TODAY’S GAME: The first-place Houston Astros (59-56) will host the Toronto Blue Jays
(53-61) today for a matinee rubber game in the finale of their three-game series in Houston.Astros ace RHP Hunter Brown (3-1, 3.42 ERA) will get the start for the Astros today opposite the Blue Jays and RHP Jameson Taillon (2-6, 5.92 ERA), who was named today’s starter just prior to last night’s game.
WINNING WAYS: The Astros have won 12 of their last 14 games dating back to July 20. This streak has put the Astros at a season-high
three games over .500, a mark they’ve been at twice this season at 6-3 (April 4) and 58-55 (Aug. 2).
THE TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 39-25 since May 22, which is the second-best record in the AL in that span. On that date, the Astros were 20-31, 11 games under, which is their low water mark for the season.
Winning Percentage since May 22, AL
1. Red Sox 39-24 (.619)
2. Astros 39-25 (.609)
3. Tigers 35-27 (.565)
THAT’S OFFENSIVE: The Astros lead the AL in runs scored (536), SLG (.416), and OPS (.738), while ranking second in home runs (156), batting average (.246), OBP (.322) and hits (955). In the Majors, the Astros rank third in homers, trailing only the Nationals (166) and Yankees (164).
THE LINEUP: The Astros have used 113 different lineups in their 115 games, repeating a lineup just twice on the season, which includes using the same lineup on Monday and Tuesday. DH Yordan Alvarez has the most starts at any spot in the lineup among Astros, hitting second 102 times.
ASTROS-JAYS: The Astros have played just 90 games against the Blue Jays in their franchise history, which are their fewest against any single opponent. Their .567 all-time winning percentage against the Blue Jays is their second-highest against any opponent, bested only by their record against the Angels (144-92, .610).
DIESEL POWER: RHP Hunter Brown will make his 11th start of the season and his ninth since returning from a lengthy stint on the IL with a right shoulder strain. He has shown some rust upon his return, going winless in his first six starts back, but has rebounded to go 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA (2ER/12.2IP) in his last two starts.
YESTERDAY’S TRADE: The Astros made one trade on Monday, acquiring OF Daulton Varsho and cash from the Blue Jays in exchange for RHP Spencer Arrighetti. Varsho, 30, was activated on Monday and started the first two games of this series for the Astros, batting cleanup in both contests.
MVP-CALIBER: Yordan Alvarez leads the AL in all three Triple Crown categories, ranking first in batting average (.329), HR (35), and RBI (84). Additionally, he leads MLB in OPS (1.087), OBP (.443), SLG (.644), and TB (264)…in the AL, he ranks first in hits (135), extra-base hits (59), and runs (78), and second in walks (80).
HEAVY TRAFFIC: DH Yordan Alvarez has reached base safely in 20 straight games (since July 10), batting .423 (30×71) with 16 runs, eight doubles, six home runs, 17 RBI, 21 walks, a .559 OBP and a 1.348 OPS during the streak. Alvarez also has onbase streaks of 25 games (May 22-June 19) and 22 games (April 4-28) this season.
STREAK SNAPPED: SS Jeremy Peña had his career-high 15-game hitting streak snapped last night, in which he hit .422 (27×64) with three doubles, one triple, seven homers, 15 RBI and a 1.292 OPS. Peña’s streak was the longest streak by an Astro since 3B Alex Bregman had a 16-game streak from May 28-June 15, 2024.
VENEZUELAN HIT KINGS: 2B Jose Altuve went 3×4 last night and has multiple hits in each of his last three games, raising his career hits total to 2,473, which now ranks fourth in Major League history among Venezuelan-born players.
Hits Among Venezuelan-born Players (MLB history)
1. Miguel Cabrera: 3,174
2. Omar Vizquel: 2,877
3. Luis Aparicio: 2,677
4. Jose Altuve: 2,473
CHIPPING IN: Several Astros are on mini hot streaks, including OF Taylor Trammell, who’s hit three homers with seven RBI and a 1.068 OPS in his last nine games. C Yainer Diaz has hit safely in five of his last seven games, batting .500 (13×26) with two home runs, four RBI and a 1.231 OPS in that span. RF Cam Smith has hit safely in six straight games, batting .385 (10×26) with two doubles, one triple, four RBI and a .945 OPS during his streak.
STALKING 500: RHP Bryan Abreu has 499 career strikeouts, needing just one strikeout to reach 500 for his career…he would become just the fourth reliever in franchise history to record 500 strikeouts with the club, joining LHP Billy Wagner (694), RHP Brad Lidge (557) and RHP Dave Smith (529).
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 1994 – 1B Jeff Bagwell goes 3×4 with a double, homer and five RBI in the Astros 12-4 win over the Giants at the Astrodome. That night, Bagwell records homer number 38, extra-base hit number 69, and RBI number 112 on the season, all new single-season club records at the time. Bagwell would play another five games that season before a broken hand and the players strike ended his year.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Wednesday, August 5, 1:10 p.m. CT
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: SCHN, SCHN 2
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
