McCullers (7 IP, 9 Ks) delivers 'masterpiece' in longest start since '22

HOUSTON -- Lance McCullers Jr. let out a cathartic scream and pumped his arms following his final pitch Monday night. It was the kind of raw emotion we hadn’t seen from the Astros veteran right-hander in quite some time, but it was a perfect reaction for the moment and the setting.

The scream was the result of McCullers not only pitching his best game in three years in the Astros’ 8-1 win over the Red Sox at Daikin Park, but the lonely path he endured to put himself in position to return to the mound following multiple surgeries and the grueling rehabs that followed.

No player knows how much McCullers has been through more than teammate Carlos Correa, who worked out with him every day in the offseason. From shortstop, Correa had a front-row seat to watch McCullers dominate the Red Sox for seven innings in his first start of 2026, allowing one run and four hits while striking out nine batters.

“It was an emotional night for him,” Correa said. “I got to work out with him the whole offseason and I got to see his whole workout program, from waking up so early to take the kids to school and drive an hour and then come back and work out. It’s pretty much spending all day, every single day in the offseason for him to be in that position to go out there and perform for this team. It means the world, man.”

With McCullers dealing, Correa making a phenomenal play at shortstop in the sixth inning to rob Marcelo Mayer of a hit and Jose Altuve swatting a pair of home runs, it was as if the Astros turned the clock back to 2017. Houston also got homers from Yordan Alvarez and rookie Brice Matthews to win their third game in a row.

“I’ve just been trying to not put too much stock in the past or the future,” McCullers said. “Try to be present. Just try to go out there and compete, honestly. I think last year was obviously tough and I think I just carried the weight every start. This year, I’ve just been really focused on just trying to not worry about the past or the future and just enjoy the moment and go out there and compete as hard as I can.”

McCullers threw seven innings for the first time since Sept. 21, 2022, at Tampa and delivered Houston’s best start of its first turn in the rotation. Only Mike Burrows, who threw 5 2/3 innings on Friday, had completed five innings in the first four games, so the Astros desperately needed McCullers to go deep.

“I’m happy for him,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “He’s worked hard to get back on track.”

McCullers threw 96 pitches (63 strikes) and registered 17 whiffs. He relied mostly on his sinker (32 pitches) and cutter (24), but it was an 81.1 mph curveball on his final pitch of the night that pinch-hitter Masataka Yoshida tipped for strike three to end his outing and strand a pair of runners.

The emotion poured out of him.

“A lot of relief, honestly,” McCullers said. “I saw him tip it and it would have been super awkward if it would have hit the dirt because I was already adrenaline dumped on that one, but just the way the game played out, I thanked Joe for letting me stay out there. I really wanted to prove him right and just make big pitches. It was just a big moment, and I knew I was done.”

McCullers, in the final year of a five-year, $85 million contract, returned to action last year following a 2 1/2-year layoff and posted a 6.51 ERA in 55 1/3 innings in 16 games (13 starts), though he landed on the injured list three more times. A foot sprain came in June, a blister on his right finger got him in July and August, while right hand soreness sidelined him in September.

McCullers was activated from the IL for the final game of last year’s regular season in Anaheim and allowed one run -- a homer to Mike Trout -- while striking out four batters in three innings. He ended the season with a good taste in his mouth, and was ready to re-establish himself in 2026.

He did that Monday night.

“Today, it seemed like he was a complete pitcher,” Correa said. “He was really fun to watch, he was really fun to play behind. … It was beautiful. It was a masterpiece.”