The Astros need this weekend in the worst way, and the schedule finally gives them a chance to stop the slide.
Houston dropped a midweek series to the Los Angeles Angels at Daikin Park, leaving the club with a one-game lead over the Texas Rangers in the American League West. After going 2-4 in its last six games against the Seattle Mariners and Angels, the Astros now turn to a three-game set against the Athletics to close out the homestand.
The matchup looks favorable on paper, at least early. The A’s enter as the worst team in baseball at 49-79 and have gone 11-41 since June 20. That sets up an important stretch for Houston, especially with the pitching matchups in the first two games giving the Astros a real shot to steady themselves.
On Friday, Hunter Brown will face Jack Lopez. Brown has not looked like his usual ace-level self lately, and command has been part of the issue.
He walked five in his last outing on Sunday, allowing two earned runs over five innings on 90 pitches. Even so, he still carries a 3.67 ERA in 13 starts this season.
Lopez, meanwhile, owns a 5.22 ERA in 20 games, including 17 starts, but he has found a better rhythm of late. Over his last seven starts, he has posted a 2.36 ERA.
Saturday brings Ryan Wesneski against Mitch Ginn. Wesneski struggled in his most recent start against the Mariners on Saturday, when he gave up five earned runs on seven hits in four innings.
Still, the right-hander had been solid in his first three starts back after Tommy John surgery and a successful rehab, and he’s 2-1 with a 5.16 ERA overall. In those three earlier outings, he worked at least 5.2 innings each time while staying on a good pitch count.
Ginn has been one of Oakland’s steadier arms this year, going 8-7 with a 3.53 ERA across 127.1 innings. He has already faced the Astros twice in relief earlier this season, but he has not started against them yet in 2026.
Sunday’s starter for Houston has not been named, but the Astros do not have many choices. Cristian Javier may be asked to go on four days’ rest, since he is the last member of this rotation turn who has not yet started.
Javier has done that before this season, but the results were not strong. One of those starts came against the A’s on April 3, when he allowed six earned runs in three innings.
Tatsuya Imai is not an option after throwing three innings of relief on Thursday.
In Other News...
Astros Suddenly Have A Yordan And Altuve Problem To Watch
The Astros spent part of a recent game against the Angels watching two of their most important bats head to the dugout and stay there. Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve both left and did not return, with the team framing the moves as precautionary and, at least initially, offering no sign of anything more serious than a short-term concern.
Even so, this is exactly the sort of situation Houston cannot afford to shrug off in the middle of a tight American League West race. Alvarez and Altuve are central to the lineup and to the clubs overall margin for error, so the Astros will be monitoring both closely in the coming days while hoping the early read holds up. [Read more 🡒]
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Diaz has credited Issael with helping pull him back to baseball after he had walked away from the game as a youth, and that motivation has followed him all the way to Houston. Signed by Cleveland as an international free agent in 2016 and traded to the Astros in 2021, he reached the majors in 2022 and followed with a breakout 2023, but the pregame reminder shows the story behind the rise is still very close to him. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Avoided The Jeremy Pea Scare They Couldnt Afford
Jeremy Pea gave the Astros a brief jolt of concern after his right hand forced the club to take a closer look, but the early read was encouraging. Manager Joe Espada said an MRI showed no structural damage, and Pea is still dealing with soreness while the team monitors how he responds in the days ahead.
For Houston, the timing matters just as much as the diagnosis. Pea has become a key contributor over his 79 games this season, and the Astros can ill afford to lose another regular for any meaningful stretch. The expectation now is that he will avoid an injured list stint, leaving the club to hope the discomfort fades quickly and does not linger into the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]