Ace Hunter Brown malfunctions for second straight game
Before Tuesday, Hunter Brown was statistically one of baseball’s best pitchers, sporting a 1.80ish ERA. After his last two starts, including today’s dud, his ERA sits at 2.43. In his last two games, Brown has given up 10 runs in 11 innings. He had allowed only seven runs in his previous seven starts.
With an injury-decimated lineup and starting rotation, the performances of a few stars, especially All-Stars Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, have been indispensable to the Astros’ current five-game lead in the AL West going into the All-Star break.
In recent weeks, Hader has reverted to his 2024 bugaboo of allowing homers; last night, his mistake put the game into extra innings, and in his prior appearance, it put an L on his record.
But more concerning is Brown, who must feel fortunate that he will not be pitching in the All-Star game, considering his current level of performance. In both of his last two games, he struggled with command. Tonight, he allowed five hits and two walks in five innings, including two doubles, a triple, and a home run to Aroldis Garcia in the third inning. Is this a blip, or is regression a bitch? Hopefully the former. The Astros need peak Brown going forward.
Meanwhile, the Astros’ mostly replacement-level lineup managed only one run, a solo home run by the definition of replacement-level, Zack Short, in the seventh inning. He had the game-winning, walk-off last night.
The Astros were 1-5 on this homestand heading into the All-Star break, which can’t come soon enough. That this lineup got the team into first place is a miracle. Some time in August, the Astros have good reason to believe that major cogs, including Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Pena, Jake Meyers, Cristian Javier, Luis Garcia, Spencer Arrighetti, and others, will hopefully return.
Until then, enjoy the All-Star game and follow the draft at 5 PM today here on TCB.