One of the longest-tenured members of the Houston Astros leadership will be taking his talents to the East Coast to try out a new professional sport.
On Monday afternoon, the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins announced the appointment of Marcel Braithwaite as the team's new President of Business Operations.
Braithwaite has been promoted to the new role after 14 years with the Houston Astros. He notably served as the Senior Vice President of Business Operations and was one of the initial hires under the Jim Crane-led baseball organization.
"It's an honor to join the Penguins at such an exciting time under new ownership," said Braithwaite. "I am grateful to the Astros and look forward to serving the employees, fans and city of Pittsburgh by bringing a winning culture to this franchise alongside Geoff, Kyle and the rest of this talented Front Office."
As a member of the Astros' Executive leadership team, Braithwaite guided the franchise through several ballpark renovations, security upgrades and naming rights negotiations, ensuring the business maximized revenue opportunities while providing a best-in-class fan experience.

#astros #braithwaite #houston

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A second straight game without Yordan Alvarez reinforced a reality. The Houston Astros need more consistent sources of offense, with time running short for them to emerge.
A lineup missing its leading threat mustered five hits in a 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, undermining a determined start by right-hander Peter Lambert and ensuring a series loss to the American League's first playoff entrant at Tropicana Field.
The Astros, who entered with the fifth-fewest runs in the majors since the Aug. 3 trade deadline, scored three or fewer for the 21st time in 35 games in that stretch. The offensive downturn might be presenting a direr threat to their playoff hopes if not for an inept division. The loss left Houston with a 2 ½-game AL West lead over the Rangers, who entered the day four games under .500, pending Texas' result.
The Astros are 75-74 with 13 games remaining on their schedule. Yainer Diaz had three of their five hits Saturday, including a run-scoring single in the sixth inning. Isaac Paredes' solo home run in the first against Rays starter Ian Seymour, who worked six strong frames, provided their only other run. Houston hitters were 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded six men on base.
The first was Seymour's rockiest inning, as three straight batters reached. Daulton Varsho and Christian Walker struck out to defuse the threat. Richie Palacios' two-run single wrought the first blemish against Lambert in his six-plus innings. Nick Madrigal broke a 2-2 tie for the Rays with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh.

#houston #astros #rays #lambert

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Yordan Alvarez was out of the Houston Astros' lineup for a second straight game due to a sore right ankle Saturday.
Alvarez turned his ankle running the bases Thursday in Philadelphia and was not used off the bench in a close game Friday against Tampa Bay. Manager Joe Espada said that he was hopeful Alvarez could return to the lineup for Sunday's finale against the Rays.
"He came out and moved around, hit in the cages, but still sore," Espada said before Saturday's game. "More when he swings the bat and he's got to turn that right ankle once he's going to spin. So it's still not there."
This marks the first time Alvarez has been out of Houston's lineup in back-to-back games this season. He started 145 of the team's first 147 games prior to Friday, with 123 starts at DH and 22 in left field.
Alvarez entered Saturday leading the majors with a 1.017 OPS. A Triple Crown candidate, he led qualified American League hitters with a .310 average and ranked second in home runs (38), after Junior Caminero (40) of the Rays, and second in RBIs (96), behind Pete Alonso (97) of the Orioles.

#alvarez #Friday #sore

If Carlos Correa is able to return to the Houston Astros lineup by the end of the regular season, he could play second base, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reports.
Correa, who turns 32 on Sept. 22, has been on the injured list since May 6 with a torn tendon in his left ankle that required surgery to repair. His 2026 season was believed to be over, as a result.
However, the 12-year veteran has been progressing well in his recovery and ran the bases earlier this week. The plan is for Correa to take up to 10 at-bats in live batting practice at the Astros' spring-training complex in West Palm Beach, Florida. If he doesn't deal with any setbacks, Correa could go on a minor-league rehab **** ignment with Triple-A Sugar Land next week.
Carlos Correa has reported to West Palm Beach and hit in the cages and took grounders there today, Joe Espada said. The plan is for Correa to start hitting on the field Monday.
In 32 games this season, Correa recorded a .279/.369/.418 slash average with 3 home runs, 8 doubles and 16 RBI. He played 23 games at shortstop and 14 at third base.

#season

Rays news: What Junior Caminero said after walking off Astros with 2-run bomb appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Tampa Bay Rays star Junior Caminero delivered a two-run walk-off homer Friday night, beating the Houston Astros 3-1 and clinching the Rays' first postseason berth since 2023. His 40th homer ended the series opener at Tropicana Field and made Tampa Bay the first MLB team to secure a 2026 playoff spot. Afterward, theScore's Bryan Mcwilliam shared Caminero's postgame message as the All-Star third baseman made clear reaching October wasn't his final goal.
"We're going to enjoy this, we're going to have a lot of fun, we're going to enjoy the moment, but the job is not finished. We're going to win the division," Caminero said before yelling, "Tampa, this is for you."
Caminero delivered his first career MLB walk-off hit with one out in the ninth and the score tied 1-1. Jonathan Aranda doubled off the right-field wall before Jonny DeLuca replaced him as a pinch-runner. Caminero then attacked Bryan Abreu's first pitch, sending a 96.6 mph four-seam fastball 417 feet to left-center at 107.2 mph.
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#caminero #first #going #junior

Regular readers know that I've followed one of the great Cy Young horse races in recent memory, with Cam Schlittler going great start-for-great start with the Blue Jays' Dylan Cease. We got a little bit of separation this week, as the Athletics touched up Cease for four runs in five innings on Monday, and then Schlittler allowed just a solo shot in seven frames against the Rockies on Tuesday. Cam has crept just ahead by fWAR, enjoys a considerable lead in bWAR, and right now I think would end up at the top of most voters' ballots.
But something struck me in the aftermath of Cam's night against Colorado, the same night that Aaron Judge returned to the lineup. Cam Schlittler isn't just the Cy Young favorite, but he's built himself an MVP case. No pitcher has won the award since Clayton Kershaw for the 2014 Dodgers, and the last AL winner was 2011 Justin Verlander. Yordan Alvarez is in the hunt for the first Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera, Bobby Witt Jr. is probably the best overall player in the league, and if Junior Caminero tops the AL in home runs and plays on the Junior Circuit's best team, he probably gets his share of votes too.
And yet here's the thing: Cam stacks up fairly against all three of them!
Let's take Yordan, who I think has the inside track on the award right now. Schlittler's 0.1 fWAR back, a difference that is literally negligible, and more than three-quarters of a win better by bWAR. Alvarez's candidacy is based around the Triple Crown, probably being the best hitter in baseball, and dragging what we thought was a finally-deflated Houston Astros team to a division ****** le. ****** py AL West or not, that is exactly the blueprint for an MVP, if one for a slightly older voter.
Should Alvarez not win the Triple Crown, he loses a bit of his case, though he's likely still the best hitter in the game on a division winner, one who will have played in the neighborhood of 155 games. That's the big thing both undercutting Witt's MVP claim while bolstering his position as best all-around player — the Kansas City shortstop has only played 128 games at time of writing, yet leads the league in fWAR and bWAR among position players. With a solid-but-not-spectacular 18 homers and 124 wRC+, the parts of his game beyond hitting are doing the heavy lifting there as well. All that and the fact that the Royals are so bad work against him when it comes to end of season awards though, and Bobby seems cursed to be the Dave Stieb of shortstops.

#schlittler #young #cease

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - An unorthodox pitching plan worked about as well as the Houston Astros could have hoped Friday. Their offense could not capitalize against another American League contender.
Junior Caminero cranked a walk-off, two-run home run against Bryan Abreu to send the Astros to a 3-1 loss in the opener of a series against the Tampa Bay Rays, who became the first American League team to clinch a spot in this year's playoff field. Houston, which entered the day with a three-game lead in the AL West, ended it with a 75-73 record.
Using an opener, three Astros pitchers combined to hold the Rays to two hits before the ninth inning. Jonathan Aranda hit a one-out double against Abreu. With first base open, the Astros opted to face Caminero, the AL home run leader, who crushed a first-pitch fastball 417 feet to ignite a celebration at Tropicana Field.
The Astros totaled nine hits. But they were 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position, with neither of the hits scoring a run, and stranded six men on base.
A 1-1 tie reached the ninth inning. The teams took different routes there. Rays starter Drew Rasmussen worked seven innings, navigating eight hits. One run against him scored on a fielder's choice. He threw 92 pitches before Tampa Bay turned to its bullpen.

#astros #houston #abreu #tampa

Junior Caminero hit his 40th home run of the season to lift the Tampa Bay Rays to a 3-1 walk-off win over the Houston Astros on Friday. With the victory, the Rays became the first MLB team this season to clinch a postseason berth.
This story will be updated with more information.

#rays #season

Rudy Martin Jr. spent 12 seasons in the minor leagues without reaching the majors. At 30 years old, he came closer than ever to walking away from baseball.
The newest member of the Toronto Blue Jays admitted he seriously considered retirement before getting his long-awaited call-up Friday. Martin said his family helped him through that difficult stretch and refused to let him give up.
MORE: Astros announce latest update on Yordan Alvarez's injury ahead of Rays game
"I wondered if it might be over after 12 minor-league seasons," Martin said, according to Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith. "My family helped me through some really tough times. They weren't gonna let me give up on it that easy."
Martin's promotion comes after a difficult month. The Blue Jays designated him for ****** ignment twice, but he continued to wait for another opportunity.

#family

American League triple-crown contender Yordan Alvarez is out of the Houston Astros' lineup for Friday due to a sore right ankle.
Alvarez twisted his ankle while running the bases in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. He went 0-for-3 with 3 strikeouts against Phillies starter Zack Wheeler.
But Alvarez reached base in the eighth inning on an intentional walk from José Alvarado. He advanced to third base on a Jose Altuve double, but stumbled over the bag and was checked out by trainers.
Alvarez stayed in the game, but did not have to run on a Daulton Varsho pop-up. As the designated hitter, he didn't have to take the field in the bottom of the inning.
Astros manager Joe Espada said no imaging was necessary for Alvarez's ankle, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. He did some hitting earlier in the day and could be available to pinch-hit.

#ankle #Phillies #inning

Ex-Astros World Series champion with 11.74 ERA DFA'd by Mets originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Mets made a notable bullpen move on Friday afternoon.
Today, the NL East club announced that right-hander Jack Weisenburger was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.
Weisenburger replaces fellow righty Chris Devenski, who was designated for ******* ignment by the Mets.
Devenski, 35, is an 11-year veteran reliever who has pitched for seven clubs. He made just six appearances with the Mets, allowing eight earned runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings.

#METS #made #astros #preferred

Astros fans, for all the criticism Joe Espada has received during his tenure as manager, maybe it's time to take a step back, look at what he's actually been asked to work with, and give the man his flowers.
Managing a baseball team is easy to criticize from the outside.
Every pitching change can be second-guessed. Every lineup can be dissected. Every decision involving the bullpen, a pinch hitter or a defensive replacement can become a debate.
Espada certainly hasn't been perfect.
But when you stop evaluating individual decisions and start looking at the bigger picture, it's difficult to argue with what he's accomplished.

#every #fans #received

Bo Bichette's future with the New York Mets remains uncertain as the team prepares for the Subway Series against the New York Yankees.
The Mets signed Bichette to a three-year, $126 million contract last winter. He now faces a major decision after the season.
MORE: Phillies announce results on Brandon Marsh's X-rays after 1-run loss to Astros
Bichette can opt out of the deal and enter free agency. If he stays, he would earn $42 million in each of the next two seasons.
ESPN's Jeff Passan recently called the decision a "genuine coin flip," according to reports on Bichette's future. That shows just how difficult the choice could be.

#METS #bichette #series

The 2026 MLB postseason is right around the corner. And with less than three weeks left in the regular season, every team with World Series aspirations still has a lot left to play for.
Let's break down the MLB standings and the playoff picture as it looks ahead of games on Sept. 10. (This post will be updated every day until the end of the regular season.)
The MLB postseason begins on Sept. 29.
Wild card: No. 6 Cleveland Guardians vs. No. 3 Houston Astros
ALDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 2 Chicago White Sox

#sept #wild #left #World

The Yankees were one of a handful of teams that didn't play on Labor Day, but not many top American League contenders were in action. The Rays, White Sox, Astros, and Rangers all joined the Yanks in taking a breather on the offday. At least Aaron Judge is officially back! So call that a notable exception to the absence of action.
Here's what the teams that were active were up to on Labor Day.
I hope no one actually had any real expectations of the hapless Angels going into Fenway and doing much of anything. Brayan Bello needed 103 pitches to get through five scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks, but again, these are the Angels. They didn't do much with their opportunities, and they were put in a 5-0 hole in a hurry anyway.
Erstwhile Orioles prospect Grayson Rodriguez was terrible, inflating his season ERA to 6.28 in 17 starts when both Jarren Duran and Adley Rutschman homered off him in the second. His old batterymate's dinger high off the Pesky Pole was a three-run blast and proved to be a crushing blow.
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#Angels #yankees

The new ownership at the Los Angeles Angels cannot come quick enough for supporters as another season without a playoff berth has been confirmed.
It has been a dismal season for the Angels, who sit rock bottom of the AL West, which has been far from impressive this year.
A 54-90 record has seen the Angels ruled out of playoff contention ahead of Stan Kroenke's proposed takeover.
The Houston Astros are currently sat top of the division with a record only just over .500 through their 73-71 record.
It is a division that is there for the taking under new ownership, but, for now, unwanted records are being created by the Angels.

#record #west

There is a solid list of two-start options for a second straight week, as there are three pitchers who can be started in most leagues and a couple others who will make sense for managers who have some room to risk their ratios.
On the hitting side, managers will struggle to find streamers during the next four days, as most teams play three games and there is a lack of obvious matchup advantages. The Pirates and Phillies may be the best source of help.
Jacob Lopez, Athletics, 42% (vs. TOR, vs. SEA): Lopez limits quality contact as well as any player in baseball, which has enabled him to log a 2.36 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in the second half. He has worked at his hitter-friendly home park in five of nine starts over that stretch, allowing no more than two runs in each of those outings. Lopez is a great bet to stay hot this week, when he faces the Blue Jays and Mariners, who rank 27th and 30th respectively in runs scored.
Andrew Painter, Phillies, 33% (vs. HOU, @ ATL): We may have finally found a sustainable version of Painter. The former top prospect with a reworked **** nal has logged a 3.12 ERA and 0.89 WHIP across his past seven starts and has tallied at least six strikeouts in five of those outings. The right-hander can provide a double-digit whiff total for those who are starting the fantasy playoffs, and his matchups are only slightly harder than average, as the Astros and Braves rank 10th and 12th respectively in OPS versus righties.
Hayden Wesneski, Astros, 33% (@ PHI, @ TB): Wesneski has fared well in seven starts since returning from May 2025 Tommy John surgery (3.18 ERA, 3.32 FIP, 1.06 WHIP), and he has looked especially good while allowing one run over 17 innings in his past three starts. The right-hander is set to face two above-average offenses next week (Phillies, Rays), which slots him behind Lopez among the recommended options. But at this time of year, managers may opt to go with someone who has been pitching well over someone who has questionable skills and favorable matchups.

#whip #starts

A sputtering lineup stirred in the eighth inning. Jose Altuve struck a one-out double, putting him on the cusp of a career milestone. Christian Walker flared a single into shallow left field. LaMonte Wade Jr. did the same, driving in Altuve and paring a deficit to one run.
The current Houston Astros offense can make that seem sizable. The additional hit it required did not appear. Jonathan Loáisiga got Daulton Varsho to wave at a third-strike changeup. Taylor Trammell, the second pinch-hitter of the inning, popped out to end it.
With a 3-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Astros dropped the deciding game of their series at Daikin Park and concluded a 4-3 homestand with consecutive defeats. They went 8-5 over a 13-game stretch with no off-day, emerging from it with a 73-71 record.
Houston scored three or fewer runs in eight of 13 games during that stretch. Its offense entered Sunday averaging 3.9 runs over its past 30 games, scoring the fifth-fewest runs in the majors in that stretch. Its .220 average was the sport's lowest in that span and its .368 slugging percentage the sixth-lowest.
Sunday, the Astros took three at-bats with a man in scoring position in the first seven innings and went hitless in them. Arizona starter Eduardo Rodriguez allowed one run in six innings on a first-inning home run by Yordan Alvarez. Alvarez also popped out with two runners on base to end the seventh.

#astros #runs #altuve #offense

The Diamondbacks came into the game looking for a series win, and with a little bit of luck, putting some more ***** e between their competition for the final NL Wild Card spot. Having Eduardo Rodriguez on the mound was a point in their favor, but the offense still RVSP'd maybe when invited to the game.
The Diamondbacks were quiet in the top of the first, with the only baserunner being a Geraldo Perdomo hit by pitch, and that allowed the Astros to strike first. E-Rod got Jeremy Pena to ground out, but Yordan Alvarez absolutely clobbered one for a solo home run. That was the first indication that Rodriguez didn't have his best stuff today, but the next few batters hammered that home, even if there wasn't much damage done. He walked both Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker, but alternated those walks with a line out from Jose Altuve and got out of the jam with a Nelson Velasquez strike out. 0-1 Astros
This, of course, did raise some concerns amongst the faithful about the early need to score more than one run. That's been a challenge for the Diamondbacks, last night's four run outbreak aside. The offense decided to do some to ***** uage those fears, but did not manage to score multiple runs right away. Corbin Carroll started off the second inning with a double, advanced on a sac bunt from Tommy Troy, and then scored on a sac fly from James McCann. Illdemaro Vargas tried to keep things going with a two out single, but Lawler was unable to step up and ended the inning with a line out to third. Tied 1-1
Rodriguez issues with command continued right away in the bottom of the second, walking Dalton Varsho. Never a good idea to walk someone like him, as he showed when he stole second to get into scoring position two outs later. Too late for it to matter, though, as Jeremy Pena only saw three pitches and flew out to end the inning.
The third inning was… something. Perdomo singled to lead off the inning, bringing Ketel Marte to the plate. Marte got an 86 MPH changeup down and away and turned it around for what looked like an easy single. The only with that is the ball also acted as a heat seeking missel straight to Perdomo's helmet. He hit the ground immediately and quickly found himself surrounded by trainers from both teams. Eventually he left under his own power to a nice ovation from the Houston crowd, as one does.

#astros

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo left their matchup with the Houston Astros early on Sunday afternoon after he was struck in the helmet by a line drive.
Perdomo went down in the third inning of the contest at Daikin Park, shortly after he opened the frame with a single. Ketel Marte followed that up with a 93 mph single of his own, but the ball ended up drilling Perdomo directly in the helmet as he tried to run to second.
Perdomo fell back to the dirt and remained there for several minutes, clearly in a lot of pain, before he eventually left the field walking on his own. He did not return.
The Diamondbacks ruled Perdomo out with a head contusion. Further specifics of his injury are not yet known.
Perdomo entered Sunday's contest with a .250 batting average with 48 RBI and nine home runs this season, his sixth in the league. The Diamondbacks hold a 75-68 record and sit in second in the NL West race, just half of a game ahead of the San Diego Padres for the final wild-card spot.

#perdomo #diamondbacks #left #second

After weeks focused on his fledgling career, Keon Johnson caught up with family. The Houston Astros had the 18-year-old infielder and recent draft pick and his family attend Sunday's game at Daikin Park, with Johnson arriving from their minor-league facility in West Palm Beach, Fla., late Saturday.
"It was a pretty surreal moment to finally see them again," Johnson said. "Once I got to see them, it was like pretty much all the weight finally got back off my shoulders again."
The Astros selected Johnson in the third round in the July draft, with the No. 93 overall pick, out of First Presbyterian Day School in Macon, Ga. They signed Johnson, who was committed to play at Vanderbilt, for a reported over-slot $2 million bonus. Slot value for the No. 93 pick this year was $846,900.
A shortstop listed at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Johnson was selected as the Gatorade Georgia high school player of the year as a junior in 2025. Astros director of amateur scouting Cam Pendino deemed him an "unbelievably impressive kid" with an "exciting blend of bat-to-ball and pitch recognition" after the draft.
"We think our hitting instruction can really help unlock the contact quality here," Pendino said in July. "But when you have a guy with a special blend of bat-to-ball and approach - and really specifically bat-to-ball and pitch recognition as an 18-year-old kid with really good actions in the middle of the diamond on the dirt - it's an awesome recipe."

#year #july

Ethan Pecko entered his fifth inning Saturday unscored upon but with a reliever warming behind him in the Houston Astros' bullpen. Three batters later, his outing ended. Tim Tawa cued an infield hit into an open right side. Pecko pounced on a Ryan Waldschmidt tapper before Lars Nootbaar lined a clean single.
Nootbaar occupied the leadoff spot in the Diamondbacks' lineup and was facing Pecko for a third time in the game. His single put the potential tying run on base, brought manager Joe Espada out to remove his starter and reinforced an issue within Houston's rotation with 19 games left in a postseason race.
Two of five starters the Astros are deploying - Cristian Javier and Pecko, the right-handed prospect - are under tighter reins, with Houston hesitant to have them face opposing lineups a third time. Javier hasn't faced more than 19 batters in any of his past four outings, one of which he pitched in bulk relief.
Having three starters who will work deeper - Hunter Brown, Peter Lambert and Hayden Wesneski - can mitigate that usage somewhat. But it puts added pressure on those starters to cover innings and protect the bullpen, and on the bullpen to shoulder a significant workload at least two out of five (or six) days.
How sustainable that is down the stretch, for a club with a three-game division lead and 19 games left in the regular season, is a question. The bullpen has been arguably the Astros' biggest strength, yet it's also at less than full capacity, even with expanded rosters offering an extra spot on the pitching staff.

#starters #javier #right

In the penultimate game of playing 13 straight days, a shorthanded Houston Astros bullpen could not protect a lead. A chance to pad their division lead Saturday slipped away as a result.
Gabriel Moreno gave the Arizona Diamondbacks a go-ahead single in the 10th inning. The Astros went scoreless after the fifth, falling 4-3 in the middle game of a series at Daikin Park.
Houston lost for just the fourth time in 58 games this season when leading after six innings. It carried a 3-1 lead into the seventh. Lars Nootbaar halved the lead with an RBI double. Ketel Marte erased it with his 22nd home run in the eighth.
Jose Altuve was stranded after a one-out double in the bottom of the eighth. Josh Hader entered a tied game in the ninth and retired the side with 10 pitches. After the Astros went quietly in their half, Hader did not return for a second inning. He has worked multiple innings twice in 40 outings this season.
Bryan King drew the **** ignment, the left-hander's first outing since being recalled from Triple-A. Moreno served a one-out single to score Arizona's extra-innings runner. King allowed no further damage.

#innings #houston #moreno #hader

NEW YORK — The Mets opened September on a high note down in Florida earlier this week.
The club capped a series win over the American League-leading Rays with a 10-4 victory in the finale on Wednesday night. Mets rookie outfielder Nick Morabito starred off the bench with his first career hit landing for a three-run double before he added a diving catch in left field and his second hit in the ninth.
The Mets now open a three-game series against the Giants - one of five teams which have a worse record than the Mets - at 7:10 p.m. on Friday night at Citi Field.
Nolan McLean will be looking to continue his run of success from the mound for the Mets as he makes his 28th start of the season.
The Mets rookie right-hander has placed his name in contention for NL Rookie of the Year with nine quality starts in his last 10 appearances. McLean last held the Astros to one unearned run on two hits and three walks with four strikeouts across seven innings to improve to 10-8 and chisel his ERA down to 3.06.

#rookie #york

The good thing about this week's series in the land of the Crawford Boxes and the choo-choo is that both Sean Burke and Davis Martin pitched extremely well, a big turnaround from their recent starts and a good sign for the stretch run. The bad thing — well, besides nearly the entire offense — is that Luis Castillo once again demonstrated that while Chris Getz may have had a very nice offseason, he had a miserable trade deadline.
Castillo started out looking good, striking out Jeremy Peña and Yordan Alvarez. He then walked Isaac Paredes on 10 pitches and threw José Altuve a fastball that would have been a strike on Aaron Judge but was nose-high on Altuve. Altuve still sent it into the Crawford Boxes to make it 2-0 Astros.
The lead didn't last long. Braden Montgomery singled off Hunter Brown to lead off the second, and Colson Montgomery followed with a routine ground ball to second. Peña blew the relay, though, and Chase Meidroth followed with an unplayable 50-mph dribbler. Jake Rogers and Sam Antonacci then delivered actual singles to tie the score.
There being no other Sox offensive highlights, what the heck, let's show you the RBIs. First, Jake's:
Nice stop by Peña, nice hustle by a catcher to avoid the DP. Then Sam's, which actually made it to the outfield.

#good #choo

Twenty-one years ago, the White Sox swept the Astros in the World Series to end an 88-year championship drought, bringing baseball jubilation to the south side of Chicago. Occasional regular-season interleague series followed until 2013, when Houston made the move from the NL Central to the AL West, inviting the possibility that the two franchises could meet far more frequently in October. But that has occurred just once in the years since, with the Astros eliminating the White Sox in the 2021 ALDS en route to the pennant and sending the White Sox spiraling into a dark period for the franchise while Houston was in the middle of its golden era.
Five years later, the White Sox have emerged from their deep rebuild, and the Astros are desperately trying to keep their competitive window open. And in an ultra-weak American League (particularly outside the AL East), an unlikely race has surfaced between the White Sox and Astros, the current Central and West leaders, to claim the No. 2 seed and the valuable first-round bye that comes with it. As such, this week's four-game series at Daikin Park carried a ton of weight with October fast approaching. The Astros took advantage of the opportunity, taking three of four to close the gap with the White Sox to just 1.5 games.
Here are five takeaways from this week's series in H-Town.
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When a team moves on from a general manager, it's natural to reflect on their tenure and contemplate how the moves they did and didn't make impacted the trajectory of the organization. Without question, the most significant transaction recently fired GM Dana Brown executed during his three-plus years leading the Astros' front office was trading outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Cubs in exchange for three players: infielder Isaac Paredes, then-top prospect and recent first-round pick Cam Smith and right-hander Hayden Wesneski. While Brown experienced several other successes and missteps during his time as Houston's baseball ops leader, that trade — and how much these three players end up contributing to the Astros — will define his tenure.

#series #years

For a day, the Houston Astros enjoyed the elements of a formulaic win. An early lead. A quality start. A relatively rested bullpen.
With them, they sailed to a 6-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox and secured their first series win at Daikin Park in more than a month. Houston had lost its past four home series. It took three of four from the American League Central leaders and won the teams' season series, 5-2.
No division in baseball is more woeful than the AL West, though the AL Central is close. Still, the Astros extended their AL West lead to 2 ½ games, pending the Rangers' result later Thursday, and returned to their high-water mark at three games over .500 with 21 to play in their season.
The Astros have won seven of 10 games since a dismal homestand and the dismissal of their general manager, an upturn at an opportune time. Their next three series are also against contending teams, starting with the Arizona Diamondbacks' arrival this weekend.
Their playoff fate remains in their control. Thursday, their offense scored six runs against Chicago right-hander Luis Castillo by the third inning, offering a cushion for ace Hunter Brown, who worked a quality start. Three relievers combined to retire nine of 10 batters faced.

#games #central #lead

After deploying Cristian Javier behind an opener in his last outing against the Mets, the Houston Astros will have the right-hander make a traditional start in their upcoming series against the Diamondbacks.
Javier will start Friday's series opener against Arizona at Daikin Park. Ethan Pecko and Peter Lambert are scheduled to start the final two games of the series, which concludes a stretch of 13 games with no off-day for Houston.
Javier has a 6.45 ERA in 44 ⅔ innings this season, starting eight of his 13 appearances. He is allowing a 1.104 OPS when facing hitters for a second time in a game as a starter.
Pecko will make his fourth major-league start after recording his first career win in his last outing at Citi Field, allowing two runs over five innings. Javier, Pecko and Lambert will all pitch on five days' rest after the Astros used Ronel Blanco for a spot start Tuesday against the White Sox.
Blanco, who remains on the roster, should be available in a relief role this weekend against Arizona, said manager Joe Espada. After Sunday, the Astros will not play more than six games in a row without an off day for the rest of the regular season.

#javier #pecko #series #games

HOUSTON (AP) — Nelson Velázquez hit a two-run single in the eighth inning to break a scoreless tie, Hayden Wesneski and two relievers combined on a three-hitter and the Houston Astros defeated the Chicago White Sox 2-0 on Wednesday night.
With one out in the eighth, Yordan Alvarez singled and Isaac Paredes walked before Jose Altuve was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Pinch-runner Nick Allen was thrown out at home trying to score on a grounder by Daulton Varsho back to Sean Newcomb (2-4) before Velázquez laced his single into left-center field.
Wesneski allowed one hit with five strikeouts over seven shutout innings. He has allowed one run and five hits over his last three starts, a span of 17 innings. A.J. Blubaugh (5-2) gave up two hits in the eighth before Josh Hader pitched the ninth for his 22nd save.
Wesneski retired 14 of the last 15 batters he faced, including 12 straight between a one-out walk to Sam Antonacci in the third and a one-out walk to Braden Montgomery in the seventh.
Davis Martin scattered five hits with three strikeouts over 5 2/3 scoreless innings in his first start since Aug. 13. Martin, who had been on the 15-day injured list with a right middle finger blister, was activated before the game.

#wesneski #eighth #martin #zquez

The White Sox (73-65) rebounded from Monday's rough loss to the Astros (70-69), defeating Houston behind South Side ace Sean Burke. The righthander earned his eighth win of the season.
Despite getting off to a rocky start in the bottom of the first, Burke battled through his 5 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit while walking three and striking out six. The righty started the game with back-to-back walks. To his credit, Burke battled back from 3-0 to fill the count against Yordan Alvarez, but ultimately walked him to put two runners on with no outs. To be fair, a walk beats Yordan blasting a home run over the right-field wall, so all things considered, I'll take it. Burke was able to lock in and induce three consecutive fly outs to get out of the jam. There was one final scare when José Altuve drove a ball to the wall in left, but Sam Antonacci had just enough room to make the catch.
Once Burke put the first inning behind him, he recovered beautifully and did not surrender a hit until the fifth. It would be the first and only hit he allowed. Burke labored early, running the count full five times and needing 49 pitches to complete the first two frames. He did, however, limit the damage and kept the Astros off the scoreboard.
The righty settled in during the third, needing only nine pitches to retire Houston in order. He also froze Alvarez with a 95-mph fastball for his second strikeout of the night. Burke rang up two more in the fourth, preserving the no-hitter a little longer. With one out in the fifth, Taylor Trammell poked a double down the right-field line to finally put Houston in the hit column, but Burke moved right along and recorded the final two outs without incident.
On the other side of the ball, the White Sox scattered a few hits through the first four frames but remained relatively quiet until the fifth. Their recent lack of situational hitting carried into the beginning of this one, and the South Siders made Ronel Blanco look much better than his ERA suggested. Blanco entered with an ERA above 7.00 but stranded five runners and kept the White Sox off the scoreboard. He struck out only three over four innings, while three walks helped drive up his pitch count. Still, he worked through the lineup well enough to keep Houston in the game.

#burke #first #back