Worth the wait: McCullers returns with 2-hit gem to lead shutout

HOUSTON -- Things couldn’t have gone much better for Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. in his return to the mound Saturday night at Minute Maid Park.

McCullers, pitching for the first time since he injured his right forearm in last year’s American League Division Series, threw six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and four walks while striking out five batters to send the Astros past the A’s, 8-0, in what he described as a “big day for me.”

“I want to be a productive part of the team, and I want to help this team win,” McCullers said. “I think we’re the best team in baseball, and I just want to go out there and be a part of that.”

Astros third baseman Alex Bregman hit a two-run homer in the first inning to give McCullers all the run support he needed, but Bregman said, “Today was all about No. 43. It’s so good to see him back.”

McCullers hadn’t appeared in a big league game since he pitched in Game 4 of last year’s ALDS against the White Sox and suffered a right flexor pronator strain, bringing a disappointing end to his best Major League season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2018. He went 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA in 28 starts last year, reaching career highs in wins, starts, innings pitched (162 1/3) and strikeouts (185).

If he can approach that kind of form down the stretch and in the playoffs, the Astros’ pitching rotation -- which leads the AL with a 3.15 ERA behind All-Stars Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez -- will be extremely formidable come October.

“Kind of vintage McCullers from what I remember of him before he was hurt,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “What he did with us -- his breaking ball is one of the best in the game. We saw that tonight with a couple of lefties that he struck out looking with [the pitch]. He’s got enough life on the fastball to keep you honest. For his first start back, he threw the ball really well.”

McCullers admitted he was a bit anxious before the game. If his return to the mound wasn’t enough, his grandfather, Robert Perdomo, was in the stands watching him pitch for the first time since he had a stroke. So was his 2-year-old daughter, Ava Rae, who finally is understanding what Daddy does for a living. He also didn’t want to let his teammates down.

“Everyone has been so supportive and really has helped me get back to this point,” McCullers said. “I'm talking about the guys in the clubhouse. They all were excited for me to be back today, so I just wanted to pitch well and do my thing for them. All in all, I think my stuff was really good. Especially as the game went on, my changeup became a pretty big weapon.”

Astros manager Dusty Baker said he didn’t know what to expect from McCullers.

“He was surprisingly sharp with most of his pitches, especially his breaking stuff,” Baker said. “He [was] very impressive today.”

McCullers threw 81 pitches and mixed in five pitches fairly evenly, throwing 22 sinkers that averaged 92.8 mph (94.7 mph max), 23 curveballs that averaged 83.2 mph and 17 sliders that averaged 85.4 mph. The velo was down a tad from last year, but his stuff held up otherwise.

“Same pitcher, same curveball, same slider, same sinker,” catcher Martín Maldonado said. “I think he made some adjustments on the changeup after the third inning. His velo’s down from normally where it was, but I think [with] all the pitches that he has, I think he can go out there and compete.”

McCullers said his stuff was “really, really” good at times, but he lamented walks issued to Stephen Vogt in the second and Cal Stevenson in the third when McCullers had counts in his favor. Of the four batters he walked, three were erased on inning-ending double plays, including 6-5-3 double plays in the second and sixth.

“Early in my career, I used to watch [Dallas] Keuchel and say, ‘Man, this guy gets out of everything with double plays,’” McCullers said. “He told me, ‘Man, listen, when you do your scouting, make sure you know what guys hit what on the ground and how you escape jams.’ You’re one pitch away, especially if you’re a ground-ball pitcher, and as my career has developed, I’ve turned more into a ground-ball guy. They were good matchups to put the ball on the ground, and I had great defense behind me.”