Despite the injuries that have impacted the Astros’ rotation this season, they’ve thankfully not missed any of their top starters, Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown. While pitching depth is incredibly important, the importance of your best arms can’t be emphasized enough. A healthy Valdez and Brown atop the rotation likely assures Houston, at least on paper, a better chance of victory when they are on the mound most of the time.
Brown started on Saturday, and you had to feel good about his chances against the Guardians, who have a bottom-ten lineup by wRC+ (94) and runs scored (243) entering the day. While there are no guarantees in baseball, this is a lineup that Brown shouldn’t have too many issues with. As long as he didn’t get in his own way, he should be…
Well, the final result was satisfactory, but Brown wasn’t his typical self. Control was an issue in his 5 1⁄3 innings, walking five along with a hit-by-pitch. The Guardians certainly had their opportunities with ample traffic on the basepaths.
What saved Brown was limiting any notable damage, surrendering four hits and an earned run while striking out nine. But it almost didn’t end this way. Brown seemed to hit his limit in the sixth inning, allowing a single to José Ramírez before walking Daniel Schneemann two batters later. Gabriel Arias would make it count with an RBI single to drive in Ramírez immediately afterwards. Walking Bo Naylor next would end Brown’s night, with Steven Okert relieving him with the bases loaded and one out. Thankfully, the lefty escaped the jam by striking out David Fry and Will Wilson.
The Astros, like the Guardians, were relatively quiet at the plate for the first four innings before Jeremy Peña’s RBI single to drive in Yainer Díaz in the fifth inning to make it 1-0. Díaz would then hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to increase the lead to 3-0. Arias’ RBI single against Brown in the bottom half of the sixth would make it 3-1, but the lead was still intact. Alas, Shawn Dubin couldn’t keep Ramírez at bay, with the perennial All-Star hitting his own two-run home run in the seventh inning to tie the game.
Gulp.
Both bullpens would hold their own in the eighth and ninth innings, with the tenth inning becoming the deciding frame. Thanks to a wild pitch from Hunter Gaddis that allowed Jake Meyers to score, followed by an RBI single from Isaac Paredes, the Astros would seize a 5-3 lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Bennett Sousa closed it out, although it wasn’t without some drama from the home plate umpire, who missed a strike call that allowed Naylor to walk. But Sousa escaped that jam, and the Astros are now eight games above .500 (36-28) for the first time this season.
Houston aims for the sweep on Sunday with Brandon Walter making his second start of the season opposite Tanner Bibee.