Astros’ Offensive Frustrations Boil Over In Loss To Twins

Sometimes baseball is a cruel game that's tricky to figure out while sometimes it's the easiest thing in the world to decipher.

Houston Astros catcher Christian Vazquez. | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros are usually not all that bad at driving in runners in scoring position. After 47 games, the team is slashing .255/.363/.369 in those situations, which is about middle of the pack in MLB. Of all the issues that the Astros currently have, this — at least on paper — isn’t one to be majorly concerned about.

Until last night.

In Houston’s 6-3 defeat to the Minnesota Twins in the series opener of a three-game set that’s crucial for both teams’ outlooks for the rest of May, the Astros proceeded to bungle opportunity after opportunity. Batters would get on base, and then the rest of the lineup would fail to drive them in and take advantage. It’s perhaps the most infuriating form of baseball — getting close but also being so far away from the intended result.

Astros Blow Early Chance To Take Control

Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena. | Scott Marshall-Imagn Images

The problems started in the top of the first. After Jeremy Peña, who was making his return to the diamond after a stint on the injured list, was hit by a pitch, Isaac Paredes singled and Yordan Alvarez walked to load the bases on rookie southpaw Kendry Rojas. This was a fantastic opportunity to break the game open right at the onset, but the Astros flubbed it. Christian Walker popped out on the first pitch — a pitch that was outside the zone and shouldn’t have been hacked at — before Zach Dezenzo lined into a double play that’d make any coach want to pull their hair out.

Flash forward to the top of the fifth. The Astros are down 3-0 and Simeon Woods Richardson has just come out of the bullpen in relief of Rojas. Brice Matthews, the first hitter Woods Richardson faces, reaches on a soft bunt single. Cam Smith then flies out to right field before Christian Vázquez draws a five-pitch walk. Runners on first and second, one out. The top of the order coming to the plate. The Astros have to score here, right?

Nope.

Peña lined out softly to third for the second out before Isaac Paredes struck out swinging on a pitch that landed in the dirt. Once again, the Astros failed to deliver when it mattered most.

In the sixth, Houston put the first two runners on base via a walk and a single before “Double Play Dezenzo” promptly wiped out any momentum. Braden Shewmake concluded the frame with a fly out to left field.

Houston Couldn’t Find Timely Hit

Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Astros finally scored runs in the seventh, but by that point they were already down 6-0 and there was little hope of finding a win. Even then, Houston still managed to tease the possibility of a comeback just enough to make the eventual ending sting that much more.

By the time the ninth inning rolled around, the Astros trailed 6-3 and appeared to have one final opportunity to pull off something dramatic. Vázquez walked to lead off the frame, and with one out Paredes drew a free pass as well. That brought Alvarez to the plate as the tying run — the exact scenario every Astros fan wants late in a game.

Instead, Alvarez struck out looking and Walker grounded out to end the contest.

Sigh.

The object of baseball is to score runs. The Astros actually did a solid job of getting runners on base against the Twins on Monday night. The problem was everything that came after that. Time and time again, Houston had chances to seize control of the game, and time and time again the lineup failed to come through with the one hit that could’ve changed everything.