Astros Bats Wake Up Late, Take Series From Detroit with 6-4 Win

All Astros runs were scored with two-outs

We all tear our hair out in those games when our favorite team goes 1-10 with runners in scoring position and lose 2-1. It seems our Stros do it more than their share of the time.

Let us celebrate the games when the boys go full clutch, like tonight’s.

The Astros didn’t even have a runner in scoring position until the sixth inning off Tigers starter Reese Olson, but in the sixth and seventh innings they scored three runs in each, all with two outs, going 4-7 with runners in scoring position.

The sixth inning rally started with Jose Altuve and Isaac Paredes walks, followed by a two-out double by Christian Walker that just missed going over the deep left-center field wall, chasing Olson. Yainer Diaz followed with a two-RBI single to put the Astros up 3-2.

The Astros continued where they left off against reliever Will Vest in the seventh, with Mauricio Dubon leading off with a single, followed by a Jeremy Pena walk. It looked like the Tigers would escape the inning unscathed when Jose Altuve got doubled up, but Yordan Alvarez snuck a grounder up the middle to score Dubon. Isaac Paredes then tripled home Alvarez and scored on a Diaz single.

Before tonight, Vest had only allowed one run all season.

The Astros’ #6 starter, Ryan Gusto, usually a control artist, had trouble locating his fastball tonight, but managed to work around four hits and two walks in 4.1 innings, allowing only two runs, the first coming on a leadoff homer by Kerry Carpenter. It was the first time all year Gusto walked more than one batter, and he only threw 55 strikes out of a season-high 90 pitches, but he effectively used his breaking stuff to K six batters.

When Bennett Sousa came into the game in the fifth inning to relieve Gusto he inherited a runner on third with one out. But he held the inherited runner and pitched the sixth inning as well to gain the win, racking up three Ks.

Tayler Scott reminded of the Scott of last year, mowing down three Tigers in the seventh inning, striking out two.

The Tigers made some noise in the eighth off Bryan Abreu but he stranded runners on first and third without allowing a run. Josh Hader came into the game in the ninth in a non-save situation, allowing two harmless runs on a Gleyber Torres homer.

The Astros had ten hits, and two of the most disappointing would-be sluggers of 2025, Christian Walker and Yainer Diaz were a combined 4-7 with four RBI.

The Astros go for the sweep tomorrow in a 1:10 CT game. No starter is announced. It could be a bullpen game.

Box score HERE.