My, my, my, how things change.
Given the recent Astros slide out of first place and the Rangers’ resurgence, the Astros went into this series as decided underdogs in the race for first in the AL West.
All that is so yesterday.
With the Rangers’ 6-3 loss to the Mets combined with the 7-0 win by the Astros tonight, the Rangers and Astros are now tied for the lead of the AL West. Since the Astros own the tiebreaker, that puts the Astros in the driver’s seat in the race for the AL West’s contestant in the playoffs.
The Astros started the game gangbusters against Mariners ace starter Logan Gilbert, but let the opportunity for a big inning slip through their fingers. Consecutive singles by the first four batters, including Yordan Alvarez’s 100th RBI, left the bases loaded with no out.
And then…nothing.
The Astros missed opportunities in the second inning as well when Cam Smith led off with a double, but they failed to plate him.
It looked like the Astros were about to repeat the futility that hampered them in their winless series against Atlanta. But the Astros came through at last in the third. Altuve and Yainer Diaz singles were followed by Christian Walker’s 200th home run, breaking an 0-26 streak. By the end of the third inning, the Astros had nine hits against Gilbert.
Gilbert left the game after the fourth inning, but Astros starter Cristian Javier only lasted two scoreless innings, leaving the game with a slight groin injury. He was replaced by rookie Miguel Ullola, who held Seattle through the third and fourth innings. Ullola recorded his first major-league win.
The recently leaky Astros relief corp continued to deliver despite the early call to the pen. Bennett Sousa and his season 5.27 ERA held the Mariners scoreless through the fifth and sixth innings. Meanwhile, Isaac Paredes 23rd homer in the sixth gave the Astros a 5-0 lead.
The Astros’ offensive onslaught wasn’t done. Alvarez hit his 41st homer in the eighth inning, a two-run shot scoring Jeremy Pena. Alvarez has fallen behind in the RBI leg of his quest for the Triple Crown, with Joc Pederson leading 108 to 102. But if he continues to get three per night like tonight, he’ll surely win the Triple Crown!
Pena was hit by a pitch and eventually left the game with a swollen wrist.
The shutout of the Mariners was continued by AJ Blubaugh in the seventh inning and completed by Logan VanWey
A shutout on a bullpen game without using your leverage relievers. Twelve hits, ten against an ace, including homers by your top three home run producers. Is it possible the Astros are finding their mojo at just the right time?
“I thought our approach, our at-bats from the get-go were really good,” Espada said. “You know, getting the starter out of the game in the fourth inning,…..”
What? You know that’s “really good”? Why didn’t you do it all season? You are the manager.
Because he’s a potato Ragtime. A potato.
It reminds me of what Espada said after the meeting with Crane once Brown was let go, to paraphrase: “We need to focus on winning”
Um, Joe…. what were you focused on before? 😂
“How we played the game.”
I don’t know about Astros mojo, but the Mariners lifeless play give me hope.
Not Joc Pedersen as rbi leader. Pete Alonzo is: 108 to 102. Triple Crown ain’t gonna happen for Yordan, but a batting title (average) can. It’s time to sub OPS for BA as Triple Crown qualification.
I like it with traditional stats. It already seems like a traditional distinction to begin with.
I also feel like there should be “leadoff man” style triple crown where you lead the league in obp , runs and steals.
Call it “the Rickey”
Big fan of this. I think MLB would be open to creating the Rickey Henderson Award too.
Also could update the batting title to OPS and call the old batting title the Ichiro Suzuki Award.
The batting titles are already named after Carew and Gwynn though.
I like the idea of adding variables and attaching names to them to reward different styles of play. So if we added a new category or reworked an old one there would be another title to look at.
MLB would like it because people could bet on it.