Stros manage only two runners in scoring position in the whole game
The giant sucking sound you hear is the Astros offense descending into the maelstrom.
Nine runs in five games. Tonight they actually achieved their season high in hits, seven, but three ground into double plays killed any semblance of momentum. They Astros only had two runners in scoring position all night. “Slugger” Yordan Alvarez is 1-16 on the season and tonight he was 0-4 with two Ks.
The Giants opened the scoring in the second inning after Astros starter Hayden Wesneski walked the eight and nine hitters to open the inning who scored on a Willy Adames double. Heliot Ramos added a run with a Crawford Box special in the third, giving him five straight games to open the season with at least one extra base hit. That is more than the total of the entire Astros offense.
In the bottom of the fourth Jose Altuve hit one to the Boxes, his first of the season and only the second by the Astros in six games.
The Astros had a threat in the eighth inning, managing to get two baserunners with two outs and Jose Altuve at the plate. It was only the second time in the game that the Astros had a runner in scoring position but Jose popped up harmlessly to end the threat.
Not much better than the three GIDPs recorded by the Astros.
The Astros’ 2, 3, and 4 hitters went down meekly in order in the bottom of the ninth. That loss to the Sugarland Space Cowboys just before the season started is starting to look more and more predictive.
One silver lining was the performance of the backend of the bullpen. Tayler Scott, Steven Okert, and Bryan King held the Giants after a decent performance by starter Hayden Wesneski, who left the game after the fifth inning.