With the midpoint of the season fast approaching, laboring to reach .500 doesn’t seem like the loftiest of goals, particularly for an organization that has qualified for seven consecutive American League Championship Series.
But with their 5-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday, a win that clinched a third consecutive series, the Houston Astros closed to within three games of .500 for the first time since April 8. A victory on Sunday would push the Astros 10 games over .500 since April 27 and perhaps confirm that things are back on track.
“You kind of feel the momentum and there’s some energy,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “There’s an intensity in the dugout and the clubhouse. Urgency. It feels like it’s go time.
“We have to continue to play this level of baseball. We’re almost halfway through the season. This is the baseball that we need to start playing.”
The Astros have won five of their past six series. When they fell a season-worst 12 games under .500 on May 8, their stated objective was to win series and work their way back into contention. It has been a long, arduous process and, while the job isn’t complete, progress has been made.
“We’re trying to win series,” Espada said. “We need to go out there (Sunday) and try to get a sweep.”
Left-hander Framber Valdez (5-5, 3.91 ERA) has the starting assignment for the Astros. He was the pitcher of record in the Astros’ 2-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday after allowing two runs on two hits and five walks with five strikeouts over six innings. It marked his fourth quality start over his last five outings. Valdez has recorded a decision in each of his past 10 starts.
Valdez owns a 4.98 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against the Orioles. In his most recent start against Baltimore, Valdez allowed six runs on eight hits and two walks with three strikeouts over seven innings but did not factor into the decision of a 7-6 win on Aug. 8, 2023.
Right-hander Albert Suarez (3-1, 2.05 ERA) will start the series finale for the Orioles. He took the loss in his previous start after allowing three runs on six hits and a career-high five walks with three strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings in a 4-2 setback to the New York Yankees on Tuesday.
Suarez is 1-1 with a 2.35 ERA since rejoining the rotation on May 25 (five starts). He went 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA over three starts in April.
Suarez will make his first career appearance against the Astros. He is 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA across five appearances (three starts) against the American League West.
After recording 18-plus hits in consecutive games for the first time since 1998 and just the fourth time in franchise history, the Orioles’ offensive futility on Saturday was surprising and unexpected. Baltimore leads the majors in a slew of offensive categories, but even its lineup can suffer an off day.
“I think our guys have been grinding big time and we ran into a good starter (Ronel Blanco) and a good team and they pitched (Ryan) Pressly and (Josh) Hader at the end,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “They just beat us.”
–Field Level Media