Framber Valdez somehow keeps it close but Astros lack firepower yet again.
Although the Astros managed to finally win two consecutive games and win the series against a tough team from San Diego this weekend, nothing much has really changed.
Last night seven Astros hits were enough for a 3-2 win. Tonight seven hits landed the Astros a 3-2 loss.
Tonight we got a trip down memory lane. We saw the old-fashioned version of Framber Valdez the framberin man; not the more recent version of Framber the dominant man. For six innings he pitched out of trouble, but held the Padres to two runs with the help of three double plays. He allowed seven hits, three walks, with only two Ks. In typical fashion he had seven groundouts.
As has too often been the case this season, offensive production, such as it was, came largely from the bottom of the order. The Astros did not break Dylan Cease’s shutout until the fifth inning, when seven, eight and nine hitters, Jake Meyers, Cam Smith, and Mauricio Dubon, all singled, Dubon’s blooper scored Meyers. Jose Altuve then struck out, Isaac Paredes walked, an Alvarez shallow sac fly tied the score and Jeremy Pena popped out to end the inning and chase Cease.
On the board! pic.twitter.com/l7QTM4R3As
— Houston Astros (@astros) April 21, 2025
Although the Astros missed out on a big inning, at least they scored. In the third inning, with runners on second and third, Isaac Paredes struck out with two outs to preserve the Padres lead.
The Padres took back the lead on a Fernando Tatis solo homer off Tayler Scott with two outs in the seventh inning. (Home runs to Tatis at this point in time should not count against a pitcher’s ERA) The previous plays was this incredible catch by Jake Meyers, who may be the Astros’ MVP so far this season. Besides his lockdown defense, he leads all Astros hitters in BA.
In the sixth inning, Cam Smith saved Framber’s ass with this catch.
Steven Okert, Logan Van Wey, and Bryan King held the Astros after the departure of Scott, but the offense couldn’t muster even the scent of a rally in the last three innings of the game.
The Astros’ 1-5 hitters were a combined 2-18.
Tomorrow should be a pitcher’s duel between the Toronto Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman and 2025’s Astros ace Hunter Brown.