Losing Friday’s game against the Orioles stung, plain and simple. Both the Rangers and Mariners lost, so a chance to make up some ground in the AL West and AL Wild Card races wasn’t capitalized on. Wasting a ten-strikeout performance from Peter Lambert with so much uncertainty within the starting rotation is particularly frustrating. For as much as I enjoyed watching Spencer Arrighetti, Saturday’s starter, throughout May, it hasn’t been easy watching him since then (8.74 ERA/6.44 FIP in 35 innings).
While the bullpen has been respectable since May 1, posting a 3.10 ERA as a unit, the starting rotation remains a huge concern. Only two teams in baseball have a higher ERA (Rockies and A’s) among their starters than the Astros, and both of those clubs play their home games in noticeably hitter-friendly environments. So, yes, another starting pitcher (or three) could really improve this club.
With that said, I don’t find it likely that Houston will acquire even one starting pitcher that can meaningfully move the needle enough for this team to make a deep postseason run. Considering the muddy waters of the AL and the lack of prospects to trade, I am not particularly optimistic about the team’s chances. The plan, for better or worse, might be a repeat of last season’s playbook: hope for better health and the return of a couple of arms. This year, it’ll fall upon Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski, who were both members of the 2025 rotation before eventual Tommy John surgeries sidelined them early in that campaign.
Of course, we could see a similar deal to the one that netted Yusei Kikuchi back in 2024. There are some players on the fringes of this roster that can serve as this year’s version of the Jake Bloss, Joey Loperfido, and Will Wagner package. And the Astros did clear around $2.5 million in the Lance McCullers Jr. trade to improve their ability to absorb money in a trade. Whether it’ll be worth it is up for debate.
Orioles @ Astros Game Information and Gamethread Details
I’d also like to find another outfielder because this group still depresses me. I don’t care if they’re right-handed or left-handed; just another decent hitter would be nice in a lineup that feels at least two to three quality batters short most games.
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Feature photo from Astros on X
We wasted a 10K from Lambert and a 9 BB gifted by the Orioles’ pitchers