Houston got absolutely choked out Tuesday night, dropping a 3-1 stinker to the last-place Angels. Yeah, you read that right, the **last-place Angels** just beat them for the fifth time this season. For a team that should be pushing hard in August, this kind of showing is just brutal.
Another Night, Another Flat Bat for Houston
The Angels didn’t waste much time getting on the scoreboard, picking up their first run in the third inning. Wade Meckler singled, then had the guts to swipe second, setting up Nolan Schanuel for a clutch two-out RBI that put them up. Meanwhile, the Astros had their own chances early. In the first inning, Issac Paredes worked a walk and moved to third on a Jose Altuve single. You think, ‘Alright, here we go!’ But nope. Daulton Varsho promptly struck out swinging, stranding both runners and killing any early momentum.
Things only got worse. Josh Lowe launched his 10th home run of the season, an opposite-field shot off Cristian Javier in the fourth, extending the Angels’ lead. Javier lasted only four innings, giving up five hits and a pair of runs, despite striking out five. His 87 pitches were his highest total of the year, which tells you he was working hard, but maybe not effectively. The bullpen didn’t offer much relief either. Bryan King came on, but after a Nolan Schanuel single, he gave way to Enyel De Los Santos, who *immediately* coughed up an RBI double to Zach Neto. Just like that, the Angels had scored in three consecutive innings. On the other side, rookie George Klassen was dealing. In just his fifth major league start, he pitched seven shutout innings, seriously looking like Chuck Finley in his Halos prime, and grabbed the win. The Astros’ *lone* run? Cam Smith’s 17th homer off Jose Fermin. It was a single bright spot in a completely dull night.
Is History Repeating Itself in Houston?
Honestly, the source article nailed it: the Astros are “as flat as day old soda.” And for us Seattle fans, that line hits different, right? It immediately makes you think back to the 2024 Mariners. Remember that brutal stretch? We were sitting at 64-64 when Scott Servais got the axe on August 22nd, trying to light a fire under the team. That move, ultimately, made little difference in the grand scheme of things, and the Emerald City missed the playoffs.
Could Houston be staring down a similar late-season implosion? It’s wild to think the A.L. West could still be won with just .500 baseball, or even slightly above it. But it’s happened before. The 2005 Padres won their division with an 82-80 record. Would it actually shock anyone if the Astros went 19-17 in their final stretch, hitting that same mark 21 seasons later? That’s not exactly inspiring stuff for a team with championship aspirations, and it definitely feels like they’re trending the wrong way, much like our M’s did just a couple years ago.
Tonight, newcomer Ethan Pecko is set to take the mound for the Astros, trying to “breathe some life” into Daikin Park. They desperately need a wakeup call. Whatever “Walker’s heroics” from last Friday night were, they already feel like a month ago. The Astros are flat, and they better find a spark fast, or they might just learn what it feels like to echo our own M’s late-season disappointment.
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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