Inside the Astros

Astros Star Sets Career High, Takes Advantage of Chapman

Houston Astros outfielder Chas McCormick did something he had never done in his career — and something no one had done to Aroldis Champan in a year.

Matthew Postins

Astros Star Sets Career High, Takes Advantage of Chapman
Astros Star Sets Career High, Takes Advantage of Chapman /
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Houston Astros outfielder Chas McCormick not only had a career high in RBI on Monday night, but he did something no one had done in more than a year — hit a home run off Texas Rangers reliever Aroldis Chapman.

McCormick drove in six runs, the most of his career. But it was his heroics in the seventh inning that tied the game at 9-9 and represented the first dent of Chapman’s time with the Rangers.

Up until Monday, Chapman had been untouchable since the Rangers acquired him on June 30. In seven appearances he was 1-0 with one save, 12 strikeouts and three hits allowed. Batters were hitting .125 against him. He hadn’t given up a run.

That included back-to-back appearances against Houston on July 2 and 3. He threw two innings, gave up one hit and struck out three.

And the inning started with Chapman dominating third baseman Alex Bregman, striking him out on three pitches, the last of which touched 100 miles per hour.

But then Chapman encountered control issues and that opened the door for McCormick and the Astros.

He walked Kyle Tucker, followed by a walk of Jose Abreu.

That led to McCormick. Earlier in the game, he drove in two runs on a double in the first inning, part of a four-run frame that put the Astros up, 4-2. McCormick drove in a third run in the fifth with a sacrifice fly that scored Bregman. That cut the Rangers’ lead at the time to 6-5.

Facing Chapman, McCormick didn’t waste time. He hit Chapman’s first pitch, a 97.4 mile-per-hour fastball and sent it into left field for the game-tying home run.

That gave McCormick his career-high in RBI and gave the Astros new life. It was also the first home run Chapman gave up since July 22, 2022.

Of course, this isn’t the first time Chapman has given up a big home run to the Astros in Minute Maid Park. He allowed Jose Altuve to hit a walk-off home run off of Chapman in the 2019 American League Championship Series.

In fact, despite his 32 strikeouts at Minute Maid Park for his career, Chapman’s ERA in the park was more than 6.00 entering the game.

Chapman definitely nudged it higher on Monday night.

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Matthew Postins
MATTHEW POSTINS

Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist who covers the Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros for Sports Illustrated/FanNation. He also covers he Big 12 for Heartland College Sports.

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