Astros Drop Below .500 with 4-3 Loss to the Brewers

Given that their offense is among the poorest in the MLB and has become virtually ineffective without Yordan Alvarez, the Astros will have to rely even more heavily than before on strong pitching performances.

The five runs conceded in the past couple of games won’t likely lead to many victories for this revamped Astros squad. The contest was all but decided when Hayden Wesneski, returning after a ten-day break, gave up four runs in the opening frame—a result of a walk, two doubles, and a home run.

Despite a solid offensive performance, the game remained uncertain. Wesneski gradually found his rhythm. However, when considering the Astros' batting lineup?

In the third inning, the Astros displayed their hesitance at bat. Following Cameron Smith's leadoff double despite being behind by four runs, Manager Joe Espada opted for a risky strategy by asking his top sluggers, Jeremy Pena and Jose Altuve, to attempt sacrifice bunts instead of swinging away. While Pena successfully advanced Smith to third base, Altuve ended up popping out with his attempted bunt. The next batter, Isaac Paredes, who bats cleanup, hit into an outfield flyout.

Earl Weaver, the legendary Orioles manager, famously stated, "The secret to winning baseball games lies in pitching, solid fundamentals, and three-run home runs." After struggling with the initial two aspects for most of the game, the Astros relied on the third element in the seventh inning. Brendan Rodgers hit a three-run homer, driving in Yainer Diaz and Jake Rodgers, who had preceded him with a single. This powerful blast led to Brewers' starting pitcher Chad Patrick being substituted.

When we talk about basics, due to Altuve being caught trying to steal in the eighth inning, the Astros were unable to score the tying run even though they got three hits.

Isn't this team underperforming? With just five hits and a meager one-for-five performance when runners are in scoring position, many players are struggling compared to their usual standards. The lone standout has been Hunter Brown. Initially, I thought they might secure third place, but that seems overly hopeful at this point. Currently, they're sitting in fourth with an 17-18 record.

First match tomorrow at 12:10 PM Central Time.

Box Score HERE.