OAKLAND, Calif. — The Astros have won a certain way throughout their three-year renaissance, relying largely on a stable of workhorse starting pitchers and a shutdown trio at the back of their bullpen. Houston’s lineup was lethal, sure, but it did not need to completely carry the club.
Two days ago, Dusty Baker spoke about winning differently. His team lost two games during a doubleheader in which it scored 15 runs and struck 18 hits. The numbers were good enough to win most major league games and would suffice during the Astros’ recent run of success.
Baker lamented the wasted opportunities, knowing his inconsistent pitching staff requires as many runs as an opponent will afford. The team scores 5.40 runs per game, but must accumulate more. Scoring each runner from third base is almost essential. Poor clutch hitting can cripple the team. An absent offensive day almost always spells disaster.
On Monday, Baker’s worst fears manifested. His piecemeal group of pitchers kept the club in contention for seven innings against the division-leading Oakland A’s. Houston’s lineup responded with absolutely nothing.
The Astros lost, 6-0. It was their first shutout of the season. A three-run eighth inning against Cy Sneed turned the game farcical — from a compelling 3-0 contest to a six-run laugher.
Houston lost for the fifth straight time and fell 4½ games behind the A’s for the American League West lead. Suddenly, the rebuilding Seattle Mariners are just two games behind the Astros for second place in the division and the West’s final playoff spot.
“We can’t look behind us, we have to look ahead,” Baker said. “Nothing lasts forever. I think we have another streak of (losing) five games and we reeled off eight in a row. You can’t be afraid of somebody overtaking you from behind, there’s nothing you can do but play the game that you’re playing.”
In the eight innings before Sneed’s implosion, when the game was still within reach, Houston struck seven singles and put two runners to second base. Chances against A’s starter Chris Bassitt were plentiful but always unfulfilled — either by bad luck, bad pitch selection or just plain putrid plate appearances.
"It was hard to just sit on one pitch because the fastball was moving everywhere and he wasn't throwing the offspeed as much, but he was effective today," third baseman Abraham Toro said.
Bassitt scattered seven singles across seven scoreless innings. Two relievers from Oakland’s dominating bullpen completed what Bassitt began. Sneed’s dismal outing even prevented the A’s from using closer Liam Hendriks in the ninth, an unfavorable development for the remainder of this five-game series.
The Astros did not strike an extra-base hit. Six of their seven hits against Bassitt came with two outs, but chances still existed to score against him.
In the first, Houston had first and third for the hot-hitting Kyle Tucker. He got ahead in the count 2-0, but bounced out to second to extinguish the threat.
Given the same situation in the fourth — runners at the corners and two outs — Toro popped up a 2-0 cutter to the catcher. Toro acknowledged afterward he should have "laid off of it." Bassitt made an incredible play on a George Springer’s comebacker in the fifth, securing the bouncer with a basket catch and throwing across his body for the second out.
“It’s tough to lose another one because obviously we want to be focused on winning,” starter Cristian Javier said through an interpreter. “But we have to do everything we can to keep supporting each other and keep picking each other up.”
The lineup’s listlessness wasted a valiant start from Javier. He labored through five traffic-filled frames. His command was imprecise and he constantly found himself behind in counts. Just 50 of his career-high 94 pitches were strikes.
Still, the rookie righthander supplied a start that kept his team within striking distance — a trait becoming common during Javier’s early major league career. He’s now allowed three or fewer earned runs in eight of his first nine starts.
A 34-pitch second inning set his evening askew. Javier faced six hitters. He fell behind four of them either 2-0 or 2-1 — unable to land any of his offspeed pitches early in the count.
Two former Astros did most of the damage. Robbie Grossman slapped a single into left field to start the frame and stole second base against backup catcher Dustin Garneau. Javier struck out Stephen Piscotty for a momentary reprieve. Tony Kemp arrived.
In 11 previous at-bats with runners in scoring position, Kemp did not have a hit. Javier fell behind him 3-1. Kemp crushed the next fastball to Tucker in right field.
Tucker took a circuitous route to the baseball, turning his back to the infield in pursuit. Monday was only Tucker’s ninth major league start in right field, a consequence of Josh Reddick’s lingering elbow contusion. The ball landed behind Tucker and scored Grossman. Sean Murphy supplied a solo home run to complete the damage against Javier.
Six innings of anger for the Astros lineup appeared to turn with Toro in the seventh. Bassitt left a 1-1 cutter near the bottom of the strike zone. Toro turned on it, launching the baseball into the left center field gap. Members of Houston’s dugout yelled audible encouragement as the ball flew through the air. Toro took off for first and seemed destined for second.
Ramón Laureano loped toward the gap. The former Astros farmhand possesses one of baseball’s best throwing arms. His defense continues to improve with each season. Toro’s missile tailed away from him as he sprinted in pursuit. Laureano reached out his left hand and corralled it anyway. Bassitt breathed a sigh of relief and pounded his glove. The 367-foot out prolonged his masterful start, one that continued the Astros’ downward spiral.
“Not a whole bunch to say,” Baker said. “You can critique this game until the cows come home, but there isn’t much to say about a shutout loss.”
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