Part 10 of the 19 part series recounting the Astros' 2022 World Series campaign
July 17-28Record: 6-4Overall Record: 65-35AL West Position: 1st place by 10 gamesAL Overall Position: 2 games behind NY for top seedGame 91: July 17, 2022, A's 4, Astros 3
@ Minute Maid Park
Attendance:34,534
Record: 59-32
The Astros blew a 3-0 lead after five innings to the doormat A's, losing the home series 2-1 to the team that we really like to laugh about. Up 3-0 on home runs by Jeremy Pena and Kyle Tucker, the Astros gagged out 3 runs in the top of the sixth when Jake Odorizzi and Ryne Stanek couldn't get anyone out, then Rafael Montero suffered his first loss of the season, giving up an RBI single in the top of the eighth. The same day, the Mariners won their 14th straight and 22nd of their last 25 to close within 8 of Houston in the win column and 9 games overall.
Game 92, July 21,2022, Astros 3, Yankees 2
@ Minute Maid Park
Attendance: 36,225
Record 60-32
Some teams would complain about coming back from the All-Star game a day early to play a double-header. But when you get to play your own personal gimp in those two games, you sign up for it with a smile. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, long-time Yankee killer J.J. Matjivevic hit a bases-loaded single off MIchael King to give the Astros a 3-2 win It came after King had struck out Chas McCormick and Yuli Gurriel around a Yordan Alvarez walk in his first game back from the DL. Matjivevic added to my theory that if you just put a jersey on anyone,they can beat the Yankees. Hector Neris got the win after blowing the save with Ryan Pressly on the paternity list. Cristian Javier and three relievers combined to give up just 3 hits in the first 8 innings. Korey Lee had a big RBI double in the second inning, scoring Mauricio "Big Irish" Dubon.
Game 93, July 21,2022, Astros 7, Yankees 5
@ Minute Maid Park
Attendance: 36,225
Record 61-32
The Yankees proved they were just as good losing at night as during the day time, committing two errors and giving up three home runs as the Astros sliced their lead for the #1 spot in the AL to 2- games. Aaron Judge hit a 3-run bomb in the top of the ninth to make it a lot tighter game, but the Astros led 5-0 after two innings and 7-2 after six.Yordan Alvarez was 2-for-4 with 3 RBI and Alex Bregman was 2-for4 with 2 RBI. Chas McCormick also homered.
Game 94, July 22, 2022, Astros 5, Mariners 2
@ T-Mobile Park
Attendance: 45,290
Record: 62-32
The Mariners' fan insisted the Astros wouldn't be ready for their crowd noise.
The Mariners' pitching staff apparently has no ****ing idea who Jose Altuve is.
On a 2-0 count leading off the ballgame, Altuve blasted a home run to deep left center to deflate the Seattle crowd and pace the Astros to a 5-2 win that took a big **** on the Mariners' long win streak and dropped them back to 11 games out of first.
Yordan Alvarez hit his 28th home run to start the fourth, and Martin Maldonado added a solo shot in the 5th, his 10th of the year. Altuve was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored. Jose Urquidy dominated the Mariners with 6 innings of 1-run baseball. In news that sent a further shiver down AL opponents' spines, the Astros sent Lance McCullers Jr. to Corpus Christi on a rehab assignment
Game 95, July 23, 2022, Astros 3, Mariners 1
@ T-Mobile Park
Attendance: 43,197
Record: 63-32
Stop me if you've heard this one before. The Astros' pitchers dominated Seattle's bats and the team jumped out to a quick lead to win yet again on the road. Justin Verlander completely dominated the young Seattle bats, allowing 1 run on 4 hits and striking out 9 in 7 innings to reach 13-3 with a 1.86 ERA. After three scoreless frames, the Astros jumped ahead 2-0 on back-to-back doubles by Kyle Tucker and Yuli Gurriel. It was only Gurriel's 27th RBI, but somehow his 26th double. The team added an unearned run in the top of the eighth to make it 3-1 when Jose Altuve scored on a wild pitch.
Game 96: July 24, 2022, Astros 8, Mariners 5
@ T-Mobile Park
Attendance: 34,827
Record: 64-32
Man it's fun watching the attendance for this series as the Mariners got put in their place. 45,000 Friday night, then 43,000 Saturday, then 34,000 on Sunday. Was everyone out watching the Seahawks' first conditioning drills? The Astros dumped 7 runs on the Mariners in the first three innings, abusing Robbie Ray (not for the last time!) for 6 runs on 10 hits in 3 innings. Framber Valdez improved to 9-4 with 8 innings of 3-run ball. The bullpen was shaky at first, but Ryan Preslly returned from paternity leave for his 20th save Jose Altuve and Jeremy Pena greeted Ray with back to back home runs, and in the top of the second, he gave up three more on a ground-rule double by Mauricio Dubon and singles by Martin Maldonado and Jose Altuve. "Robbie was shaky today," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "Maybe he'd be better in the ninth inning with a game on the line, I don't know, sometimes I talk crazy!" Martin Maldonado was 2 for 4 with 3 RBI to reach the gilded .170 mark for the season, and Altuve was 2 for 5 with 2 RBI. The Mariners fell to 13 games out of first.
Game 97: July 25, 2022: A's 7, Astros 5
@ RingCentral Coliseum
Attendance: 4,105
Record: 64-33
Straight from T-bone steak to turd sandwich. Jake Odorizzi got lit up for 6 earned runs in 5 innings and the Astros couldn't catch up in a 7-5 loss to the crappy A's and their crappy fans. Ex-Astro Ton Kemp hit a home run and had six total bases. Jeremy Pena had his 15th homer for the good guys and Chas McCormick had his 10th. There was also somehow a double steal of second and home by Yuli Gurriel and Yordan Alvarez in this game.
Game 98: July 26, 2022: A's 5, Astros 3
@ RingCentral Coliseum
Attendance: 5,130
Record: 64-34
Luis Garcia gave up 4 runs in the second inning and the Astros were anemic for a second straight game, losing to the A's 5-3. Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker kept their RBI race going strong as Alvarez had hits 66th and Tucker his 64th. Martin Maldonado was 1 for 3 to get his charger up to a white hot .172. The rest of the offense was seeing some regression at the plate Chas McCormick was down to 234, Bregman .238, Diaz .236, and Gurriel .234.
Game 99: July 27, 2022: A's 4, Astros 2
@ Ring Central Coliseum
Attendance: 9,367
Record: 64-35
Yep, we got swept by the A's in late July. THE A'S. The Astros managed just five hits, with Yordan Alvarez hitting his 29th home run. Altuve, Diaz, Tucker, McCormick and Korey Lee were a combined 0-for-19 against Cole Irwin, who I think was a Big Band era music director. Cristian Javier gave up 3 earned runs in 5 innings.
Game 100: July 28, 2022, Astros 4, Mariners 2
@ Minute Maid Park
Attendance: 29,799
Record: 65-35
Finally away from Oakland's sorcery, the Astros returned home to resume pissing all over Seattle. Alex Bregman set the tone with a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the first and broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the eighth with a double to center field,then scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-2. Rafael Montero got the win in relief of a strong start by Jose Urquidy, and Ryan Pressley picked up his 21st save.
Life is better with a beagle