Detroit, MI – August 18, 2025 – It was another night of offensive futility for the Houston Astros as they were shut out for the second consecutive game, falling 10-0 to the Detroit Tigers in the series opener at Comerica Park on Monday night. The loss was a stark reminder of the team’s recent struggles, as they managed a meager three hits against a dominant Tigers pitching staff.
The Tigers wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. After a quiet first three innings, Wenceel Pérez put the Tigers on the board with a solo home run in the fourth inning off of Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti. But the real damage came in the fifth. Arrighetti struggled with his command and allowed three consecutive singles to load the bases. The Tigers then erupted for four runs, thanks to a two-run single from Colt Keith followed by a two-run homer from Riley Greene, his 24th of the season. That made the score 5-0 and ended Arrighetti’s night.
The Astros’ bullpen, which had been overworked in recent weeks, could not contain the Tigers’ bats. In the seventh inning, the Tigers tacked on another five runs against reliever Seth Martinez. The onslaught was highlighted by a three-run home run from Trey Sweeney and a two-run shot from Colt Keith, his second and third RBIs of the night.
The Astros’ offense was completely neutralized by Tigers’ starter Jack Flaherty. The veteran right-hander was in complete control from the first pitch, mixing his fastball and slider to keep the Astros’ hitters off-balance. Flaherty threw seven masterful scoreless innings, allowing only three hits while striking out nine and walking none. The only real threats came in the third and fifth innings when the Astros managed to get runners on base with two outs, but both times they were stranded.
With the game well out of hand, the most memorable and unexpected moment of the night came from Astros’ outfielder Chas McCormick. In a rare but increasingly common sight, McCormick took the mound in the eighth inning to save the bullpen from further work. He delivered a gritty, scoreless frame, allowing just one hit and a walk. This was McCormick’s third pitching appearance in just a week, a testament to his resilience and a sign of how dire things have become for the Astros’ pitching staff.
The loss drops the Astros to a 69-56 record. Despite the recent slump, they still hold a slim one-game lead over the second-place Seattle Mariners, who also lost tonight. The Astros will look to bounce back and get their offense going in game two of the series. The current American League West standings are as follows:
- Houston Astros (69-56)
- Seattle Mariners (68-57), 1.0 games back
- Texas Rangers (62-63), 7.0 games back
- Los Angeles Angels (60-64), 8.5 games back
- Oakland Athletics (56-70), 13 games back