One for ten with runners in scoring position wrecks another great starting performance by the Astros’ rotation.
Lack of clutch hitting has plagued the Astros way too often this year, and it cost them dearly once again tonight. Eight hits in a game started by Zack Wheeler isn’t bad, but only one of them with runners in scoring position out of ten chances won’t win many games. Especially when three of those missed opportunities came in the tenth inning stranding a ghost runner.
Not surprisingly, Bryce Harper and the Phillies made the Astros pay for this extra-inning ineptitude.
The Astros scored first thanks to a two-out, two-run double by rookie Shay Whitcomb in the fourth off Wheeler, his second RBI double in his short MLB career.
But two runs are not likely to beat the Phillies. The Phillies got one back with a solo homer in their fifth by Brandon Marsh, and tied the score on an RBI double by Nick Castellanos in the sixth.
Astros starting pitching was exemplary once again. Tonight, the overworked Ronel Blanco looked fresh after six days rest, going 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits, two walks with five strikeouts. He was relieved in the sixth with two outs and runners on second and third by Hector Neris, who struck out Marsh to end the threat.
Kaleb Ort got two quick outs in the Phillies’ seventh in for Neris but allowed a double to Trea Turner. Lefty Bryan King was brought in to face lefty slugger Bryce Harper, who walked, but King got Alec Bohm to strike out on 10 pitches.
Meanwhile, the Astros offense could do nothing in the remaining regulation nine innings, but the Phillies couldn’t either, getting shut down by Bryan Abreu and Josh Hader in the eighth and ninth innings respectively, Hader striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth sending the game into extra-innings.
The Astros got two quick outs in the tenth without advancing the runner, but Yainer Diaz was robbed of an RBI single by an outstanding play by defensive center field replacement Johan Rojas.
The Phillies took advantage of the Astros’ offensive ineptitude, with Bryce Harper singling home the ghost runner in the bottom of the tenth to give the Phils the 3-2 win. Josh Hader got his seventh loss of the year, but unlike some of his earlier meltdown losses, I can’t blame him too much for this one.
A great pitching matchup tomorrow. Justin Verlander goes against Aaron Nola at 5:40 CT.