Sagging lineup gets day off after splitting in Cleveland
CLEVELAND — Heading into the weekend, as fireworks exploded in the Ohio sky above Progressive Field and ironically commemorated a second blowout loss for the home team, the Astros were up 2-0 in a four-game series against the Guardians and gaining ground on the Yankees in the race for the American League’s best record.
After scoring 15 runs against the Guardians in two wins Thursday and Friday, the Astros scored one measly run across losses Saturday and Sunday to split the series. Houston (70-40) is a halfgame behind New York (70-39) in the AL standings.
Since the All-Star break, the Astros have an 11-8 record with losses in four of their last seven games. After starting the second half with 19 games in 18 days, they have a mercifully scheduled off day Monday before a six-game homestand begins Tuesday.
Offense out of gas
The one run Houston scored over the last two games is the club’s lowest total over any two-game span since it went scoreless from Aug. 31-Sept. 1, 2021.
The Astros didn’t have close to their A-team Sunday, as Jose Altuve, Yuli Gurriel and Kyle Tucker were all kept out of the starting lineup for rest management. But even with Altuve, Tucker and Christian Vázquez getting pinch-hit plate appearances late in the game, a pair of second-inning singles were Houston’s only hits.
“I would say it's baseball,” shortstop Jeremy Peña said. “You have good days; you have bad days. Days where you rake, days you don't. So it'll pass on. And we played good defense. Today, I felt like we hit the ball pretty well, (but) right at their defenders. They made some nice plays, and that's the way the game unfolded.”
In the last two games of the series, the Guardians struck 18 hits to the Astros’ eight. In 61 plate appearances during that span, the Astros struck out 18 times and walked twice.
Peña had a rough series himself, batting 2-for-13 with one strikeout and no walks in three games against the Guardians (he was off Saturday). In 189 plate appearances since June 1, the rookie shortstop is batting .220 (39for-177) with a .632 OPS, seven walks and 48 strikeouts.
“I feel like I'm going in the right direction, like my approach at the plate is going in the right direction,” Peña said. “Just being focused on what you're trying to do at the plate — try and execute that. Don't let whatever's going on get you off your plan.”
Bullpen stays strong
Houston’s bullpen continues to be one the best in baseball with an MLBleading 2.68 ERA and .200 batting average against. Astros relievers did not allow a run across 9 2/3 innings pitched in Cleveland.
In Friday’s 9-3 win, Seth Martinez helped Framber Valdez preserve his streak of quality starts by getting out of an inherited basesloaded situation in the seventh inning and pitching a scoreless eighth. Bryan Abreu struck out the side in the ninth to seal the win.
Trade deadline acquisition Will Smith struck out two batters and allowed one hit across two frames Thursday and Saturday. Phil Maton, who was traded to the Astros from the Guardians at last year’s trade deadline, pitched two 1-2-3 innings against his former team.
The most concerning moment occurred Sunday when Ryne Stanek walked two of the four batters he faced and saw his fastball velocity decrease in his two-thirds of an inning. But Stanek and acting manager Joe Espada both attributed the velocity drop to wet conditions on the mound due to midgame rain in Cleveland.