The Houston Astros came into Baltimore for a four-game series against the Orioles, riding one of the worst offensive slumps in team history. The Astros had lost their last four games, with a combined score of 2-30.
Christian Walker’s Resurgence Breaks The Astros Out Of Their Offensive Woes
This included a 10-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers and a 12-0 loss to the Orioles earlier that weekend. Houston could just not get a run across. Their scoreless streak of 31.2 innings, the longest in team history since 1966, finally ended last Wednesday when Mauricio Dubon hit a two-run homer in Detroit.
What Changed For The Offense
With the recent pitching struggles, the offense desperately had to wake up. This was a winnable four-game series against the Orioles, and it was turning into a must-win. All the negative momentum was piling up. First baseman Christian Walker’s resurgence ignited the stalled offense, and he ended up having the best series of his Astros career. Walker hit a home run in the first three games of the series and helped Houston take the win in each of them. The offense put up big numbers in each game: seven runs on 12 hits in the series opener, 10 runs on 10 hits the next day, and nine runs on 11 hits on Saturday.
A lot of these runs came at the start, giving the Astros a boost. The team jumped out to a 7-0 lead through three innings in the first game. Walker was the one who hit a two-run blast in the first to get that lead and start the proceedings. Houston put up five runs in the first inning on Saturday before the Orioles had tied it at 7 in the fifth. Walker showed up in the clutch with a two-run homer in the seventh, which proved to be the game-winner.
Overall, the former Orioles draft pick back in 2012 put up a .333 average along with a 1.222 OPS. Walker had seven RBIs and six hits during this four-game span.
Christian Walker’s Resurgence
Critics have questioned Walker’s production this season, but he has still delivered. He has put up some very productive numbers even with his average being low (.237) and his OPS average at best (.708). Walker still leads the team in RBIs with 72, currently has 19 home runs with a month of the season left, and has chipped in a lot lately.
Over roughly the past two months, Walker has delivered above-average production. He doubled his RBI output over that span compared to the first three months of the season. In his last 50 games, Walker produced 52 hits, a .803 OPS, and .472 slugging. He added 36 RBIs and nine home runs. The 34-year-old now leads the American League with 42 RBIs with two outs.
His glove was never up for debate. Walker is arguably the best defensive third baseman in the game, courtesy of winning the Gold Glove three times in a row. The Astros don’t win this series without Walker. The rest of the team followed. Carlos Correa stayed consistent, but Jeremy Peña and Jose Altuve woke up. Victor Caratini drove in runs, and Jesus Sanchez returned. Peña and Caratini delivered clutch hits in the eighth inning Saturday, extending the lead from 7-6 to 10-6. Walker’s resurgence gave this team that much-needed jumpstart over the weekend.
The lead in the AL West has remarkably stayed the same. The Astros have winnable series against the Rockies and Angels coming up. They look to stay on track in order to win their eighth straight full-season division crown. Walker remains a key part of the equation, as the Astros are 16-3 when he hits a home run.
Main Photo Credits: Erik Williams-Imagn Images
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