Even with four regulars on the injured list, Houston Astros manager Joe Espada stuck with his scheduled off days for Jose Altuve and Cam Smith on Wednesday in the finale of a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix.
Undaunted, the Astros continued their resilient play with a 4-3 victory that capped a three-game series sweep and concluded a six-game road trip with four consecutive wins.
The Astros will open a seven-game homestand on Thursday, starting with a four-game series against the Athletics.
Houston is one of three teams tied for the American League lead with 60 victories. Even with 17 players on the IL, including frontline starters Yordan Alvarez, Jake Meyers, Jeremy Pena and Isaac Paredes, the Astros have maintained a stellar clip while excavating their organizational depth.
“We’re all in it,” Espada said. “I trust those guys. I’m watching them out there, and they’re playing their (behinds) off. And as a manager, that’s all you can ask for.
“They’re leaving everything on the field, and when you have a ton of guys pulling together and rowing the same way, that’s what you want. We’re going to grind it until the end.”
That mentality has come to represent these Astros. A winning culture established through a decade of success certainly plays a role in what Houston has accomplished thus far this season. Still, the Astros have committed to finding a path to victory despite their gutted roster.
“As a team, what’s our identity? Who do we want to be when it’s time to show up? For us, it’s the grinders,” Astros first baseman Christian Walker said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the leadoff spot or the seven-hole or the four-hole, we trust everybody to come through in a big situation.
“You can feel it. It’s a fun group to be a part of.”
Jason Alexander (1-0, 8.40 ERA) will be recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land to start for the Astros on Thursday.
The right-hander will make his third appearance and second start this season for the Astros. Alexander opened the campaign with the Athletics, recording no decisions and an 18.00 ERA across four relief appearances before the Astros claimed him off waivers on May 18.
Alexander went 5-0 with a 1.69 ERA in eight appearances (seven starts) with Sugar Land.
Alexander opposed the Athletics for the first time in his career on June 17, and he allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts over six-plus innings in a 13-3 road victory.
Right-hander Luis Severino (3-11, 5.10 ERA) is set to take his turn in the Athletics’ rotation. He has allowed the most earned runs (67) in the American League, and he also paces the AL in losses while sharing the major league lead in starts (21).
Severino snapped a five-start losing streak by allowing two runs on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts over five innings in an 8-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday.
Severino is 2-5 with a 4.52 ERA in 12 career appearances (11 starts) against the Astros. In two starts vs. Houston this year, he is 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA.
The Athletics lost 2-1 to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, their fourth consecutive loss and fifth in six games since the All-Star break. They are a season-worst 20 games below .500.
“The break, obviously coming out of it, it can sometimes be challenging just to find your rhythm and get back into the groove,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said.
–Field Level Media
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