Part 3 in my 987-part series recapping the Astros 2022 season.
April 30th - May 10th
Record: 8-2
Overall Record: 19-11
AL West Position: 2nd place, 1 game behind the Angels
Game #21, April 30, 2022, Blue Jays 2, Astros 1
@ Rogers Centre
Attendance: 40,732
Record: 11-10
The bats went cold and it wasted a brilliant effort by Luis Garcia, who threw 6 innings and allowed 6 hits and 1 walk. Yordan Alvarez cranked his sixth home run of the season, but he was outshined by former Astro George Springer, who hit a pair - a solo shot in the first and another in the third. The Astros left 11 men on base and were a disgusting 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Jason Castro went 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts to get both his batting average and slugging percentage down to .045.
Game #22, May 1, 2022, Blue Jays 3, Astros 2
@ Rogers Centre
Attendance: 31,802
Record: 11-11
The bats kept struggling and the Astros fell back to .500 as Kevin Gasuman looked like Dave Stieb with 7 innings of six-hit ball and 10 strikeouts. The team got ahead 1-0 on an Aledmys Diaz RBi single that plated Chazzy Fizzy after he hit a triple. The lead only lasted until Bo Bichete hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth. Niko Goodrum signed a deal with Satan between innings and was rewarded with an RBI double in the top of the seventh, but Uncle Phil reliably gave up a run in the bottom of the frame to give the Blue Jays the win.
Game #23, May 2, 2022, Astros 3, Mariners 0
@ Minute Maid Park
Attendance: 27,321
Record: 12-11
After floundering through their road trip, the Astros got well quickly with their favorite whipping boy of 2022, the Seattle Mariners. Jake Odorizzi and three relievers combined in a 5-hit shutout. The Mariners gave up home runs to Yordan Alvarez and Jeremy Pena, something that definitely wouldn't come back to haunt them later in the year. It was Alvarez's 7th and Pena's fifth. The two combined for 25 RBI in the team's first 23 games. Jose Altuve returned to the lineup. Pena broke out of a long slump that saw his average drop to .215. The Astros moved into a second-place tie with Seattle with the win.
Game #24, May 3, 2022, Astros 4, Mariners 0
@ Minute Maid Park
Attendance: 23,796
Record: 13-11
The Mariners continued to struggle with a crucial part of the game, scoring runs, as the Astros won two in a row to start the series. Cristian Javier improved to 2-0 with an 0.96 ERA with 5- innings of 2 hit ball. Phil Maton shocked the whole world by pitching a scoreless inning in relief. Jose Altuve broke out of a lengthy slump with a seventh-inning home run, and Alvarez went yard again, his eighth. Pena had a 2-RBI single to tie Alvarez for first on the team in RBI with 14.
Game #25, May 4, 2022, Astros 7, Mariners 2
@ Minute Maid Park
Attendance: 24,110
Record: 14-11
The Astros ran their scoreless streak against the Mariners to 24 innings before finally giving up a couple of runs, but it wasn't even close to enough as the team cruised to a 7-2 victory. Justin Verlander moved to 3-1 with a 1.93 EWAR and the Astros battered Matt Brash for 4 runs in 3 innings. The Astros' big bat on the day was Alex Bregman, who went 3 for 3 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI. Michael Brantley was 2 for 4 with 2 RBI to raise his average to .282. Jason Castro singled in the bottom of the third off Brash, who was immediately released, then executed for crimes against humanity.
Game #26, May 5, 2022, Astros 3, Tigers 2
@ Minute Maid Park
Attendance: 24,116
Record: 15-11
The win streak hit four as the Astros bested old manager AJ Hinch with a dramatic ninth-inning win.The Tigers had tied the game at 2 on a 2-run, 2-out homer by whoever Jeimer Candelario is in the top of the ninth off Ryan Pressley. The Astros turned it around against Detroit closer Gregory Soto. Yordan Alvarez singled, pinch runner Chazzy Fizzy went to second on a Yuli Gurriel walk, and scored on Kyle Tucker's walkoff RBI single. Jose Altuve rhit a solo home run in the third, and Jeremy Pena added his sixth in the 5th inning.Tucker took over the team RBI lead with 16.
Game #27, May 6, 2022, Astros 3, Tigers 2
@ Minute Maid Park
Attendance: 38,020
Record: 16-11
The Tigers couldn't withstand the long-ball power of Chazz Fizz and Martin Maldonado, who each had a home run in the second inning to power the offense to a 3-2 win. Luis Garcia was ridiculous yet again, allowing 1 earned run in 7 innings and striking out 9 to improve to 2-1. Beau Brieske, no relation to SNL character Bill Brasky, took the loss. Maldonado enjoyed his second home run of the year to reach a .088 batting average and got his slugging percentage above .200 for the first time all year.
Game #28, May 7, 2022, Astros 3, Tigers 2
@ Minute Maid Park
Attendance: 34,109
Record: 17-11
Do you believe in unlikelihoods? The Astros beat the Tigers 3-2 for a third straight day, this time with 2 runs in the bottom of the eighth. They won despite getting outhit 11-4 and recording an error. Miguel Cabrera got the Tigers ahead early with a 2-run double, for which the Tigers paid him $1.7 million based on that contract of his. Jose Altuve hit a solo shot in the bottom of the third but the score stayed 2-1 Tigers until the bottom of the eighth. With one out, Altuve singled to center, then scored on Michael Brantley's triple. With two outs, Alvarez and Gurriel were both walked to load the bases, then the Tigers went with the unconventional idea of also walking Kyle Tucker, which scored the game-winning run. It was a bold strategy, Cotton, let's see how it works out for them.
Game #29, May 8, 2022, Astros 5, Tigers 0
@ Minute Maid Park
Attendance: 36,934
Record: 18-11
The Astros swept the Tigers in a four-game series, winning their seventh straight game with a combined one-hitter by Jake Odorizzi, Cristian Javier, and Hector Neris. Aledyms Diaz hit a third-inning grand slam and Alex Bregman added a solo shot for all of the offense.
Game #28, May 10, 2022, Astros 5, Twins 0
@ Target Field
Attendance: 16,156
Record: 19-11
The Astros got their first look at former teammate Carlos Correa, sitting in the dugout, because he was hurt (shocker). The Astros won their eighth straight with a second straight 5-0 shutout, as Justin Verlander went 8 innings allowing just 1 hit to lower his ERA to 1.55. Alex Bregman was 2-for-3 with 2 RBI, and Jeremy Pena had 2 RBI of his own. Bregman took the team RBI lead with 19. Kyle Tucker stole two bases to get to seven on the year.