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A Rough Start to the Wild Card Series for the Astros: What Needs to Change?
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- A Rough Start to the Wild Card Series for the Astros: What Needs to Change?
(Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)
After a season full of ups and downs, the Houston Astros found themselves in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series Tuesday night in Houston. The Astros faced the Chicago White Sox in a three-game set, with the White Sox coming off three straight 100-loss seasons, and the Astros having locked up the division on the final day of the regular season.
A piece of history kicked things off. For the first time in MLB playoff history, both teams used an opener instead of a traditional starter: AJ Blubaugh for the Astros, Hagen Smith for the White Sox.
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It was a rough start for Blubaugh. He didn't make it out of the first inning, going just 0.2 innings on 27 pitches, allowing one run before a third walk ended his night.
Bryan King came in to put out the fire, but it wasn't exactly a clean night for him either. He hit a batter in the second inning, which turned out to be the last hitter he'd face, finishing with 0.1 innings, four hits allowed, two runs, one strikeout, zero walks, and 22 pitches.
With the bases loaded and King struggling, Espada turned to Miguel Ullola . A White Sox hitter grounded out and Paredes gunned down a runner at the plate, and Ullola struck out the next two batters to escape the jam.
Ullola settled in for a bit, but he couldn't hold the line forever. He gave up a homer to Montgomery, the same batter King had hit earlier, extending the White Sox's lead to 4-0.
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The Astros started clawing back in the sixth. Lucas Spence singled, and Velázquez followed with a home run, putting the Astros on the board, 5-2.
Sousa threw a wild pitch, and it let the White Sox tack on their sixth run.
Houston kept fighting late. Jeremy Peña singled, and Yordan Alvarez followed with a hit of his own. Altuve, barely beating out a throw to first, drove in Peña for Houston's third and final run. Final score: 6-3, White Sox.
The Astros dropped Game 1, and much like the pattern all season long, a shaky night on the mound led directly to the loss.
It was a bullpen game through and through, and Houston didn't get to lean on any of its top arms. Wednesday should look different, a true starter takes the ball, giving the Astros a chance to set the tone early and even the series. A few costly errors didn't help matters either. Game 2 needs cleaner pitching, and no mistakes in the field.
