TONIGHT’S GAME: The first-place Houston Astros (62-60) will open a huge nine-game homestand tonight as they welcome in their division rival, the Seattle Mariners (57-65), for a three-game weekend series at Daikin Park.
RHP Peter Lambert (8-6, 3.09 ERA), the Astros most consistent starter this season, will start the series opener for Houston opposite Astros nemesis RHP George Kirby (8-9, 3.68 ERA) and the Mariners.
HALL OF FAME WEEKEND: The Astros are celebrating Hall of Fame Weekend beginning tonight
at Daikin Park. Astros legends Alan Ashby and the late Phil Garner will be inducted into the Astros Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony tomorrow, scheduled for 5:35 p.m. Ashby and members of the Garner family will be available to the media in the press conference room at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow.
THE TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 42-29 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.
THE LAMBO: Today’s Astros starter RHP Peter Lambert leads the club in wins (8), starts (20), innings (113.2) and strikeouts (111)…among AL pitchers with at least 110 IP, Lambert ranks seventh in opponent average (.208) and 10th in ERA. A minor league signing by Houston this offseason, Lambert pitched last year for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the NPB, posting a 3.98 ERA (55ER/124.1IP) with 111 strikeouts in 23 starts.
FAMILIAR FOE: RHP George Kirby has been at his best against the Astros in his career, going 6-1 with a 2.14 ERA (15ER/63IP) in 11 regular season starts opposite Houston, numbers that do not include his 7.0 shutout innings in the 2022 NLDS. The Astros with the most career success vs. Kirby: 3B Isaac Paredes (.438, 7×16, 3RBI), SS Jeremy Peña (.300, 6×20, 4RBI) and C Yainer Diaz (.273, 6×22, RBI).
VS. THE MARINERS: It’s been three months since the Astros last played the Mariners, as they last saw them in a four-game series in Houston from May 11-14. The Astros have gone 1-7 against the Mariners this season with five games left to play.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Astros closed out their six-game road trip on Wednesday with a win, giving them a 3-3 trip thru San Diego (1-2) and San Francisco (2-1). Houston has gone 25-16 (.610) on their last five road trips and are 31-22 (.585) on the road since going 1-9 on their first road trip of the season. Houston is 32-31 overall on the road in 2026.
ON THE MEND: The Astros have four players on the Major League Injured List. Here are updates on three:
RHP Mike Burrows (rt. elbow neuritis) is scheduled to pitch for Triple A Sugar Land tonight in what will be his first affiliate rehab start since the injury.
IF Carlos Correa (lt. ankle tendon injury) has began a hitting progression while also participating in light on-field baseball activity and a running progression.
OF Brice Matthews (lt. knee sprain) is participating in on-field baseball activity and a running progression.
THAT’S OFFENSIVE: The Astros lead the AL in SLG (.411), while ranking second in OPS (.730 and home runs (162). In the Majors, the Astros rank fourth in homers, trailing only the Nationals (177), Yankees (169), and Braves (164).
MVP-CALIBER: Yordan Alvarez holds at least a share of the lead in all AL Triple Crown categories, ranking first in average (.322), first in RBI (87) and tied for first in HR (35). Additionally, he leads MLB in OPS (1.057), OBP (.436), SLG (.621), and TB (270). In the AL, he ranks first in hits (140), XBH (60) and runs (80), and is second in BB (84).
CHIPPING IN: A couple Astros are on mini hot streaks, including OF Taylor Trammell, who’s posted a .991 OPS (.400 OBP/.591 SLG) with 11 runs, one double, one triple, four home runs, eight RBI and nine walks in his last 14 games (since July 26). RF Cam Smith is batting .386 (17×44) with three home runs, eight RBI and a 1.095 OPS in his last 12 games dating back to July 29.
PEÑA’S PALS: SS Jeremy Peña will host kids from Hidalgo Little League tonight for August’s Peña’s Pals…in its fourth year, Peña’s Pals is a program developed by Peña in partnership with the Astros Foundation. The program celebrates kids and their development in academics, character building and making healthy choices.
HADERADE: LHP Josh Hader has been stellar since returning from injury in early June, going 4-1 with a 0.96 ERA (3ER/28IP), 38 strikeouts, a .106 opponent batting average (10×94) and a 0.71 WHIP, while also converting all 17 of his save opportunities, through 29 appearances.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2020 – The Astros explode for nine runs in the 1st in an 11-1 win over the Mariners in Houston. In his first at-bat of the 2020 season, DH Yordan Alvarez hits a three- run homer in the opening frame, which ended up as his only homer on the season. 1B Yuli Gurriel also homers in the inning, going back-to-back with Alvarez.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Friday, August 14, 7:10 p.m. CT
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio: KTRH 740AM; KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
