In September, Joe Niekro was traded to the Yankees for two minor league pitchers and lefty Jim Deshaies. Hes not as appealing as Campusano but could still attract some attention if the Friars made him available. WebCarlos Ivn Beltrn (Spanish pronunciation: [kaloz eltan]; born April 24, 1977) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. WebWelcome to MLB.com, the official site of Major League Baseball. [314][315] The season was marked by the Astros 415 record against their in-state division rival (and eventual division winner) Texas Rangers. Pressly, who struck out the side in the ninth inning, tied the Astros' franchise record with 27 consecutive batters retired first achieved by Dave Giusti in 1965. Vzquez is offensively much more productive than Martin Maldonado at the plate, but acquiring a new catcher at the deadline is a tricky line to walk in terms of rapport with the team's starting pitching. The World Series continues Thursday at 8:03 PM ET when the Houston Astros visit the Philadelphia Phillies live on FOX from Citizens Bank Park. More From SI's Inside The Astros: [38], Renamed the Astros and moving to the Astrodome in 1965, they took to the field in home uniforms featuring the "shooting star" design. The bright stripes were meant to appear as a fiery trail like a rocket sweeping across the heavens. Jeremy Pea became the first rookie position player in baseball history to be named World Series MVP after Houston's 4-1 win in Game 6 on Saturday, and the Fall Classic served as a mere continuation of Pea's brilliance in the postseason. The rumors of the Astros moving out of Houston started to crumble and the Astros were now able to compete in the free-agent market. Alex Bregman and Martn Maldonado homered and drove in three runs each, and Yuli Gurriel broke an 0-for-12 slump with three hits to tie his season high. Chicago won, 43. Its unclear if Houston has shown any willingness to raise their proposed salary figure in the few weeks since then, but Heyman reports theyre still opposed to a three-year guarantee. WebNews about Chicago Bears, Cubs, Bulls, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fire from the Chicago Tribune, including latest injury reports, roster moves, trades, scores and analysis, photos and highlights. The 2022 Houston Astros season was the 61st season for the Houston Astros, a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located in Houston, Texas, their 58th as the Astros, 10th in both the American League (AL) and AL West division, and 23rd at Minute Maid Park. On September 19, the Astros clinched the AL West, their fifth division title in the last six seasons. Read more >>, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 03: Justin Verlander #35 of the Houston Astros delivers a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the second inning in Game Five of the 2022 World Series at Citizens Bank Park on November 03, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Barnhart generally is graded well on defense, however, posting 14 Defensive Runs Saved in his career. Behind Framber Valdez' first Opening Day start, the Astros won for the tenth straight year, which set a modern-day record and tied the Boston Beaneaters (18871896) for most consecutive Opening Day victories in major league history. Valdez ended the season with a lower ERA than both of them. WebCarlos Ivn Beltrn (Spanish pronunciation: [kaloz eltan]; born April 24, 1977) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. Starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi struggled with command, unable to get ahead of hitters, to induce swings and misses, or weak contact. Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander walks to the dugout after the top of the first inning in Game 1 of baseball's World Series between the Houston Astros and the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, in Houston. Seattle left thirteen runners on base, which included having the bases loaded in the sixth (with Hctor Neris inducing a ground out) and a double play lineout in the ninth. Starting on Smith Street at Preston Street, the route will travel 1.7 miles down Smith Street to Tuam Street. Christian Vzquez produced his first three-hit game as an Astro. [96], On January 13, 2020, MLB announced that its investigation found that the Astros did use cameras and video monitors to steal signs of opposing catchers and signal to hitters throughout the 2017 regular season and postseason, and at least part of the 2018 season. The Athletics Ken Rosenthal reported that the world-champion Astros view Rizzo as their top free agent target at first base. Game 3 marked the first World Series game held in the state of Texas, and was the longest game in World Series history, lasting 5 hours and 41 minutes. While not officially retired, the Astros have not reissued number 57 since 2002, when former Astros pitcher Darryl Kile died as an active player with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Astros got off to a slow start and the pitching and hitting averages were down. lvarez launched a fastball from Scott Barlow for a solo home run 444 feet (135m) in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving the Astros a 76 victory. [92], On June 24, the Astros ended a Yankees' 15-home game winning streak, by a 31 score, behind Verlander's seven inning, one run performance. Houston swept a key 3-game series over the San Francisco Giants in late September to clinch the division title. The Astros would be hampered by injuries to players such as Justin Verlander, Yordan Alvarez, and Roberto Osuna, who each would suffer season-ending injuries. [353], On March 1, 2022, Joe Thon was promoted to manager of the Fayetteville Woodpeckers in the Single-A Carolina League for 2022, his second overall season with the club, after having served as a development coach in 2021. Daz left due to left shoulder discomfort in the fifth inning, and lvarez injured himself while batting in the seventh inning. WebText to 44202 (Msg&Data Rates May Apply). Rizzo would tie the game back up on an RBI single, scoring Bader. On July 31, they traded OF Michael Bourn to the Atlanta Braves. In 2015, Dallas Keuchel led the AL with 20 victories, going 150 at home, an MLB record. He recorded 6+23 scoreless innings pitched, while Ohtani allowed one run over 4+23 innings. [217] The Diamondbacks won the season series finale 52 on September 28 with a three-run rally in the tenth inning capped by Christian Walker's two-run single versus Will Smith (03). Gone were the blue and gold uniforms of the 1990s in favor of a more "retro" look with pinstripes, a traditional baseball font, and the colors of brick red, sand and black. He hurled six shutout innings, allowed two hits, walked four, and struck out five. [45] The season started with a boost from pitcher Ken Forsch, who threw a no-hitter against the Braves the second game of the season. [112][113], On July 5, the Astros won their eighth consecutive contest, 97. April 15, 1968, saw a pitching duel for the ages. Watch. Entering the game in a 2-for-23 slump, McCormick also hit an RBI single in the fifth inning among three total hits. Twelve consecutive outs Valdez produced were via strikeout, supplanting the franchise record of nine previously accomplished by Don Wilson, Randy Johnson, and Gerrit Cole (twice). On November 3, 2021, the day following the ending of the World Series, seven Astros were declared free agents, including Carlos Correa, Yimi Garca, Marwin Gonzlez, Kendall Graveman, Zack Greinke, Brooks Raley, and Justin Verlander. The Astros finished the season with a 51111 record (a franchise-worst) with a season-ending 15-game losing streak, again surpassing their worst record from the previous season. On March 10, 2022, MLB and MLBPA agreed to a new CBA, thus ending the lockout. In November 2010, Drayton McLane announced that the Astros were being put up for sale. [260], As a result of the Astros' championship season, furniture store owner "Mattress Mack" Jim McIngvale was awarded $75 million in total sports betting payoutsthe highest total in sports betting historyfrom a total of $10 million placed earlier in the season. Email ESPN Radio Shows [65][66] The Astros finished with a record of 7686. Peralta would record two innings of 1 run ball before giving way to Jonathan Loisiga. Chicago had been considered the slight favorite but would win all four games, the first two at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago and the final two in Houston. Jos Urquidy (135) delivered seven sterling shutout innings with eight strikeouts and four hits allowed. Maldonado homered twice, Altuve homered, doubled twice, and stole a base, and Urquidy (73) allowed one run on two hits while striking out eight over six innings. The final start of Framber Valdezs breakout season sent him atop another American League leaderboard and cemented a status many around the organization always felt he could attain. The game remained scoreless until the ninth inning. The Astros have just under $198MM in luxury tax commitments for 2023, so if Benintendi was signed to something in the range of that projected $13.5MM average annual value, Houston would still have plenty of room under the $233MM tax threshold to make further moves. Owner Jim Crane recently said that the Astros certainly have the ability to go at or over the threshold, and spending on multiple players (Abreu, and perhaps at least one of Benintendi or Willson Contreras) might be more of a preferable strategy than splurging on a short-term, high-AAV deal on Justin Verlander. While that seems to tip things in Scherzers favor, their pure performance track records are mostly without complaint. With new manager Grady Hatton, the Astros started the 1966 season strong. [38], April 1517 at Seattle Mariners. Ryan Pressley (32), who pitched both the ninth and tenth innings, struck out Brandon Marsh with the tying run on third base in the tenth to end the contest. The success did not last as they lost Jimmy Wynn for the season after he crashed into an outfield fence in Philadelphia and Morgan had broken his knee cap. As they had one off day prior to the All-Star break starting July 18, the Astros shifted to a 6-man starting rotation. Bregman's home run was his fourth career grand slam to give the Astros the lead for good. The Astros announced they have claimed infielder Rylan Bannon off waivers from the Cubs. Team favorites Nolan Ryan and Jos Cruz[57] moved on and the team entered a rebuilding phase. Justin Verlander took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and Yordan lvarez emptied the bases with a go-ahead double in the ninth as the Houston Astros defeated the Oakland Athletics, 54, to complete a three-game sweep. Castro was placed on the 10-day IL. By Simon Hampton | December 10, 2022 at 10:15am CDT. [312][313] The Astros met then, and both sides shoved and shouted except for the 21-year-old rookie Julio Rodrguez, who wrapped up Neris and pulled him away from the scuffle. Twitter @espnradio. Hot Stove Tracker Starting Lineups Transactions Postseason History Injury Report World Baseball Classic MLB Draft All-Star Game MLB Pipeline Great Stories. Realmuto during the first inning of an MLB baseball game at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022 in Houston. Valdez left a sinker in the middle of the plate to Schwarber, which the National League home run champ promptly bashed into the right-field seats. The win gave the Astros four wins in five games, and 21 of 27, moving the club to a season-high 28 games above .500 at 5729. The Menke/Morgan punch was beginning to come alive, and the team was responding to Walker's management style. Rookie shortstop Jeremy Peathen made a highlight-worthy play of his own on a grounder from Bryce Harper to end the inning. However, his season slash line of .281/.326/.431 is a clear upgrade and the Astros acquired the best catcher moved at the trade deadline. WebGet the latest MLB baseball news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ESPN. The Astros prevailed, 31, allowing Valdez to win his first start on Opening Day, and giving the club a record-tying 10th consecutive Opening Day win. [17][18] Eventually, the Houston Sports Association succeeded in purchasing the Houston Buffaloes, which were at this point majority-owned by William Hopkins, on January 17, 1961. The rookie shortstop has carried himself like a seasoned veteran throughout the postseason. Caps were all-navy featuring ".45s" in orange letters in front. Campusano is a longtime top prospect with a strong Triple-A track record, but he has all of 28 MLB games under his belt. Verlander was named the 2017 ALCS MVP. [55], The Astros acquired infielder Mauricio Dubn from the San Francisco Giants for catcher Michael Papierski on May 14. This was the first time a major league game has seen at least two immaculate innings pitched, first by two teammates, and the first occurrence of more than one immaculate inning pitched on the same date in the major leagues. The Astros scored five runs in the first inning, including Yuli Gurriel's first home run of the season. Created by Ed Henderson, Chester Charge was a Texas cavalry soldier on a horse. The acquisition of Roger Metzger from the Chicago Cubs in the off-season moved Menke to first base and Bob Watson to the outfield. The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. Verlander started the first game and allowed just one hit in eight innings as Houston prevailed, 50. In Game 4, Javier, Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero, and Pressly all combined for a no-hitter, just the second in World Series history. The "rainbow" uniforms were phased out, the team electing to keep a five-stripe "rainbow" design on the sleeves. Read more >>. Anthony Rizzo hit a solo home run for the Yankees in the sixth inning, but the Astros held on to win, 21. [109] They went on to lose the 2021 World Series to the Atlanta Braves in six games. Barnhart, 32 in January, has spent the vast majority of his career across the division in the Reds organization, having been drafted by them back in 2009. [149] On July 31, Yordan lvarez delivered a single to drive in Jos Altuve in the bottom of the tenth for the 32, game-winning run. [59] The "shooting star" logo was modified but still retained its definitive look. Luis Garca hurled five innings of relief to earn the victory. [86] In the June 18 game, both lvarez and Daz left due to injury. Wandy Rodrguez, Chacn and Chris Sampson rounded out the bottom three slots in the rotation. On June 25, three Astros pitchersCristian Javier, Hctor Neris and Ryan Presslycombined to no-hit the New York Yankees for the 14th no-hitter in team history. On December 14, they sent infielder Chris Burke, RHP Juan Gutirrez, and RHP Chad Qualls to the Arizona Diamondbacks for RHP Jos Valverde. The Astros bought Niekro from the Braves for almost nothing. He was named AL Player of the Week for the first time in his career on June 6. [205], Astros clinch playoff berth on lvarez' 3-home run game. Clarke Schmidt, who was brought on in relief, would walk the bases loaded before getting Kyle Tucker to ground into an inning-ending double play. Belts were replaced by elastic waistbands, and jerseys zipped up instead of having buttons. Valdezs start propelled the Astros to a 3-2 win in their final game of the regular season. Smith is also a lefty, something that the Astros have lacked in their bullpen this season. [61] On May 19 in a 51 win over the Texas Rangers, Altuve doubled for the 344th time in his career to pass Csar Cedeo for fourth place in franchise history. The Phillies hit Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. hard for seven runs on five home runs en route to a 70 win. Wheeler has a 2.67 playoff ERA and went 12-7 with a 2.82 ERA during the regular season. Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) wipes his face as he walked back to the dugout after Philadelphia Phillies Jean Segura ground out to end the top of the fourth inning of an MLB baseball game at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022 in Houston. ", YOU GOT HOUSTON: A look back at key moments on the Astros' journey to becoming World Series champs again. Heres the top ten bonus pool earners (all of these figures are in addition to the players base salary): Per MLB.coms Mark Feinsand, Atlantas Spencer Strider was the only other player to earn a bonus greater than $1MM, while four more players (Sean Murphy, Tommy Edman, Will Smith and Ryan Helsley) earned more than $700K, with another eleven players (Steven Kwan, Bo Bichette, Alejandro Kirk, Nestor Cortes, Logan Webb, Shane McClanahan, Cal Raleigh, Daulton Varsho, Nico Hoerner, Triston McKenzie and Tony Gonsolin) earned a bonus greater than $500K. WebHearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. The nickname for the city, "Space City," was featured prominently in NASA-inspired orange worm lettering across the chest on an all-navy blue uniform. After a 72 victory in Game 1 of the ALCS, the Astros dropped the next four games, and Boston advanced to the World Series. [j][172], August 1921 at Atlanta Braves: Atlanta won series, 21, The Astros dropped the first game of a rematch of the 2021 World Series, 62, to the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. The Scherzer deal indeed seems the closest comparison to Verlander, although their situations arent perfectly analogous. Pitcher Don Wilson was found dead in the passenger seat of his car on January 5, 1975; the cause of death was asphyxiation by carbon monoxide. Cristian Javier lasted just 3+23 innings, allowing three runs with 10 strikeouts. Starter Luis Garca (98) hurled six innings with six strikeouts, allowing four runs on eight hits. While several "indoor" firsts were accomplished, the team still finished ninth in the standings. [97] About an hour after MLB's announcement, Astros owner Jim Crane announced he had terminated both Hinch and Luhnow, saying he was unaware of the scheme and "extraordinarily troubled and upset", and concluded, "We need to move forward with a clean slate. Astros INF has a case", "An 'Unreal Feeling' as Astros Reach Third World Series in Five Years", "World Series no-hitter! [142] The A's also won the series' final game on July 27, 42, for their first sweep of the season. The Astros and Mariners are no strangers, having played each other 19 times during the 2022 regular season with Houston going 12-7. In 2005, the Astros started poorly and found themselves with a 1530 record in late May. In that game, he struck out 18 batters, tying what was then the all-time single-game mark. [225] Left-handed batters produced a .595 OPS against the bullpen, the lowest figure in the major leagues, in spite of the Astros having the second-fewest leftylefty matchups in the major leagues. WebWelcome to MLB.com, the official site of Major League Baseball. This made them the first team to win the AL West five times in six years since the Anaheim Angels from 2004 to 2009. Christian Vazquez hit a solo home run, hsi first as an Astro, and Yordan Alvarez also drove in a run. [38][31], In 2013, the Astros returned to the classic navy and orange look of previous eras. It was second time Houston secured the top AL playoff seed in franchise history, and third overall, to join the 1980 (NL) and the 2019 (AL) clubs with this distinction. Tucker, noting that Severino was distracted, raced toward home plate. [42][43] 1976 saw the end of Larry Dierker's playing career as an Astro, but before it was all over he would throw a no-hitter and win the 1,000th game in the Astrodome. [222], In the regular season finale, Framber Valdez led a 32 win over Philadelphia with 10 strikeouts over five shutout innings. It only furthers the narrative that "rich get richer", which is absolutely true in the Astros' case. [187], The Astros promoted prospects Hunter Brown and Yainer Daz from Sugar Land to the major league roster for the first time on September 1. Bryan Abreu issued a 1 out walk but worked a clean 8th inning. Chicago White Sox Collective Bargaining Agreement Houston Astros Pre-Arbitration Bonus Pool Adley Rutschman Alejandro Kirk Alek Manoah Andres Gimenez Bo Bichette Cal Raleigh Daulton Varsho Dylan Cease Emmanuel Clase Julio Rodriguez Kyle Tucker Logan Webb Nestor Cortes Nico Hoerner Ryan Helsley Sean Murphy Shane McClanahan Spencer Strider Steven Kwan Tommy Edman Tony Gonsolin Triston McKenzie Will Smith Yordan Alvarez Zac Gallen, By Anthony Franco | December 8, 2022 at 4:58pm CDT. Odorizzi (42) threw seven scoreless innings and struck out a season-high seven. Ohtani became the 10th-fastest to reach 400 strikeouts. On DraftKings, they are listed at -150 (i.e, a $150 bet would net $100 in winnings) on the money line and +145 on the -1.5 run line (Houston to win by at least two runs). Hctor Neris pitched the tenth for the Astros to earn the win (54). [221], October 35 vs Philadelphia Phillies: Houston won series, 21, 1,000 wins at Minute Maid Park. Yet the opportunity to acquire a pre-arbitration key piece at least opens the door for teams that are more traditionally sellers to gauge the market. Larry Dierker and Wilson had winning records, but the pitching staff as a whole had an off season. [153] On August 2, Rafael Devers homered in a return from the injured list to power the Red Sox to a 21 win. In the 1998 season, the Astros set a team record with 102 victories. Edmundo Sosa then made solid contact off Houston Astros starter Framber Valdez, but left fielder Yordan Alvarez was able to make a catch near the warning track for the third out. WebCREATE A FOLLOWING Tribune Content Agency builds audience Our content engages millions of readers in 75 countries every day Yet, they still went out and made shrewd moves to bolster their roster for a deep postseason run into October. Roger Clemens in the alternate brick red home uniform with black cap. "You know in 2017, the Astros lifted the spirit of the city immediately after Harvey," he said. Like McCarthy, he has yet to reach even one year of MLB service. Houston Astros Los Angeles Angels Minnesota Twins Newsstand San Diego Padres Jason Castro Retirement, By Anthony Franco | December 1, 2022 at 11:07pm CDT. A longtime #1 catcher in Boston, he took a bit of a backseat toMartn Maldonado during his final couple months in Houston, starting just 23 games in the seasons final two months. During Spring Training in 2011, he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a damaged meniscus, leading to him missing that entire season. The Astros and Phillies remained scoreless through four innings until the Astros loaded the bases in the top of the fifth inning against Nola. The Astros scored once each in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings. The Astros have found their new first baseman, announcing agreement Monday evening on a three-year deal with Jos Abreu.Hell reportedly receive $19.5MM per season, bringing the total to $58.5MM. For the Pirates, they planned on Roberto Prez being their primary backstop in 2022 but he required season-ending hamstring surgery in May. Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. speaks to the fans before the start of the first inning of an MLB baseball game at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022 in Houston. He made his major league debut on April 22 versus the Toronto Blue Jays, as a pinch hitter the ninth inning of a 43 loss, striking out in his lone at bat. Pea hit a home run to put the Astros at a lead of 21 in the top of the fourth inning. He hit .400 in the World Series and led all players with a 1.023 .OPS, fueling Houston's championship run just as Correa did five years prior. Email ESPN Radio Shows Though he continued to be a competent major leaguer, 2017 was the last season in which he played more than 80 games. Our City Connect uniform links the past and the present, making the old new, with a nod to our citys great history of space travel. The Astros and Mariners are no strangers, having played each other 19 times during the 2022 regular season with Houston going 12-7. Spring training games began on March 17. [237], In Game 2 of the Division Series, as it happened two days earlier, Seattle tried to hold on to a lead late in the game before Yordan lvarez came up to the plate to crush those plans. On July 24, Biggio announced that he would retire at the end of the season. By the mid-1990s, McLane (like McMullen before him) wanted his team out of the Astrodome and was asking the city to build the Astros a new stadium. The Royals ended a five-game losing streak. lvarez rifled the ball home to Maldonado on a 92.5 miles per hour (148.9km/h) carom, who applied the tag to Hunter Dozier racing for home in time for the out. [188], September 24 at Los Angeles Angels: Houston won series, 21, In the series opener versus Los Angeles, starter Lance McCullers Jr. (21) went 5+23 innings to continue an impressive comeback, allowing two runs, six hits, four walks and striking out seven as Houston won, 42. Below are the starting lineups for Game 5 of the World Series between theHouston AstrosandPhiladelphia Phillies. They are the only team to win a postseason series in six straight seasons. Javier (99) allowed two hits and no walks while striking out eight. It was also the 1,000th win for the Astros at Minute Maid Park, which opened in 2000. With the change in location also came a change in attire. The Astros finished in second place. MJ Melendez homered twice for Kansa City, including once versus Odorizzi, whose afternoon concluded after four innings and 90 pitches. On March 16, 2022, MLB announced that all leagues would be referred to by their previous names starting in 2022 and beyond. Per an AT&T SportsNet broadcast, the quality start extended the longest streak franchise history, exceeding the 1972 club (14). Urquidy left with the Astros leading, 31. As such, the Astros would have to rely a plethora of young arms such as Cristian Javier to go alongside veterans in Lance McCullers Jr. and Zack Greinke to accompany an offense that would have just one .300 batter in Michael Brantley. The future Hall of Famer bucked that trend on Thursday, as he picked up his first win in the Fall Classic to give Houston a 3-2 series lead. [32], On April 11, 2022, third baseman Alex Bregman was named AL Player of the Week. When combined with his strong defensive work, he was worth 3.9 wins above replacement in the eyes of FanGraphs, the highest such total he ever managed. [84][85], At the August 31 waiver-trade deadline GM Jeff Luhnow acquired veteran starting pitcher and Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander to bolster the starting rotation. [h][97], The Astros activated SS Jeremy Pea (left thumb) from the injured list prior to the June 26 game. [52], The Astros next traveled to Minnesota to face the Twins (missing newly acquired free agent Carlos Correa due to injury). Alex Bregman has led the way for the Astros starting lineup recently, batting .293 with 2 home runs and 8 RBI over the club's last ten games. Reds GM Nick Krall similarly indicated at the GM Meetings the team was considering trade possibilities involving prospects or lower cost, more controllable players in the big leagues (link via Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer). Twitter @espnradio. [16][17], Two players continued recovery from injuries sustained in the 2021 American League Division Series (ALDS) and missed the start of the regular season with estimated return dates uncertain. The Astros finished with their best record to that point at 8973 and .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}1+12 games behind the NL winner Reds. Alex Bregman and Yuli Gurriel, both mired in season-long slumps, added big contributions. The Houston Astrosplaced a runner into scoring position in the third inning on Saturday, but they couldnt convert with a future Hall of Famer at the plate. Astros starter Jos Urquidy threw 7+23 hitless innings and was removed after A. J. Pollock got the first hit for Chicago. This is a carousel. Houston Astros hurler Framber Valdez is following up his Game 2 brilliance with eight strikeouts across the first five frames on Saturday. Daz, who initiated the scoring with a two-run home in the second inning, also added two singles for his first three-hit effort of the season. The Astros played .500 ball under Virdon in the last 34 games of the season. Astros won 3-2. 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