The season is still young, but the only direction for Houston to go is up.
The Houston Astros will host the Toronto Blue Jays in a three-game series starting Monday night.
The Astros and Blue Jays will play three games starting tonight, then a four-game set in Toronto between July 1 and July 4. The two teams also faced each other seven times last season, with the Astros winning three and losing four. In the last of those games, the Jays won, 3-2 on June 8. Houston jumped out to an early lead with an Alex Bregman leadoff homer in the second inning, then added a run later in the frame on a Jake Meyers non-RBI, run-scoring double-play ball, scoring Kyle Tucker. The Jays struck back with three in the fifth, touching Framber Valdez with a Matt Chapman RBI-groundout, a Alejandro Kirk ground-rule RBI-double, and a Brandon Belt RBi-single. Framber took the loss, missing out on a Quality Start by a full inning and surrendering all three runs on four hits and four walks, striking out five.
In a case of history repeating itself, Jeremy Peña’s after-game quote fits Houston’s current troubles as well:
That’s not who we are as a team. We put together great at-bats. We pass it onto the next guy and we put together runs, and we didn’t do that the last three games. (mlb.com)
Houston’s recent troubles were punctuated by their fourth-straight loss to open the 2024 season, dropping all four decisions to the New York Yankees. Manager Joe Espada remained positive after yesterday’s 4-3 Houston loss in the finale:
Yordan hit two balls today that should have left the yard, but they didn’t. I like the fight, man. That’s what it’s all about. You fight until the last out of the game, and if you do that, you’re going find yourself in a good spot to win games. (mlb.com)
Houston was outscored by an aggregate score of 21-11 in their setback to the Bombers. In the final game, Houston took the loss despite multiple hits by four players, with three from Jeremy Peña and two each from Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker, and Yanier Diaz. J.P. France turned in a yeoman’s effort in surrendering three runs in 5 2⁄3 innings, striking out five against only one walk and getting 54-of-94 offerings over the plate.
In the meantime, the Jays were engaged in a four-game set of their own, splitting with the Tampa Bay Rays with two victories apiece. Toronto took the finale, 9-2, outhitting Tampa Bay 10-to-3, with Justin Turner holding the big bat with a single, a double, a home run, and four RBI. Isaiah Kiner-Falefa also collected multiple hits in the contest, with a pair of singles. Starter Kevin Gausman held the Rays to one run on two hits and zero walks, striking out six in 4 1⁄3 innings. Mitch White earned the victory with three innings of hitless relief, striking out zero and walking one.
I just try not to do too much, and understand that the pressure is on the pitcher. He’s got to make good pitches, and it helps to have Vic telling me that I’m an RBI machine. That confidence going up to the plate is always a nice plus. – Turner (mlb.com)
Gametimes and starting pitchers:
Monday, 7:10 PM CT: Bowden Francis (1-0, 1.70) vs. Ronel Blanco (2-1, 4.78)
Tuesday, 7:10 PM CT: José Berríos (84-66, 4.14) vs. Framber Valdez (53-34, 3.41)
Wednesday, 7:10 PM CT: Chris Bassitt (62-43, 3.51) vs. Cristian Javier (30-17, 3.53)
Heroes and Zeroes
Here’s the best and worst aggregate WPA scores from the four-game set versus the Yankees:
Heroes:
Cristian Javier 37.0
Mauricio Dubon 20.2
Yainer Diaz 18.5
Victor Caratini 14.9
Hunter Brown 11.8
Zeroes:
Kyle Tucker -24.5
Josh Hader -30.3
Bryan Abreu -30.5
Jose Abreu -37.1
Alex Bregman -38.1