Astros' Peter Lambert Was Better Than His Losing Line Suggests

Peter Lambert pitched well enough to win but was saddled with his eighth loss.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Peter Lambert (38) Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Houston Astros starting pitcher Peter Lambert was the tough-luck losing pitcher in Sunday’s game. But in reality, his performance was one of the best of the season for the Astros' most reliable starting pitcher.

Lambert pitched 7.0 innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, allowing three earned runs and seven hits, all without allowing a walk. This was Lambert’s fourth outing this season in which he completed seven innings of work. He fanned six in the start.

Lambert is actually 3-4 when he strikes out six or more and 5-4 when he doesn’t, an unusual split that is probably a fluke.

Top of the Second

With a 1-0 Astros lead in the top of the second on Sunday, Lambert induced a tough fly ball from Corbin Carroll, off the bat at 99.6 mph.

Left fielder, Nelson Velazquez was able to maneuver around the Crawford Boxes to get to the ball. But he was unable to bring in the ball, perhaps jumping when a jump wasn’t needed, and Carroll coasted into second.

Carroll was given a hit on the play, but it was a borderline call. One earned run would be added to Lambert’s ledger for the frame.

The Diamondbacks played small ball to sacrifice Carroll over to third before James McCann hit a sacrifice fly to bring him home.

Top of the Third

Houston Astros starting pitcher Peter Lambert (38) Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In the very next inning, Lambert was able to get a slow ground ball off the bat of Geraldo Perdomo to second baseman Jose Altuve.

Altuve attempted to make a sliding play, but the ball bounced off his glove. It was not scored as an error, but it was a play Jose Altuve will tell you he needs to make.

Perdomo was then struck by a batted ball off the bat of Ketel Marte, resulting in a dead-ball and an out, but also going down in the scorebook as a hit for Marte, another tough-luck hit off Lambert.

Nolan Arenado would make the Astros pay with a two-run home run putting Arizona in front 3-1.

Lambert Settles In

Lambert would show off in the next few innings, getting 1-2-3 frames in the fourth, fifth, and sixth. He hit one batter and allowed a single in the seventh but would finish the frame without allowing a run for a quality start.

It was Lambert’s first quality start (six or more innings with three earned runs or less) since July 22. Almost all of those non-quality starts can be attributed to not working six innings, as he allowed two runs or fewer in seven of those eight starts.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Peter Lambert (38) Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even in a loss, Peter Lambert was great. If they can get four more high-level starts like that one from Lambert in the remaining 18 games of the regular season, the Astros can expect to win.

The offense will need to wake up, and the defense will have to play better, but those things, as we’ve seen with the Astros this season, are correctable.