After recording at least 10 hits in seven consecutive road games through the series opener against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, the Houston Astros followed a four-hit performance on Saturday by scratching out only three singles to drop the series rubber match 5-0 on Sunday.
The Astros will open a seven-game homestand on Monday against the Seattle Mariners in the first of a four-game series. They’ll look to get their offense, which leads the American League in batting average (.258), total bases (598) and on-base percentage (.333, tied with the New York Yankees), back on track.
“We’ve got to get back to doing what we do best,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “We’ve got to make (opposing pitchers) work. We’ve got to control the at-bats. We’ve got to pass the baton. The last few days, that was not the offense that we’ve been able to deploy early in the season. We’ve got to turn this one behind us; we’ve got an important series ahead of us.
“It’s a quick fix,” Espada added. “I’ve seen our offense do a good job fixing those things and getting locked in again.”
Right-hander Peter Lambert (2-2, 2.42 ERA) is scheduled to start the series opener for the Astros. He produced the best start of his career on May 5 against the Los Angeles Dodgers when he twirled seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and four walks with four strikeouts in a 2-1 victory.
Lambert tossed a career-high 104 pitches in the win while matching his career best for innings pitched. He has alternated wins and losses in four starts this season.
He has faced the Mariners once previously. He allowed six runs on six hits with five strikeouts across three innings in a 10-2 loss while playing for the Colorado Rockies on April 21, 2024.
Right-hander George Kirby (4-2, 2.94) has the starting assignment for the Mariners. He did not factor into the decision in a 3-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves on May 5 after allowing two runs on five hits and one walk with five strikeouts over seven innings.
Kirby has surrendered two earned runs or fewer in five consecutive starts, and he is 3-0 with a 2.53 ERA during that stretch.
He has dominated the Astros throughout his career, going 4-1 with a 2.17 ERA in 10 starts. He was the winning pitcher in the Mariners’ 6-2 home victory over Houston on April 13 after allowing two runs on seven hits and one walk with six strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings.
Kirby has 25 wins against the AL West since 2022, the most among all pitchers in the majors.
The Mariners dropped the finale of their three-game road series with the Chicago White Sox 2-1 on Sunday, falling to 3-3 in rubber matches this season. Seattle wasted a stellar performance from starter Logan Gilbert, who allowed one hit and struck out nine over six scoreless innings.
The Mariners will utilize a six-man rotation starting on Wednesday against the Astros to accommodate the return of right-hander Bryce Miller, who will be reinstated from the injured list to make his season debut. Miller landed on the 15-day IL with a left oblique strain on March 22.
Miller will follow Kirby and right-hander Bryan Woo in the rotation and precede right-hander Luis Castillo, who is scheduled to start the series finale on Thursday.
–Field Level Media
