, which followed a Zach DeZenzo double. They tied the score in the third when Christian Walker doubled home Jose Altuve, who, along with Yordan Alvarez, walked in front of Walker.
Imai’s control, a major bugaboo in his early-season starts, looked better in the first three innings of this game. But two hit by pitches and a walk culminated in four more Mariner runs courtesy of a Dominic Canzone grand slam in the fourth. Particularly frustrating was the “strikeout” against leadoff hitter Arozarena, which was nullified upon review because the pitch was less than 0.1 inches off the plate. Imai left the game with a 9.24 season ERA. He allowed five hits and three walks in his four innings pitched.
Jayden Murray replaced Imai in the fifth but fared little better, surrendering a two-out RBI single to J.P. Crawford to increase the Mariners’ lead to 7-2.
Arozarena continued a perfect night in the seventh off Murray, doubling home Cal Raleigh, who broke a 0-38 hitting drought with a single to center. Arozarena ended the night 4-4. In the ninth, AJ Blubaugh walked in a run and allowed a long scarifice fly to give the Ms their 10-2 lead.
Astros pitching continues its league leading generosity. Their team ERA of 5.50 is league-worst, and nobody else is even close. But the offense has been unable to sustain in early-season potency. Without Alvarez slugging, there is no punch. After earning Player of the Month in April, this May, Alvarez is hitting .184, with a wRC of 58. And that does not include tonight’s 0-3 with two Ks.
The Astros got runners on second and third in the ninth, but rookie pitcher Domingo Gonzalez held the Astros in his debut appearance.
“Big league hitters? Ain’t nothing but a thang.” Not so fast, Domingo. Does facing the Astros right now qualify as a big league debut?
Do you think the return of Jeremy Pena, Josh Hader, or Hunter Brown will make this team competitive? Not by much, methinks.
Perfect photo
We got pounded on Care Bear night. That’s about as low as you can go.
Massacre