HOUSTON -- When the Astros dealt for Justin Verlander at the Trade Deadline, general manager Dana Brown said he thought the veteran “stabilizes our rotation.” But the move hasn’t exactly panned out for Houston: Since the Aug. 1 deal, its starters’ 4.94 ERA ranks 21st in the Majors.
The struggles of their two rookie starters, Hunter Brown and J.P. France, are a big reason why. Brown allowed seven runs in a 9-5 loss to the Orioles on Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park, where Houston has lost 10 of its past 13 games to fall under .500 (38-39) at home.
- Games remaining (10): vs. BAL (1), vs. KC (3), at SEA (3), at AZ (3)
- Standings update: The Astros (84-68) lead the AL West by a half-game over the Rangers (83-68), who beat the Red Sox on Tuesday, and a half-game over the Mariners (83-68), who beat the A's. The Astros hold the season tiebreaker against the Rangers, but not the Mariners.
- Magic number to clinch AL West: 11
The start increased Brown’s ERA since Aug. 1 to 6.92. France has a 6.13 ERA over the same stretch. The two rookies were instrumental in holding Houston’s rotation together over the first half of the season through a barrage of injuries.
But on Tuesday, Brown fell victim to the same troubling trend that has plagued the entire rotation: home runs. Entering Tuesday, Astros starters ranked 25th in home run rate (1.6 allowed per nine innings) since Aug. 1.
Two early Baltimore blasts -- a two-run shot from Ryan O’Hearn and a three-run jack from Austin Hays -- put Brown behind early.
“We can’t keep them in the ballpark,” manager Dusty Baker said.
Neither could the Orioles -- who allowed a two-run homer to Kyle Tucker in the first and a solo shot to Alex Bregman in the third.
Brown got the chance to go back out in the sixth for the first time since Aug. 10 and salvage his outing. In his last start against the A’s, the right-hander got a quick hook after five no-hit innings, a decision Baker said was meant to “send him out on a high note.”
Brown couldn’t finish strong when given a second chance on Tuesday, issuing two walks, both of which came around to score. The insurance runs put the Orioles out of reach, even after Yainer Diaz smacked a two-run opposite-field home run, his 23rd homer of the year, in the bottom of the frame.
“They spoiled some really good pitches,” Brown said. “And then they made me pay for the mistakes I made tonight.”
Two solo shots off José Urquidy in the seventh added insult to injury.
“We’re one game under .500 at home, which is the complete opposite of … the way we play on the road,” said Baker, whose team is 46-29 away from Minute Maid Park. “I don’t know exactly what it is. We’ve tried to put our finger on it. You don’t know.
“I know one thing, though: They’re hitting the ball out of the ballpark on us.”
The long ball has affected every starter, aside from Framber Valdez. Verlander has allowed seven homers in four September starts. France (nine homers allowed since Aug. 1) and Cristian Javier (10 since Aug. 1) have seen the biggest jumps in the rate of pitches that leave the yard.
It’s an issue that has left the Astros stumped.
“If I knew [why], it wouldn’t be happening,” Baker said. “Plus, our pitching guys are spending hours upon hours upon hours to try and figure this out.”
But time is ticking as Houston continues a crucial stretch to compete for a playoff spot. The Astros fell on Cedric Mullins' decisive three-run homer on Monday. They’ll turn to Javier in the finale to try to avoid a sweep by the AL-best Orioles.
Each start by the trio of Brown, France and Javier is also a test for a spot in the postseason rotation. Limiting home runs is the first question needed to pass, especially against playoff-caliber lineups like Baltimore, which can take advantage of mistakes left in the heart of the zone.
“It’s a good league,” Bregman said. “You better show up and do it, or you’re not going to get the results you want. You’re going to be sitting on your [butt] in October instead of playing. So it comes down to doing it. That’s it. We can talk about it all day, but it comes down to execution on the field, and obviously, we haven’t done that well this season.”