Astros Struggling Outfielder Quietly Delivers Biggest At-Bat in 10 Inning Rally

It has been well-known since the offseason that the Houston Astros and Dana Brown needed to address some gaps in their roster. One particular area of concern was a left-handed-hitting outfielder. However, during the first half of the season, it seemed that this issue would not be addressed.

Houston was buried in the standings in both the American League West Division and the wild-card race. It looked like Brown was going to be a seller at the trade deadline. However, they quickly turned things around and are now sitting in first place in the AL West and beginning to separate themselves from the rest of the division.

They went a season-high three games up on the Texas Rangers after a stunning rally in the bottom of the 10th inning at home for a 10-7 come-from-behind win over the Seattle Mariners. Christian Walker will get all the headlines for his game-winning walk-off three-run home run, as he should. But it was an at-bat from a struggling, newly acquired outfielder who may have had the at-bat of the game.

Daulton Varsho's 10th Inning At-Bat Keyed Stunning Rally

Houston Astros center fielder Dalton Varsho — Houston Astros center fielder Daulton Varsho Credit: Erik Williams | Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Brown addressed the need for a left-handed hitting outfielder at the trade deadline by acquiring Daulton Varsho from the Toronto Blue Jays. Since being acquired, it has been a struggle, to say the least. He stepped into the batter's box in the bottom of the 10th inning just 4-for-35 with the Astros. Then his biggest at-bat in Houston kept the line moving.

With runners on the corners and two outs, Varsho swung and missed two sliders from Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz with Seattle leading 7-6. However, Varsho adjusted to another slider and punched a game-tying single to left field, ahead fo Walker's walk off three run homer.

“I swung at two back-foot sliders and got a little amped up, but I slowed myself down and got the job done,” Varsho said, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.

You hear the saying 'professional at-bat' sometimes, but that was what Varsho had: a professional at-bat. So many times, a player, especially someone who was just acquired in a trade, will not change his mentality at the plate, will not make any adjustments and will go down swinging. Not Varsho.

He did what he had to do; he went the other way with a pitch, punched it into an open hole between short and third to tie the game and set Walker up for his game-winning 405-foot home run.

Good teams find different ways to win in August and September and right now, the Astros are finding ways to win games in August and September. It is helping them become the team in the AL West that appears ready to take hold of the division and potentially run away with it.

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