Shutout leaves an especially bad taste
Hinch says ‘it ain’t fair’ how strike zone called vs. Arizona
The Astros revert to their worst habits in Thursday’s 4-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Minute Maid Park.
Frustration. Errors. Waning command. Fruitless at-bats. Criticizing umpires.
The Astros, previously impervious to their mistakes and unforgiving to their opposition’s, reverted to their worst habits in Thursday’s 4-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Minute Maid Park.
The Astros had scored 18 runs on Tuesday and Wednesday, but they do not appear finished with a second-half lull that has cast doubt over their postseason potential and soured their mood.
Diamondbacks lefthander Patrick Corbin (10-11) cut down MLB’s most productive offense with a slider that tempted 10 swinging strikes. He struck out seven batters and pitched 82⁄3 scoreless innings.
Despite the Astros going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, manager A.J. Hinch seethed over how the game ended.
Corbin likely would have completed the shutout were it not for a twoout double by Yuli Gurriel in the ninth. Then, for the final out, Marwin Gonzalez was called out on strikes on a fastball by reliever Archie Bradley.
“I know we’re not supposed to talk about the umpires,” Hinch said, “but, honestly, today, to have the 27th out be taken away … it ain’t fair.
“Marwin gets to take a strikeout to end the game. We could have built an inning after that, and I’m tired of it. I’m tired of our guys getting taken to task for knowing the strike zone. That’s not the reason that we lost today. That’s not the reason that we’ve had a tough week, but it’s garbage when you start getting at-bats taken away from you.”
‘Liberal strike zone’
Hinch said his team was disadvantaged by a skewed strike zone the past week, in which the same umpiring crew was used for the four games between the Astros and Arizona. After the Diamondbacks beat the Astros 2-0 on Monday, Hinch complained opposing starter Zack Greinke “got the benefit of a liberal strike zone.”
“Take nothing away from Corbin. Grienke had an excellent game,” Hinch said Thursday. “But this is an accumulation of a weeklong feeling that we’ve gotten the wrong end of these strike zones.”
Astros starter Mike Fiers (7-8, 4.32 ERA) gave up three runs (two earned) and lasted 51⁄3 innings because he often fell behind in the count.
Before the game, Hinch said that what had led to a 5.58 ERA in seven previous starts was Fiers not throwing enough strikes. Fiers struggled again Thursday.
A 37-pitch third inning ruined his chance for a deep outing. He started it by walking Ketel Marte, sending him to third with a pickoff throw that rolled into the outfield and walking Chris Herrmann. With Gurriel holding on Herrmann at first, Jeff Mathis slashed a single to drive in Marte.
After inducing a popup, Fiers came back from 3-1 and 3-0 counts to strike out consecutive batters.
In the fourth, Fiers surrendered an inside-thepark home run to Daniel Descalso, who scored after his line drive to center caromed awkwardly and Jake Marisnick fumbled the ball.
In the sixth, Fiers allowed his 30th home run of the season, which tied him for the major league lead. Jake Lamb clobbered a first-pitch 89 mph fastball for his 26th home run to make it 3-0 Diamondbacks.
“Solo home runs don’t usually beat you, but today they did,” Fiers said.
Fiers also said an inconsistent strike zone favored the Diamondbacks.
“It was one-sided,” he said. “It’s tough when the zone is that big for them and it shrinks for your guys.”
Francisco Liriano, who before the game said he’s figuring out how to transition from starter to reliever since being acquired at the trade deadline, turned in 12⁄3 innings of satisfactory relief. He ended the sixth and seventh innings with double plays.
Hinch removed Liriano after he gave up a single to David Peralta to start the eighth. Peralta scored the final run when catcher Matt Stassi overthrew third base for an error.
The Astros squandered their best scoring chances with multiple men on base in the middle innings.
Squandered chances
Alex Bregman could not drive in Marisnick and George Springer in the fourth, but he had another chance with them on base in the sixth. Bregman lined a ball 361 feet to leftcenter, where Herrmann — a Tomball native and Alvin Community College alumnus — made a leaping catch in front of the visitor’s bullpen.
After Corbin advanced the runners with a wild pitch, Jose Altuve struck out on a check swing confirmed by first-base umpire Ramon De Jesus and Gurriel whiffed at a slider in the dirt.
The game’s final at-bat reached a full count, but Gonzalez, batting from the left side against the righthanded Bradley, swung only at one pitch: a curveball in the middle of the zone. The other strikes appeared low and outside.
Gonzalez alluded to plate umpire Paul Nauert when asked about the strike calls.
“I should not be the one talking about where the pitch was,” Gonzalez said of the final strike. “It should be the guy behind the plate answering that.”