The Bullpen’s Failures Have Come at the Worst Possible Time for the Astros

Right when they need it the most, the Houston Astros’ bullpen has become the biggest problem surrounding their most recent losses. The starting pitching, which went through so many injuries, inconsistencies and problems all year, has been able to establish itself in this final month of the season.

The Astros just said goodbye to their fans at Daikin Park, closing out the regular season schedule by getting swept by the Atlanta Braves, who showed the strength of their game by making an impact in every sense. If you look at the scores of 6-2, 6-3 and 4-2, you are not going to find it clear that the Braves did not unleash an overwhelming offensive attack against Houston’s pitching. However, the key to their success was their offensive production, taking advantage of the slightest mistake by the pitchers. And once starters Peter Lambert, Hayden Wesneski and Hunter Brown gave way to the bullpen, Atlanta took advantage of every vulnerability.

Inside the Bullpen’s Recent Problem

Staying with the most recent stop of this September disaster would be to overlook a fundamental part of the story. The Astros are now 77-79, two games below .500 and one game behind the Texas Rangers (78-78); this is because of the team’s inability, in this recent stretch, to overcome the pressure.

We saw it long before the Braves arrived in Houston. Do you remember the previous week? Yes, the sweep the team suffered in Tampa Bay, where the offensive problems began to become much more noticeable and the bullpen couldn't finish the job.

Let’s do a quick retrospective.

September 11: Rays 3, Astros 1

Houston Astros pitcher Ethan Pecko (70). Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ethan Pecko had a great long relief outing of 5 2/3 innings with four strikeouts while overcoming the problems caused by his two walks, but in the bottom of the fifth, Víctor Mesa Jr. hit a solo home run on the first pitch and tied the score, 1-1.

The game remained tied until the end of the ninth, when Bryan Abreu tried to get past Junior Caminero—the hitter with the fastest swing in the league as of today—who destroyed his 97 mph fastball to hit the first walkoff home run of his career. The two-run homer was Caminero’s 40th, with which he passed Yordan Álvarez at that moment, who is still fighting for the Triple Crown.

JUNIOR CAMINERO WALKS IT OFF TO SEND THE RAYS TO THE #POSTSEASON!

🎥 @GEICO #BallparkCam | @RaysBaseball https://t.co/ULAXH4ICi6 pic.twitter.com/WiXb3HwioD
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) September 12, 2026

September 12: Rays 3, Astros 2

Isaac Paredes opened the game with a solo home run in the first inning against left-hander Ian Seymour, his 20th of the season. Houston held the lead until the Rays took control by scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Yainer Díaz tied the score at 2-2 in the sixth and the game reached the seventh with the bullpen trying to maintain the tie. However, Bennett Souza could not get the job done and the runner he inherited from Peter Lambert—a double to open the inning by Liam Hicks—ended up scoring on a sacrifice fly by Nick Madrigal.

September 16: Royals 5, Astros 2

Cristian Javier pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed only two runs, but the bullpen could not hold up and the Royals opened the game with a three-run rally in the eighth. Houston scored in the final two innings, but it was already too late, and they finished 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

September 18: Braves 6, Astros 2

With the game close and Atlanta ahead 2-1, the bullpen collapsed again. AJ Blubaugh allowed a two-run home run to Ronald Acuña Jr. on the first pitch and silenced Daikin Park. Isaac Paredes responded again and drove in his second run of the night in the eighth, but Matt Olson delivered the fatal blow with a booming two-run home run—his 40th of the season—to start the ninth.

RONALD ACUÑA JR. GRAND SLAM! pic.twitter.com/42eFDBt8bS
— MLB (@MLB) September 20, 2026

September 19: Braves 6, Astros 3

Bases loaded, two outs, Houston leading 2-1 in the top of the seventh and, once again, Bryan Abreu on the mound. After starting with a wild, high-and-tight 98 mph fastball, he went back to his velocity. Acuña Jr. was ready and hit a devastating grand slam that crushed the Astros’ hopes. When Acuña Jr. reached home plate, it felt like the game was over.

September 20: Braves 4, Astros 2

Third attempt, same result. Hunter Brown pitched a gem: five scoreless innings, only three hits allowed—one within the infield—and 10 strikeouts for the fifth time in his last 10 starts, while recording 18 swings and misses. But the lead was minimal, 1-0, thanks to a solo home run by José Altuve against left-hander Martín Pérez in the bottom of the fourth. Look, when Brown finished the fifth with 98 pitches, helped by an excellent play by Nick Allen at second to get Olson out, it was inevitable to think about forgetting the bullpen’s recent problems.

The lead did not last long for the Astros. Left-hander Bryan King took the mound and could not get any of the four batters he faced out, two of them left-handed. A walk to Michael Harris III, a double by Mauricio Dubón, and an RBI single by Ozzie Albies that tied the game 1-1 left the path ready. King’s presence was reasonable in a certain way, to maintain the lefty-on-lefty matchup against Mike Yastrzemski with runners on the corners. King got him to two strikes in three pitches. Yaz survived one more pitch by hitting a foul ball against a fastball on the outside corner. With a 1-2 count, King came back with the fastball middle-middle and Yaz hit a three-run home run. Four-run rally by the Braves. Problem solved.

YAZ GOES YARD!#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/hr8yKh21AY
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 20, 2026

That said, we would be unfair if we did not talk about the offensive decline. The Astros have not scored more than six runs in a victory since Aug. 25, when they defeated the New York Yankees 9-7 on the road. Since Sept.1, the Astros are hitting .229/.290/.414, with 3.8 runs scored per game, falling below the overall average of 4.2 for the entire season.

Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (8). Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That .290 on-base percentage is the worst in the entire league, the result of the major drop in their walk rate to 6.9%, ahead of only the Colorado Rockies (6.7%). But what reveals the most is the hitters’ inability to take pitches, get into good counts and establish their best plan. Except for Jeremy Peña, the imposing presence of Yordan Álvarez, Isaac Paredes and José Altuve, only Yainer Díaz is responding in the bottom half of the lineup.

So it is not only about the bullpen, although it is clear that some games could have been saved because of its effectiveness. Houston needs to play its best baseball with urgency or, otherwise, another opportunity to play in October will slip away.

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