SAN FRANCISCO -- With the victory music pumping in the visiting clubhouse, the Astros couldn’t pack and leave Oracle Park fast enough on Wednesday afternoon. The Giants, who traded away one of their best starting pitchers and their best hitter at the Trade Deadline, gave Houston everything it could handle for three games and even flirted with a series sweep.
The Astros, who were one strike away from losing Monday’s series opener before rallying to win in extra innings, pulled out a 2-1 series finale victory that was also about as ugly as it gets. Houston used sacrifice flies from Nelson Velázquez in the seventh and Nick Allen in the eighth to back 8 1/3 scoreless innings from their bullpen.
“Good teams find a way and we did,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “We finished strong this road trip -- [going] 3-3 -- and that’s what you want to do. That was a team coming together and grinding. We used everyone in that ‘pen who was available, and we got the big hits when we needed the most.”
The Astros (62-60) remain in first place in the American League West and will head home for nine games against teams with losing records, beginning Friday against Seattle.
Here’s a closer look at where the Astros are with 40 games remaining:
1. Where has the offense gone?
The Astros have scored two runs or fewer in four of theìr last five games, with the only exception being Monday’s win in which they scored one run in the ninth and three in the 10th en route to a 6-3 win. Houston batters are slashing .155/.224/.252 in that stretch with eight extra-base hits, including three homers.
It’s not surprising the offensive funk coincides with a slump by shortstop Jeremy Peña, who snapped an 0-for-24 drought Monday and has two hits in his last 34 at-bats. Then there’s AL Most Valuable Player front-runner Yordan Alvarez, who hasn’t homered since July 28 -- though he missed one by inches on Wednesday. He’s 3-for-17 in his last five games.
Daulton Varsho is 4-for-32 since joining the Astros in a trade from Toronto on Aug. 3.
“This is a very hard game, and it’s not going to be pretty every day. But sometimes good players, they go through ups and downs,” Espada said. “I like our fight. As long as we keep fighting, we’re going to find a way.”
2. The starting pitching problem
The Astros have three starting pitchers they can trust in Peter Lambert, Hayden Wesneski and Hunter Brown. They will pitch in that order this weekend against the Mariners at Daikin Park. After that, things turn bleak.
Tatsuya Imai, who’s been moved to the bullpen, has a 5.83 ERA in 15 starts; Ronel Blanco has a 6.98 ERA in four starts since returning from Tommy John surgery on July 20; and Cristian Javier has a 6.68 ERA in 10 games (six starts), having given up seven earned runs in two starts since rejoining the rotation.
The Astros tried to acquire a starting pitcher at the Trade Deadline, but fell short. They did deal injured right-hander Spencer Arrighetti to the Blue Jays for Varsho. The starting pitching depth general manager Dana Brown acquired in the offseason has been a disappointment, save for Lambert.
Houston’s best hope is that Imai, Blanco or Javier can give them competitive starts, with prospect Ethan Pecko perhaps worth a look. Mike Burrows, one of their key offseason additions, will make his first rehab start Friday in Triple-A, but his 5.99 ERA in 18 games (17 starts) doesn’t exude confidence.
3. Bullpen comes through
The Astros used left-handed reliever Bryan King as an opener Wednesday, and he recorded only two outs while walking two batters, one of which led to the Giants’ only run. With an off day Thursday, the Astros deployed every available relief pitcher to cover the final 25 outs, giving up no runs on five hits.
Imai, pitching for the first time since Aug. 3, threw three scoreless innings, but wasn’t exactly impressive. He walked two and gave up three hits, but remains an enigma without allowing a run. AJ Blubaugh allowed one hit in 1 2/3 innings, while the back-end trio of Steven Okert, Bryan Abreu and Josh Hader didn’t allow a base runner.
Hader improved to 17-for-17 in save chances since his return from injury. Houston’s bullpen has a 1.32 ERA in the team’s last 15 games, allowing 34 hits and 11 walks while striking out 65 batters in 61 1/3 innings. The resurgence of Abreu has been a key storyline, while Okert continues to be perhaps their most valuable bullpen arm.
The Astros need their starters to pitch deeper to ease the workload of the relievers in the final six weeks of the regular season.