HOUSTON -- The Astros are working overtime to try to get right-hander Mike Burrows back on track, though the results didn’t improve in Sunday’s 5-0 loss to the A’s at Daikin Park. Burrows struggled through five innings, giving up five runs (four earned), eight hits, two walks and two homers to fall to 3-8 on the season.
Burrows continues to get burned by home runs and walks, and Sunday was no different. Nick Kurtz hit a two-run homer in the third inning and Brent Rooker added a solo shot in the fifth -- the 16th and 17th homers allowed this year by Burrows, which is the most in the American League. He’s made a team-high 13 starts and has a 5.77 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in 73 1/3 innings -- numbers that aren’t sustainable if he is to remain in the rotation.
“For me, it always comes down to one [bad] inning for Mike,” manager Joe Espada said. “Try to minimize the damage, that’s always been key for him. He works really hard. We’re trying to give him different things just to prepare for, moving on the rubber a little bit, trying to create different lanes to attack hitters. He’s got really good stuff. When this guy is executing, he’s lights out.”
Burrows moved closer to the third-base side of the pitching rubber Sunday with hopes of creating better pitch slots. He also leaned heavily on his best pitch, the changeup, which he threw 39 times (43 percent) in his 97-pitch outing, while throwing fewer four-seam fastballs (29 pitches). He came into the outing averaging 29 percent four-seamers and 26 percent changeups this year.
“Just trying to identify low-hanging fruit and take advantage of that,” Burrows said.
Entering Sunday, opposing hitters were batting .309 against Burrows’ four-seams, which was the 10th highest batting average allowed on a four-seamer this year among 86 pitchers (minimum 75 plate appearances ending on a four-seamer). And batters were slugging .721 against the pitch, which was the second-highest slugging percentage off a four-seamer this season. Both Kurtz and Rooker homered on Burrows’ four-seamer.
“The four-seam has just been more runny than it has in the past,” Burrows said. “It doesn’t really have the cut that it did last year, or that glove-side run. That kind of gets into lefties a little bit harder. Just trying to get back to the similar things we were doing really well last year.”
The return of right-hander Hunter Brown from the injured list, which should happen during the Astros’ series against the Tigers in Houston next week, will be a huge boost to a club that’s gotten some key stars back from injuries in the last week, including closer Josh Hader and second baseman Jose Altuve.
Brown, who made two starts to begin the year and has been out since with a shoulder strain, isn’t just any starting pitcher. He’s a front-line arm who finished third in American League Cy Young voting last year, so his return will be a shot in the arm. Brown is scheduled to make his final Minor League rehab outing at Triple-A Sugar Land on Wednesday.
Burrows, acquired from the Pirates in exchange for two prospects in a three-team trade in December, is likely in no danger to be optioned to the Minor Leagues yet. The Astros will move to a six-man rotation after Thursday’s day off, which will be followed by 13 consecutive games without an off-day. The return of Brown would give the Astros their six starting pitchers.
Still, Burrows has been the weak link in an Astros rotation that entered Sunday with a 4.81 ERA that was the worst in the AL. Houston is 3-10 in games started by Burrows, who will face one of baseball’s worst slugging offenses in his next start in six days in Kansas City.
“I feel like we’re getting behind a lot of hitters,” veteran catcher Christian Vázquez said. “I know he’s working a lot. We see it between outings and he’s looking for results. That's baseball. We’ll continue to work hard and look for the light in the tunnel and you're going to find it. We need to attack more hitters and throw strikes. If we can control the walks, I think we’re going to get better.”