Houston Astros manager Joe Espada found a glimmer of hope in the team’s recent loss. Despite the bullpen blowing its 10th save and the offense struggling to produce runs, Espada chose to focus on starting pitcher Hunter Brown’s performance. Brown, who had a rough start to the season with a high ERA, showed improvement by striking out nine batters in six innings. Although it seemed logical to let Brown pitch the seventh inning, Espada decided against it. Brown left the game with a sense of accomplishment after retiring the final 12 Mariners he faced.
Brown’s pitch count has been kept relatively low this season, and he acknowledged that the decision to not pitch the seventh inning was above his pay grade. However, with Houston’s leverage relievers well-rested and a 2-1 lead, Espada made a defensible decision for a team that couldn’t afford any mistakes. Unfortunately, one of those leverage relievers faltered, leading to the Astros’ 16th loss after holding a lead.
The Astros’ offense has underperformed this season and struggled to reach its full potential. Espada made several changes to the batting order in an attempt to spark some life into the lineup. Moving Alex Bregman down to fifth and Jake Meyers up to sixth seemed like a logical move. Bregman responded with a two-run home run, but his overall performance hasn’t been up to par. His OPS, a measure of a player’s overall offensive contribution, is still relatively low compared to other qualified players.
In the crucial moments of the game, Bregman had an opportunity to drive in an insurance run but failed to deliver. With Yordan Alvarez just 90 feet away from home plate, Bregman couldn’t even put the ball in play, rolling a weak ground ball to second base. This missed opportunity highlighted the Astros’ offensive struggles and their inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities.
On the pitching side, reliever Ryan Pressly had a rough outing, giving up a double and walking a rookie hitter. Although Pressly has shown flashes of his previous dominance, he hasn’t been able to consistently perform at a high level this season. He attributed his struggles to a combination of bad luck and poorly executed pitches.
The game took a turn for the worse when José Abreu, who returned from a stint in the minor leagues, failed to make a difficult defensive play. The tying run scored as a result, further magnifying the team’s decision to play Abreu despite his declining performance. The Astros went 15-10 during Abreu’s absence, suggesting that his demotion was more beneficial for the team. The loss was ultimately sealed when another run scored on a ground ball that Astros third baseman Alex Bregman mishandled.
Despite the disappointing loss, Bregman remained optimistic about the team’s potential and expressed the desire to learn from their mistakes and come back stronger in the next game. The Astros recognize that they are a good team but need to find ways to close out games and capitalize on scoring opportunities.