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Houston Astros at Athletics

By JR·2 min read
Houston AstrosHOU(79-80)
AthleticsATH(63-96)
AT
6:40 PM PT

TLDR: The Astros won the opener in Sacramento 7-5 and come back with the hotter arm on the mound. The Athletics, who have 63 wins and a lineup missing half its regulars, get another try at a Houston club that is 1 game under .500 with 3 games left.

SAT SEP 26, 6:40 PM
Spread
WIN
Total
Astros
(79-80)
WLWLL
Athletics
(63-96)
LWWLL

Houston sends Hunter Brown, fresh off a 10-strikeout start, against Jacob Lopez, who gave up 10 earned runs in his last outing. It's the second game of the set in Sacramento after the Astros won the opener 7-5. Injuries have gutted the Athletics' lineup, while Houston's thinned bullpen may have to cover a lot of innings behind Brown, and that is the Athletics' clearest path to making this close.

Astros
  • Brown: 10 K, 0 ER over 5 last start
  • Lopez allowed 10 earned in 2.2 last time
  • Won the series opener 7-5
  • Brown needed 98 pitches to get 5 innings
  • Bullpen without De Los Santos and Okert
  • Varsho, Meyers, Matthews all out in center
Athletics
  • Scored 16 runs sweeping the Angels
  • Lopez was their steadiest arm after the break
  • Lopez: 5.68 ERA, blown up last start
  • Kurtz, Rooker, Soderstrom, Wilson, Muncy all out
  • Williams scratched from opener, status unclear

Hunter Brown (6-3, 3.26) gets the ball for Houston, and his stuff has been as good as it gets lately: 10 strikeouts over 5 scoreless innings against Atlanta last time out, allowing 3 hits. The catch was the 98 pitches it took to get through 5, and a 2-4 loss with Brown getting no decision. That has been the Astros' problem with him all year: he makes his adjustments and the team doesn't turn them into wins. Jacob Lopez (6-5, 5.68) starts for the Athletics, and this one is about damage control.

Hunter Brown
Hunter Brown
(6-3)·3.26 ERA
Sep 20 vs Braves
ND
5.0IP
0ER
10K
2BB
98P
09/25 Lineup
Jacob Lopez
Jacob Lopez
(6-5)·5.68 ERA
Sep 19 @ Guardians
L
2.2IP
10ER
1K
0BB
63P
09/25 Lineup

Lopez's last start went about as badly as a start can: 10 earned runs on 10 hits in 2.2 innings at Cleveland, on 63 pitches. He had been the Athletics' steadiest starter after the break, and one bad September has people wondering whether he headlines the 2027 rotation or starts it in the minors. He's also facing a Houston lineup that just hung 7 on the A's, and Houston is the clear favorite tonight.

The Athletics' lineup has almost nothing left. Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker, Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson are all on the 60-day IL, Max Muncy went on the 10-day with a knee problem, and Alika Williams was scratched from the series opener with upper-body soreness. Houston is thin in its own way. Daulton Varsho, Jake Meyers and Brice Matthews are all out, which means the Astros are down to their 4th choice in center field. First pitch is 6:40 PM PT at Sutter Health Park: 75 degrees, cloudy, light wind.

Houston Astros
(79-80)
09/24W@Athletics7-5
09/23L@Mariners5-6
09/22W@Mariners7-0
09/20LvsBraves2-4
09/19LvsBraves3-6
Athletics
(63-96)
09/24LvsAstros5-7
09/23WvsAngels7-3
09/22WvsAngels9-7
09/20L@Guardians0-1
09/19L@Guardians6-12

Both clubs are 2-3 in their last 5, but they got there in different ways. Houston dropped 2 at home to Atlanta, split in Seattle with a 7-0 shutout and a 6-5 loss, then won the opener here. The A's swept the Angels 2-0, scoring 16 runs in the 2 games, and then couldn't keep pace with Houston. The A's lineup is patched together, but it can still string hits together at home.

Houston Astros
(9)
  • 10-Day-ILNewDaulton Varsho (CF) — The Astros placed Varsho on the 10-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to Wednesday, due to left wrist inflammation.09/24
  • 10-Day-ILBrice Matthews (CF) — Matthews was removed from Tuesday's game against the Mariners with an apparent leg injury.09/24
  • 15-Day-ILCristian 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-ILJake Meyers (CF) — The Astros transferred Meyers (knee) to the 60-day injured list Wednesday.09/24
  • 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
(13)
  • Day-To-DayNewAlika Williams (SS) — Williams was scratched from Thursday's contest versus Houston with upper-body soreness.09/25
  • 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 injury news matters most for the Houston bullpen. Enyel De Los Santos and Steven Okert are both out, and Okert is done for the regular season, so innings 6 through 9 go to whoever is left. If Brown needs 98 pitches for 5 innings again, those relievers are pitching 4 innings in a game Houston needs. With Cristian Javier also down with a groin issue, there isn't much rotation depth to cover either. Houston has the better starter, the better lineup and the more urgent reason to win. The A's best chance is Lopez keeping it close and something going wrong for the Houston bullpen late.

Live Odds

Houston Astros at Athletics — Hunter Brown Brings the Strikeouts to Sacramento, Lopez Needs a Rebound | Polymarket Odds · Barstool Bush