Astros Bullpen Continues to Struggle With Getting Crucial Outs

The Houston Astros bullpen has become a weak point for the team during this latest losing stretch. They have earned the loss in the last three Houston defeats and have given up runs in four straight games.

Starting Pitchers Pitching Fewer Innings

The main caveat, before we get into the numbers, is that the Astros starting pitchers are getting through fewer and fewer innings. No Astro has pitched 6.0 innings since Hayden Wesneski pitched 7.0 innings on August 10. Houston starting pitchers are 24th in MLB with 644.0 innings pitched this season, a number that has considerably decreased over the last month.

The Astros' longest outing of the season belongs to Spencer Arighetti, recording one out in the eighth inning in Arighetti’s stellar May. Arighetti is no longer on the team. When Astros pitchers finish the seventh inning, the Astros are 9-1. Astros starting pitchers have failed to get out of the first inning on five occasions, with the Astros having a surprising 3-2 record in such games. When the Astros starter fails to get through four innings, Houston is 8-16.

Sousa Struggles

In the bullpen, Bennett Sousa has been responsible for two of the Astros' last three losses, earning the loss in those games. Sousa now has a 6.27 ERA but just a 3.83 FIP. Sousa has been on the wrong end of balls finding holes in these two appearances.

He came in with a two-run lead against the A’s on Saturday and allowed three runs and the Astros weren’t able to recover. He came in a tie game against the Yankees on Wednesday and surrendered four runs while recording one out. We will likely see less and less of Sousa down the stretch. The burning question is who does that leave to eat these relief innings?

De Los Santos

Enyel Del Los Santo gets pulled from the game. — Houston Astros pitcher Enyel de Los Santos (65) Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Enyel De Los Santos was a trusted arm earlier in the season but has faltered in August, pitching to a 6.55 ERA across 11.0 innings. He helped out Sousa on Wednesday by retiring the final two batters of the seventh before surrendering two runs of his own in the eighth.

Steven Okert will still be relied upon come September and beyond with his 2.20 ERA, but he has allowed a run in each of his last two games, earning the loss against the A’s. Kai Wei Teng has recently been called up and has pitched well, but Teng is still not someone the Astros trust coming in in a one-run game in the seventh or eighth.

Bright Spots

Josh Hader delivers a pitch against Angels. — Houston Astros pitcher Josh Hader (71) Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It goes without saying that Josh Hader has been excellent recently and throughout the season. He is a perfect 19-for-19 in save opportunities. The long man out of the bullpen, AJ Blubaugh, has the most innings of any Astros reliever and has a respectable 3.25 ERA. Bryan Abreu gave up a run last time out but has been elite since an early-season rough patch. Tatsuya Imai is also pitching out of the bullpen after struggling as a starter in his first season in the majors.

Overall, the Astros bullpen has been average this season with a 4.13 ERA, ranking 17th in baseball. But lately, the bullpen is growing thinner as the list of names Joe Espada can count on shrinks. As Astro starting pitchers cover fewer innings, the spotlight will turn to the bullpen for better or for worse.

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