Asking for a friend, can the Astros carry forward the extra runs into another game of their choosing?
After scoring eight runs across the previous five games, that ever precious run support that the Astros have sorely lacked finally made an appearance, whether it is a sign of things to come or only a one-game blip remains to be seen. And you can thank Zach Cole, making his Major League debut, for bringing this lineup back to life.
Thanks to a 15-game heater with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, Dana Brown’s search for someone to provide anything for a struggling lineup turned to the former 2022 tenth-round pick. Sure, Cole’s 35% strikeout rate in the minors this year likely will become an issue, sooner or later. But the truth of the matter is that these Astros needed someone to hopefully provide a spark, even if only temporarily, to help this club get across the finish line into the postseason. Oh, mercy, did Cole deliver, even if his contributions are mostly limited to this one game. And he made some history, too.
And, just like that, Zach Cole has probably usurped Gerrit Cole with a decent portion of Houston fans as their favorite Cole of all time.
While Cole was undoubtedly impressive in his first game as a Major League player (3-for-4, HR, 4 RBI), he didn’t drive in all 11 of those runs by himself. Multiple Astros filled up the box score, with Jose Altuve adding a home run of his own and Christian Walker adding three hits. Jake Meyers had two hits. Mauricio Dubón drove in a pair. Jesús Sánchez had two walks. Even with Yordan Alvarez going 0-for-4, the lineup had a successful evening at the plate. It was a nice change of pace from whatever was plaguing them in Toronto earlier this week.
For the pitchers, it was essentially a bullpen game, although Jayden Murray provided three innings total, allowing just a hit and a walk. Three innings isn’t a lot for a starter, but for an opener, I’ll gladly take it. I had a nagging fear in mind that he may not make it past one or even two innings. But three, against a lineup with some excellent hitters, was a nice development in this type of setup. A.J. Blubaugh threw a scoreless fourth inning, followed by Nick Hernandez with a scoreless fifth. Colton Gordon absorbed the final four innings, allowing three earned runs, including two home runs.
With the AL West race coming down to the wire, with only 14 games left for the Astros, every win at this juncture of the season is crucial. The Rangers bested the Mets earlier today as well, so Houston’s two-game lead over their in-state rivals remains unchanged. The Mariners, at the time of this recap, are still tied 0-0 in the top half of the third against the Angels. A win keeps them tied with the Astros for the division lead, while a loss moves them back a game.