Such a promising game eventually gave way to disappointment.
While it feels weird to rag on a division-leading team, these Astros certainly have flaws. Plenty of them. Those issues were again on display on Saturday.
However, things were looking fairly decent for the Astros in the first six innings. Ethan Pecko only lasted 4.1 innings, but he held the Diamondbacks to one run even if his stuff didn’t look particularly noteworthy. In all honesty, this team can’t really ask for more of him other than four to five innings without imploding.
The lineup was the Isaac Paredes show. Somehow, that is both good and bad. The third baseman drove in all three of Houston’s runs with a pair of RBI singles, one in the third inning and another in the fifth. You can’t fault him for this loss. But the rest of the lineup didn’t pick up the slack. I don’t critique Yordan Alvarez much, yet his strikeout looking in the tenth inning that started off with a 3-0 count was frustrating.
Jeremy Peña and Christian Walker continue to struggle, with two held hitless in nine combined plate appearances. The entire lineup was 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Only two walks, both from Alvarez, compared to ten strikeouts. Simply not a good evening for the bats. While the pitching staff always remains a concern, this lineup likely won’t cut it as long as Alvarez and Peña are in slumps.
Unfortunately, Arizona gradually chipped away at the 3-1 lead, eventually tying the game in the eighth. Kai-Wei Teng walked two of his three hitters, with one of those inherited runners scoring when AJ Blubaugh took over. Ketel Marte tied it up in the eighth with a solo home run. Bryan King gave up a base hit to Gabriel Moreno in the tenth to score the zombie runner from second base to break the tie.
A 4-3 loss, thankfully, didn’t harm the Astros. Both the Rangers and Mariners lost, so no ground was lost. Alas, it was a prime opportunity to gain a game, especially for an outcome decided by a run in extra innings. Hopefully this isn’t a game we all lament later this month.
Feature photo from Astros on X
Pecko gets hit hard. My guess is he doesn’t have much movement in his fast ball. Strom should be able to help him to spin it more.
We can’t afford that big hole in the first hole. 5-0, nothing, nil, nada in front of Yordan.
It wasn’t a plan A win, but it was a plan B win: the Rangers Mariners White Sox and Guardians all lost. (Blue Jays unfortunately won)
So Fangraphs playoff odds still went up for the Astros, but if we could have just held on, a win could have really been a dagger for the rangers and mariners.
Let’s get back at it today
Without editorial comment, here’s a stat from Baseball-Reference: in the last 28 days, Christian Walker is batting .153 with a .453 OPS.
I’ll go even further…..
Since JUNE…..
Christian Walker: .210/.282/.353/.635, 8 HRs, 34 RBIs……
What’s even more insane is that we’re 45-33 (.577) in those 78 games.
AND I’ll add to that insanity…..
When he was KILLING the ball????
March through May….
Christian Walker: .249/.324/.511/.835, 16 HRs, 43 RBIs…….
Our record? 26-34 (.433)
LMAO. Baseball….
I didn’t like using Hader in the 9th inning after the D-Backs tied the score in the 9th. I really depended to much on a do or die 9th inning walk off win (which of course didn’t happen). The usage of Hader hurts the team in Sunday’s game, because he will likely be unavailable. It also precludes the potential use of Hader in the 10th inning, if they wanted to go for it in extras. The Astros don’t have enough swing and miss pitchers to utilize in extra innings.
The Astros also should have prioritized advancing the runner in the bottom of the 10th. I know Yordan is Yordan. But after he got to a 3-0 count, he needs to prioritize either drawing the walk or simply making contact that would advance the runner. Advancing the “free runner at 2d” is essential in that situation.