Astros lose 2-1 to the Nationals on July 29, extending their skid to six. Hunter Brown's gem was wasted as the offense, besides Jeremy Peña, went silent.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It's a script Astros fans have seen too many times lately. Dominant starting pitching, a silent bullpen, and an offense that just can't find the big hit. Tuesday night was the latest chapter in this frustrating story, as a seventh-inning solo shot was all the Washington Nationals needed to hand Houston a 2-1 defeat, extending the team's losing streak to a season-high six games.
During this six-game skid, the team has averaged just 2.3 runs per game.
Hunter Brown was nothing short of spectacular, once again proving he's the anchor of this rotation. Over seven masterful innings, he allowed just two runs while striking out eight Nationals and walking only one. The problem? The offense gave him absolutely zero room for error. The decisive blow came in the seventh when catcher Riley Adams launched a solo home run, the only real blemish on Brown's night. When your starter posts a line like that, you expect a win. Instead, Brown was tagged with a tough-luck loss, a recurring theme during this brutal stretch.
The offense remains the team's Achilles' heel. The Astros managed just one run on a fourth-inning RBI single from Jeremy Peña, who continues to be a lone bright spot with a 2-for-4 night that boosted his average to .322. Outside of Peña, the bats were silent. The absence of Isaac Paredes is looming larger by the day, with news that his hamstring strain is 'pretty significant' and requires a second opinion. With no clear timetable for his return, the pressure mounts on slumping stars like Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez to rediscover their form and provide the run support this pitching staff desperately needs.
Management is clearly trying to shake things up. The team reinstated outfielder Jacob Melton from the IL, though he didn't play Tuesday, and designated the struggling Jon Singleton for assignment. In the bullpen, Nick Martinez was optioned to Sugar Land with Nick Hernandez getting the call-up. While these moves tinker around the edges, the biggest reinforcement is nearing his return. Luis Garcia looked sharp in a rehab start for Double-A Corpus Christi and is now heading to Triple-A. His return to the big-league club in August could provide a massive boost, but the team needs to stop the bleeding now.
Despite the agony of a six-game losing streak, the Astros miraculously remain atop the AL West. But that cushion won't last forever. The pitching is championship-caliber, but you can't win if you don't score. The return of Melton and eventually Garcia will help, but the season's fate rests on the bats of the current lineup waking from their slumber. The talent is there; now it's a matter of execution before this slide turns from a slump into a serious crisis.
