I’d rather watch a soccer game in slow motion than the recent version of the Astros. At least in even the most boring soccer match, they score a goal or two.
In four of their last five games, the Astros have not scored even one run. Today, they had at least a semblance of an excuse, facing possible Cy Young winner Tariq Skubal through seven innings. And unlike the other shutouts, the Astros’ pitchers matched their opponents inning by inning through the regulation nine.
The fourth inning for the Astros
and the fifth inning for the Tigers represented the closest either team came to breaking the deadlock, but both teams ended up frustrated. After a two-out Yainer Diaz single, Ramon Urias hit a double that sent Diaz speeding home. He was called out at home, but the Astros challenged. At first, the replays seemed to show that Diaz was easily safe. But closer looks indicated that the tag nicked his arm before he touched the plate. The umps in NY said the call was confirmed. I doubt most of us in Houston saw it that way, and ultimately, the call decided the game.
The Tigers were mostly as baffled by Astros starter Hunter Brown as the Astros were by Skubal. In the fifth inning, they led off with a Zach McKinstry triple, but were unable to score him.
In the pitching duel between two of the AL’s best, give the slight edge to Skubal, but consider who he was pitching against. Skrubal line:
Seven innings, three hits, two BB, 10 Ks
Brown’s line:
Six innings, five hits, three BB, six K
The Astros’ bullpen of Bryan King, Bennett Sousa, and Bryan Abreu held the Tigers into extra innings. But in the tenth, the Astros failed even to advance their ghost runner.
In the bottom of the tenth, Andy Ibanez hit a sacrifice fly against Caleb Ort to advance their extra runner. Ort allowed an intentional walk, struck out Javier Baez, and then walked in the winning run by walking Jahmai Jones and Gleyber Torres successively to end the game.
Josh Hader, how we miss thee. But considering the Astros’ offense, does it matter who pitches? They wasted a gem today, and in some ways, that hurts more than the recent laughers they have lost.
This is sickening.
