Well, that was an embarrassing game to watch for so many reasons. Picking up from where the ALCS left off.
Simply put, the Astros were outplayed. It took Hunter Brown 80 pitches to make it through three innings. Adolis García somehow hit a fastball located an entire zip code out of the strike zone for what felt like a three-run dagger in the second inning to make it an early 5-0 deficit.
The lineup collected only three hits, with Jake Meyers driving in the only runs for Houston with his two-run dinger in the eighth. Brandon Biealk absorbed three innings but also allowed five more runs. Miguel Dìaz, who was only claimed off of waivers from the Tigers on Thursday, threw a scoreless inning.
So, yeah, it wasn’t a great game.
The Astros continue to scuffle to start the season, falling to 2-6 after Friday’s loss to the Rangers. The lineup is truly feast or famine at this point. Until Brown’s start, the rotation has held up relatively well, posting a 1.29 ERA prior to Friday. That number will only rise now. Looking ahead, Houston will turn to J.P. France to start Saturday’s game opposite Jon Gray for Texas. Let’s hope it is a bit more competitive than the series’ first game.