Pitching Not to Blame for Astros vs Red Sox in Series Opener

While pitching has been troublesome for the Houston Astros to begin the season, it wasn't a reason for blame in the series opener vs the Boston Red Sox.

Houston Astros pitcher Mike Burrows (50) pitches against the Boston Red Sox. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The narrative surrounding the Houston Astros at the start of the 2026 campaign indicates that injuries have plagued the team, and they have yet to receive adequate support from their pitching staff. However, against the Boston Red Sox on the road, the pitching wasn't the issue.

Houston finds itself in a tough stretch of games, looking to climb back into the AL West division standings after a poor month of April. But to begin May, the trio of starting pitcher Mike Burrows and relief pitchers Bennett Sousa and Bryan King isn't to blame for why the Astros added another L to the loss column.

Recapping the Pitching Performance

Houston Astros pitcher Mike Burrows (50) pitches against the Boston Red Sox. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Burrows' start to his career in Houston hasn't been pretty, but he's strung a few strong starts in a row now, including his performance in Boston on Friday. Burrows pitched his way through six full innings, striking out three batters and allowing three runs on eight hits.

The linescore doesn't do it justice, but Burrows kept the Astros in the game. In Major League Baseball, if your offense is strong enough, games are very much still in reach down by three runs. However, on Friday, the Astros' lackluster offense kept them from adding to the win column.

Sousa took over for Burrows in the seventh inning and lowered his ERA to 7.71. The bullpen still isn't great for Houston, but in this particular game, it did what it needed to do to give the team a chance to win.

King closed out the night for the Astros, allowing two hits in his inning of work, lowering his ERA in the process to 3.55. King has been a reliable reliever for Joe Espada, and it was showcased even more on Friday night.

Concern With the Offense?

Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa (1) reacts after hitting a solo home run. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Should there be an overall panic with the offense in Houston? No. It just wasn't their game, though they had multiple opportunities to drive in more than just one run, which came off the bat of Carlos Correa in the third inning.

Houston stranded 10 runners on base and went 0-6 with runners in scoring position. That isn't the recipe for success; it's a recipe to create stress within the fanbase. General manager Dana Brown might not be pointing fingers at the franchise's record, but it might be time for someone else to do so.

A lot will need to click both offensively and pitching-wise for the Astros for them to feel like true threats to make the playoffs again, or even flirt with the chance of winning the division.