Four Starters in Eight Days: The Astros Have a Real Pitching Problem
At some point, bad luck stops being an explanation. The Houston Astros arrived in Colorado on April 6 with a rotation that appeared functional. Hunter Brown was already on the injured list with a Grade 2 right shoulder strain. That was one injury,…
Astros Lose Seventh Straight as Rotation Hits Crisis Point
The Houston Astros’ starting rotation is at a crisis point. Houston has now used four different starting pitchers in three games, and none has made it past the fifth inning. Cody Bolton lasted just one inning Sunday at T-Mobile Park, walking three…
Phil Garner, Astros’ “Scrap Iron” Manager, Dies at 76
Phil Garner earned his nickname the hard way. Hall of Fame broadcaster Milo Hamilton first called the young Pittsburgh Pirates infielder “Scrap Iron”, a nod to the dirt-caked uniform, the knocked-down grounders, the absolute refusal to give…
Dusty Baker Secretly Fed Houston’s Homeless
Before Dusty Baker drove home after Astros games, he made a stop. Night after night, the championship manager would gather the leftover food from the clubhouse, package it up, and drive to the Interstate 69 underpass, where he quietly handed it out to…
Jeremy Peña to Undergo Imaging After Knee Tightness
Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña left Saturday night’s 8-7 loss in Seattle in the fourth inning with right posterior knee tightness and will undergo imaging Sunday, the team announced. Peña said he felt the tightness during Friday’s series opener…
Astros Squander 17-Hit Night in 8-7 Walk-Off Loss to Mariners
The Houston Astros did everything right for four innings Saturday night at T-Mobile Park. Then they did what this week has come to expect. Lance McCullers gave them a gem through four, the offense erupted for seven runs on 17 hits, and the Astros took a…
Astros Send Imai Back to Houston, Call Up Murray
The Houston Astros’ pitching situation took another turn Saturday when right-hander Tatsuya Imai was sent back to Houston to be evaluated for what the team is calling a “tired arm,” following Friday night’s one-out start against…
The Houston Astros Have a Pitching Problem. “We’ll Figure It Out” Isn’t a Plan.
Fourteen games into the 2026 season, the Houston Astros are 6-8, losers of five straight, and are dealing with a pitching situation that has gone from concerning to alarming in the span of one week. Manager Joe Espada is staying positive.…
Astros Lose Fifth Straight as Imai Exits Early
The wrong-way slider went the wrong way Friday night. Tatsuya Imai, whose physics-defying breaking ball had generated buzz across baseball heading into his start at T-Mobile Park, couldn’t get out of the first inning. Two walks, a wild pitch, a hit…
Astros Open Series in Seattle Behind Imai’s “Wrong-Way” Slider
If you haven’t seen Tatsuya Imai’s slider yet, tonight is a good night to tune in. Houston’s newest starter throws one of the most unusual pitches in baseball—a slider that breaks the opposite direction of virtually every other slider…