The Houston Astros are staring down the barrel, losing Game 1 of the AL Wild Card series 6-3 to the Chicago White Sox last night. This means they are already on the brink of elimination in the best-of-three series, and it all blew up right there at Daikin Park.
The Bullpen Game Went Nuclear
Both teams went with a bullpen game to kick off this wild-card round, and man, did it go sideways for Houston. The Astros threw eight different pitchers out there, and five of them coughed up at least one run. Can you believe it? They were down 3-0 by the end of the second inning, and by the fifth, it was a 5-0 hole. The White Sox, on the other hand, watched their bullpen stay rock-solid.
AJ Blubaugh, the rookie right-hander who led the majors in relief innings this season, got the start for Houston. Manager Joe Espada said pregame Blubaugh “can go to places where we feel like we can create some swing-and-miss,” even with six lefties or switch-hitters in Chicago’s first seven spots. Blubaugh had a decent .622 OPS against lefties this season, but it didn’t matter. He and Bryan King, the first two pitchers, faced 11 batters, and eight of them reached base! Chicago scored three runs before the Astros even got their fourth out. That absolutely torpedoed any chance the rested leverage relievers, like Miguel Ullola who followed with three strong innings, had to protect a lead. Bryan Abreu and Josh Hader, who were on five and six days’ rest respectively, still had to come in for the final two innings. Now, if this series goes three games, they could be pitching on three consecutive days. That’s a huge risk.
Missed Shots and Chicago’s Clutch Bats
The Astros only scraped together six hits all night, but their real problem was with runners in scoring position. They went hitless in seven at-bats in those critical spots. Ouch. The White Sox, meanwhile, were 4-for-11 with RISP, though they did leave eight men on base, meaning this game could have been even uglier. Nelson Velázquez gave Houston a glimmer of hope with a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the fifth, which was all the scoring until the eighth.
In the eighth, the potential tying run came to the plate. Jose Altuve scored a run on a wide throw after sprinting on a chopper to third, extending the inning. With two runners on, Yainer Diaz took a full-count Grant Taylor curveball for strike three. The 34,011 fans at Daikin Park were on their feet, and then just deflated. The White Sox piled up 11 hits, with all but one coming against left-handed pitchers. Lefty Bennett Sousa gave up two singles in the seventh, then a wild pitch let an insurance run score. Chicago’s bullpen, which posted the majors’ eighth-lowest ERA this season, proved why they are so good, combining to put the White Sox on the verge of advancing.
So now, it’s all on ace Hunter Brown to save the season. He’s starting Game 2, and if he can’t shut it down, Houston’s wild-card run is over before it even really started. This is do-or-die, folks.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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