Quick, when was the last time an Astros starter had a quality start? Okay, Hayden Wesneski threw 7 innings and allowed just 3 runs in the Giants series, there’s that. But apart from that one Wesneski start, when was the last time? When was the last time an Astros starter even threw 6 innings? Or how about anything more than 5 innings?
It’s been awhile. Excepting that Wesneski start, no Astros starter has even recorded an out in the 6th inning since Hunter Brown went 6 innings on August 5th, back in the Toronto series. 1 out of the last 11 games. That’s a lot of innings the bullpen has had to cover.
Thankfully, the bullpen is the team’s strength, and the primary reason why the Astros have been able to keep their head above water (1 game above .500, so barely above.) Towards the end of May, I wrote about how the bullpen was getting better, after a rough April. It’s outright excellent now. Since June 1, the bullpen ranks towards top 3 in MLB in most every category:
| Stat | Value | MLB Rank |
|---|---|---|
| ERA | 2.86 | 3 |
| xERA | 3.20 | 3 |
| FIP | 3.54 | 3 |
| xFIP | 3.74 | 3 |
| SIERA | 3.22 | 2 |
| BB% | 7.4% | 3 |
| K% | 26.7% | 2 |
| WHIP | 1.10 | 3 |
| AVG | .216 | 2 |
| WAR | 3.4 | 2 |
It’s not a coincidence that Josh Hader came back on June 3. He’s been phenomenal since his return; there’s one less inning the Astros have to worry about when they go for a win.
However, when you’re constantly getting 5 or few innings out of your starters, the bullpen gets taxed, and if American history has taught us anything, it’s that when you tax a group too much, you end up with tea in the harbor.
The Astros bullpen has thrown 511.2 innings already this season. That’s already more than the 2018 and 2022 teams threw all season and there’s still 2 weeks left in August. This is a pace for 652.2 IP on the season. That would absolutely obliterate the franchise record of 581.1 innings, set by the 2003 bullpen.
The Astros season is down to 35 games left. The bullpen has been carrying this team, but is too much being asked of it?
Unfortunately, the offense has vanished in August and there’s no real rotation to speak of, so there’s nobody else to ask.
Angels @ Astros Game Information and Gamethread Details
Peter Lambert makes his 22nd start of the season tonight, the most on the team. While he hasn’t been able to give length lately, he’s still been the most reliable arm in the rotation, with 8 straight starts of at least 5 innings and no more than 2 runs allowed. He sits at 8-6 on the season with a 3.11 ERA and 1.15 WHIP.
Opposite Lambert, the Angels start right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, who has not been good in 2026. In 13 starts this season, Rodriguez has 7.17 ERA, and his advanced metrics are only mildly better, with an xERA of 6.39 and xFIP of 4.65. He is 3-5 on the season with a 1.59 WHIP, 8.4 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9. His comeback from injuries that kept him out of the 2025 season has not been going well.
Rodriguez managed to have two of his better games this season against the Astros. On June 8, he pitched 5.1 innings, allowed 2 runs, on 3 hits, 2 walks and struck out 6. On July 29, he pitched 5 innings, allowed 2 runs, 2 hits (both home runs), 2 walks and struck out 6. The Astros ultimately won both those games.
The game will be broadcast at 7:10 p.m. CT on SCHN with radio coverage on KBME 790 AM.
This post will be updated with starting lineup as they are made available.
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