Astros manager Dusty Baker fired all of his bullpen bullets over the weekend in a tense four-game series with the American League West-leading Texas Rangers, a series that Houston won, but at a moderately high cost.
The Astros opened a two-game interleague series against the visiting Colorado Rockies on Tuesday with four of their high-leverage relievers having pitched in three games at Texas: right-handers Phil Maton, Hector Neris, Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressly.
That put the onus on starter Brandon Bielak to eat innings against Colorado and, beneficially for Houston, Bielak obliged, allowing the Astros to be a little bit fresher heading into the second game of the series on Wednesday.
Bielak logged a career-best seven shutout innings in the Astros’ 4-1 win, an effort that required relief work only from Seth Martinez and Ryne Stanek, who worked for the third time in four days.
“We needed it badly because our whole bullpen was down after the Texas series,” Baker said. “You play a tough four-game series like that. It’s kind of all hands on deck, and our guys have gone two days in a row, some two out of three, so we needed it badly. (Bielak) gave us everything that we needed.”
Bielak, recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on Monday, provided a freshness that most of the active roster lacked. The Astros stranded 13 baserunners in the win, leaving the bases loaded in the fifth, seventh and eighth innings. Houston went 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
“Hopefully (on Wednesday) guys will get their legs back under them,” Baker said. “Everybody is kind of spent after that series in Texas, and then we’ve got to come right back for a day game.”
Rookie right-hander J.P. France (3-3, 3.13 ERA) is the scheduled starter for the Astros on Wednesday. He twirled seven shutout innings in his previous outing against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday, allowing four hits and two walks while fanning two in a 14-0 win.
That outing capped a stellar month of June for France, who recorded a 2.43 ERA and a .220 opponents’ batting average over five appearances, all of which were quality starts.
France will make his first career appearance against the Rockies. The right-hander is 1-3 with a 3.72 ERA in five interleague starts this season.
Right-hander Chase Anderson (0-3, 6.50) will start the series finale for the Rockies on Wednesday. It will mark the 10th start with Colorado for Anderson since being claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays on May 12.
Anderson has lost each of his last three starts, posting a 21.21 ERA after recording a 3.16 ERA over his first six starts with the Rockies. He surrendered six runs on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings in a 14-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday.
Anderson has faced the Astros once previously, working five scoreless innings while allowing four hits and posting five strikeouts for the Milwaukee Brewers in a 6-4 victory on April 8, 2016.
Rockies designated hitter Kris Bryant finished 2-for-4 with a home run on Tuesday for his second consecutive multi-hit game since being recalled from the injured list on Friday. Bryant is 5-for-18 since his return from a bruised left heel, and his sixth homer of the season was his first since May 7.
“It’s going to take time,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “He’s getting his hits, but I think overall Kris is a professional hitter. You never know when he’s going to break out.
“With hitters it’s timing. When you’re in a good place, your timing is there, you’re seeing the ball well. I think he’s getting there.”
–Field Level Media