Astros drop to 2nd in AL West as Brown struggles vs. Yanks

HOUSTON -- Inconsistent starting pitching has plagued the Astros of late, and the struggles of Hunter Brown in Saturday night’s 5-4 loss to the Yankees were the latest example. With the win, New York clinched a weekend series victory at Minute Maid Park.

Making matters worse, the Astros (77-60) lost ground in a tight American League West race as the Mariners beat the Mets.

• Games remaining: vs. NYY (1), at TEX (3), vs. SD (3), vs. OAK (3), at KC (3), vs. BAL (3), vs. KC (3), at SEA (3), at ARI (3).

• Standings update: Seattle leads the AL West by a game, with Houston in second place by a game over Texas, which lost Saturday to Minnesota. The Mariners hold the tiebreaker over the Astros, meaning Houston needs to finish one game ahead of Seattle to win the division.

With Toronto’s loss at Colorado, the Astros remained 2 1/2 games ahead of the Blue Jays (and one above the Rangers) in the race for the AL’s final two Wild Card spots.

As for Brown, Houston’s young right-hander struggled with control and allowed frequent traffic over four-plus innings, yielding five runs (three earned) on five hits and four walks. A crucial error by second baseman Mauricio Dubón, who misplayed what could have been a double-play grounder by Jasson Domínguez with nobody out in the fifth, was Brown's last pitch. Both runners scored later that frame to put New York (67-69) ahead for good.

“I put us in a tough spot, and it wasn’t my best performance,” Brown said. “I feel like they spit on some good pitches, and the uncompetitive ones, I didn’t have a chance to get a swing.”

“Domínguez is a good runner, and I took my eyes off the ball,” said Dubón, who started in place of Jose Altuve (bruised left shin). “I was trying to be too quick.”

Brown's 2023 season began with a 5-1 record and a 3.12 ERA over his first 10 starts, which drew early AL Rookie of the Year buzz. But Brown went 5-8 with a 5.50 ERA over his next 15 starts, and Saturday didn't reverse that trend as the Astros search for rotation answers behind front-line starters Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander.

“He was pretty good early, but he had four walks and was forcing the breaking ball,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “The Yankees rely on homers and walks. He couldn’t get his secondary pitches over, and that makes him a lot easier to hit.”

Brown and fellow starter Cristian Javier each had ERAs above 6.00 during the previous two months, and Saturday’s showing didn’t offer many signs of a September resurgence. Javier is hoping for a better outcome in Sunday’s series finale.

Michael Brantley and Yainer Diaz each hit a two-run home run off Yankees starter Luis Severino, who allowed four runs in four innings. Making his first home start since June 2022, Brantley went 2-for-4, and he's hitting .308 (4-for-13) since returning from that 14-month absence after right shoulder surgery.

Diaz became just the seventh rookie in club history to hit 20-plus home runs in one season. It’s a prestigious list that includes Jeremy Peña (2022), Yordan Alvarez (‘19), Carlos Correa (‘15), George Springer (‘14), Lance Berkman (‘00) and Glenn Davis (1985).

“That was a goal that my parents set for me at the beginning of the year,” Diaz said through a translator. “They said they wanted to see me hit 20 homers, so I imagine they’re jumping with happiness in the Dominican Republic. We have a family group chat, and when I got back to my locker, I saw all the messages.”

Diaz picked up a second hit with two outs in the ninth off Yankees closer Clay Holmes, putting the potential tying run on base. But Jon Singleton, who pinch-hit for Chas McCormick, struck out on five pitches.

“He’s really tough on righties,” Baker said of Holmes. “Our projections said that Singleton [should] hit .275, and Chas .220. Lefties are hitting 100 points higher in OPS. But we lost that game long before then.”

The Astros own the AL’s second-best road record at 42-27, but they’re just 35-33 at home, where Saturday’s crowd of 41,427 was Houston’s 18th sellout of 2023. It could not, however, lift the hosts to a win.