Houston Astros Pitching Situation Goes From Bad To Historically Awful

Things did not get better for the Houston Astros' starting pitchers on Friday when they made MLB history for the wrong reason.
Apr 12, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher J.P. France
Apr 12, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher J.P. France / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
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When it rains, it pours, and the Houston Astros are all too familiar with that saying at the moment.

By now, everyone knows how dire the situation has become for their starting rotation with five players occupying a place on the injured list.

Manager Joe Espada has had to rely on call ups and second-year players to try and patch together a starting unit that is attempting to keep this team afloat.

That has not been the case as the Astros are now 3-7 over their last 10 games which brings their season record to 4-11.

Blair Henley, Spencer Arrighetti, and Hunter Brown all had rough goes at it when they took the mound, and now J.P. France can be added to that list after giving up eight earned runs over his four innings pitched on Friday.

The past three outings had Houston's starters make MLB history for the wrong reason.

This just highlights how dire the situation really is for the Astros.

They'll eventually get help when Justin Verlander returns, Framber Valdez makes his way back, and Jose Urquidy gets his forearm healthy, but until then, the starting pitching unit will continue to be in the spotlight unless things can get stabilized.

No one is asking these players to go out and put together Cy Young type of performances, but they have to show the ability to pitch at this level during a short stint.

Henley and Arrighetti's outings can be understood since they were making their Major League debuts when they got shelled, but for Brown and France to have pitched the way they did is a major concern.


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Brad Wakai
BRAD WAKAI

Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he did work at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad currently covers the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros for Sports Illustrated/FanNation. He is also the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continues to cover Penn State athletics. Brad is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai