Astros Bats Go Limp for Second Straight Game. Get Shut out 4-0

After any lopsided win by the Astros, my son always says, “They wasted runs. Now they’re going to lose some games.”

Well the extra runs the Astros scored in their 7-1 victory Friday wouldn’t have helped much in the 10-1 mashing they took last night, but a few of those runs would have helped this afternoon.

Carlos Rodon made the best hitting team in baseball look stupid today, allowing no runs, only one weak hit, while striking out ten and walking none. He was a buzzsaw, or a steamroller, or a dreadnaught, or something like that that you just have to run away from and hope it doesn’t kill you anyway.

Meanwhile, for the third game in a row, Framber Valdez reverted to his pre-2020 self, allowing four runs on seven hits, two walks, and two hit-by-pitch in 6.1 innings.

The walks and hit by pitch cost Valdez a run in the second inning when one of each put a runner on second with two outs, allowing reserve second baseman Danny Mendick to get an RBI single for the ChI-Sox’s first run.

The White Sox would score two more runs on solo homers, one by Yoan Moncada in the fourth inning, and another by Tim Anderson in the fifth. The final Chicago run came in the seventh on an Adam Engel single, driving in Mendick, who walked to start the inning.

The pre-2020 version of Framber Valdez was known for wiggling out of trouble caused by his own wildness. In a way, that happened today in the seventh inning, although Valdez had just been removed from the game when the fortunate wiggling occurred. It was one of the strangest double plays you’ll see, and it even had the umpires baffled.

Ryne Stanek had come in for Valdez in the seventh with runners on second and third and one out. The infield was in. On a grounder, Jose Altuve threw home and the runner on third, Adam Engel ran back to third. Meanwhile, Jose Abreu had already occupied third base as well.

To the confusion of everyone, announcers and umpires alike, it was a double play. The following runner, Abreu was automatically out when Engel returned to third. But Engel apparently thought he was out, so he stepped off the bag, got tagged out for the second out and final out of the inning.

Just the kind of fielding play famous for saving Framber from the sins of his own wildness in years prior. But in this case, Stanek got credit for the double play, but it probably saved Valdez from another run or two credited to his box score.

I say Carlos Correa for Gold Glove at the premier defensive position, shortstop. He made at least four amazing, gold star defensive plays today, showing off both his glove and his rocket arm.

Here’s a montage:

Who used to say he’d grow out of being a shortstop someday? Tell the truth.

The last two games have been a hitting desert for the Stros. The team combined for four hits and one run in these last two games.

Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and especially Yordan Alvarez were particularly off-balance during the whole series. Altuve was 2-13, Correa 0-10, and Alvarez 0-11 with seven strikeouts.

Every time the TV announcers have put up a graphic showing how Yordan Alvarez was better than Ted Willimas or Joe DiMaggio or Albert Pujols after X number of games, I always wanted to cringe. Now I know why.

It’s like he’s real-life living out the plot to the movie The Natural. For the last six games, Alvarez is 1 - 23 with 12 K’s. The one hit was an infield single. He doesn’t look like he could hit a beach ball right now.

Box score and videos HERE.