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Houston Astros at Athletics

By JR·2 min read
Houston AstrosHOU(78-80)
AthleticsATH(63-95)
AT
6:40 PM PT

TLDR: Houston is 2 games under .500 and still playing for a division title, and the final 4 games of its regular season are in Sacramento against a 63-95 Athletics team that has nothing to lose and just won 2 straight.

FRI SEP 25, 6:40 PM
Spread
WIN
Total
Astros
(78-80)
LWLLL
Athletics
(63-95)
WWLLL

Houston opens its final 4-game series of the regular season in Sacramento with the AL West still undecided, sending Peter Lambert against Mason Barnett, a spot starter carrying a 7.16 ERA. The Astros have lost 4 of 5 and haven't been hitting, so the game probably turns on whether Peña is back at shortstop and on how long Barnett lasts in front of a depleted A's bullpen. The Athletics have scored 16 runs in their last 2 games and have nothing to lose.

Astros
  • Lambert: 5.1 innings, 2 earned runs in his last start
  • Peña's X-rays clean, Espada expects him to miss just 1 game
  • Face a spot starter with a 7.16 ERA
  • 2nd-fewest runs in MLB since the deadline
  • Varsho's wrist still stiff, center field thin
  • 1-4 in the last 5
Athletics
  • Won 2 straight, 16 runs against the Angels
  • Warm night in a park that helps hitters
  • Barnett: 3.1 innings, 4 walks in his last start
  • Bullpen missing Kriske, Leiter and Sterner
  • Kurtz, Rooker, Wilson and Muncy all out

Peter Lambert (8-10, 3.70) starts the opener for Houston, and he has been the steadiest arm the Astros have had all year. He leads the staff in wins and in strikeouts with 147. In his last start he went 5.1 innings against Atlanta and allowed 2 earned runs, and he still took the loss because Houston scored 2 behind him. The Athletics go with Mason Barnett (1-4, 7.16), who was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on September 18 to fill a rotation that injuries have gutted. That first start back lasted 3.1 innings, with 7 hits and 4 walks on 79 pitches.

Peter Lambert
Peter Lambert
(8-10)·3.70 ERA
Sep 18 vs Braves
L
5.1IP
2ER
6K
1BB
87P
09/24 Lineup
Mason Barnett
Mason Barnett
(1-4)·7.16 ERA
Sep 18 @ Guardians
ND
3.1IP
3ER
4K
4BB
79P
09/24 Lineup

For Houston, the lineup card matters more than Barnett. Jeremy Peña took a 96.4 mph sinker off the right forearm late in Tuesday's game in Seattle and sat out Wednesday. X-rays were clean, and Joe Espada said he hoped it would cost Peña only 1 game. That's important, because Houston is 56-48 when Peña starts and 22-31 when he doesn't. Daulton Varsho is a different story. His left wrist stiffens up whenever he does any baseball activity, and Espada called his progress very slow. With Brice Matthews newly on the IL and Jake Meyers moved to the 60-day list, center field has become a problem. The board still has Houston as a clear road favorite.

That price is the only comfortable thing about Houston right now. The Astros went into Wednesday tied with Texas for first in the AL West, holding the tiebreaker, even though they've scored the second-fewest runs in baseball since the trade deadline. They lost 3 straight to Atlanta at home, shut out Seattle 7-0, and then dropped a 6-5 game on Wednesday. That's 1-4 over their last 5, and every one of those losses was decided by 4 runs or fewer.

Houston Astros
(78-80)
09/23L@Mariners5-6
09/22W@Mariners7-0
09/20LvsBraves2-4
09/19LvsBraves3-6
09/18LvsBraves2-6
Athletics
(63-95)
09/23WvsAngels7-3
09/22WvsAngels9-7
09/20L@Guardians0-1
09/19L@Guardians6-12
09/18L@Guardians3-5

The Athletics are playing out the string, but they're hitting while they do it. They scored 9 and then 7 to win the first 2 games against the Angels, which ended a stretch where they lost 3 straight in Cleveland, including a 1-0 game. First pitch is at 6:40 PM PT. It'll be around 80 degrees and cloudy with 8 mph of wind, so Sutter Health Park shouldn't do the pitchers any favors.

Houston Astros
(10)
  • Day-To-DayNewDaulton Varsho (CF) — Varsho (wrist) isn't in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mariners.09/24
  • Day-To-DayNewJeremy Pena (SS) — Pena (wrist) isn't in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mariners.09/24
  • Day-To-DayNewJake Meyers (CF) — The Astros transferred Meyers (knee) to the 60-day injured list Wednesday.09/23
  • 10-Day-ILNewBrice Matthews (CF) — Matthews was removed from Tuesday's game against the Mariners with an apparent leg injury.09/24
  • 15-Day-ILNewCristian Javier (SP) — Javier was removed from Tuesday's game against the Mariners with right groin tightness.09/23
  • 15-Day-ILEnyel De Los Santos (RP) — De Los Santos secured the save Thursday against the Tigers, allowing one run on two hits and no walks in the ninth inning. He did not record a strikeout.09/19
  • 15-Day-ILSteven Okert (RP) — Okert (hamstring) will not return from the injured list before the end of the regular season.09/19
  • 60-Day-ILMike Burrows (SP) — The Astros returned Burrows (elbow/shoulder) from his rehab assignment Monday.09/22
  • 60-Day-ILCarlos Correa (SS) — Medical imaging on Correa's surgically repaired left ankle revealed inflammation Thursday.09/17
  • 60-Day-ILBrandon Walter (SP) — Walter (elbow) is in the midst of a throwing progression at the team's complex in West Palm Beach, Fla.06/04
Athletics
(12)
  • 10-Day-ILMax Muncy (3B) — The Athletics placed Muncy on the 10-day injured list Tuesday due to left knee chondromalacia.09/22
  • 15-Day-ILGage Jump (SP) — The Athletics placed Jump on the 15-day injured list Tuesday, retroactive to Sept. 13, due to a left shoulder impingement.09/15
  • 60-Day-ILJ.T. Ginn (SP) — The Athletics transferred Ginn (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday.09/22
  • 60-Day-ILBrooks Kriske (RP) — Kriske underwent season-ending surgery Sept. 1 to address a right shoulder impingement.09/17
  • 60-Day-ILBrent Rooker (DH) — Rooker (knee) was cleared to begin a hitting progression Wednesday.09/16
  • 60-Day-ILNick Kurtz (1B) — Kurtz (thumb) began a hitting progression Wednesday.09/16
  • 60-Day-ILLuis Severino (SP) — Severino (shoulder) logged a bullpen session Saturday and is expected to have a normal offseason, per MLB.com.09/14
  • 60-Day-ILJacob Wilson (SS) — Wilson underwent left shoulder labral surgery Wednesday.09/11
  • 60-Day-ILTyler Soderstrom (LF) — The Athletics transferred Soderstrom (hip) to the 60-day injured list Thursday.08/20
  • 60-Day-ILJustin Sterner (RP) — The Athletics transferred Sterner (knee) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Sunday.08/16
  • 60-Day-ILMark Leiter Jr. (RP) — Leiter will undergo surgery Tuesday to address a right hip impingement and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.07/30
  • 60-Day-ILGunnar Hoglund (SP) — Hoglund (knee/back) will be sidelined for the rest of the 2026 season after undergoing surgery on his left hip Monday.05/20

The A's injured list tells you how they got to 63-95. Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker, Jacob Wilson and Tyler Soderstrom are all on the 60-day IL, and Max Muncy went on the 10-day list Tuesday. The bullpen has lost Brooks Kriske, Mark Leiter Jr. and Justin Sterner for the year. If Barnett has another short night, the relievers who are left will have to cover 5 innings or more against a team that needs every win. Houston's own list is getting longer too, now that Cristian Javier has left a start with groin tightness. Lambert going deep would help the Astros in more ways than one.

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