In a 162-game season, it is as silly to get excited about a five-game winning streak as it is to get depressed over losing the first 2 games of the season.
But there are some big takeaways from the Astros series sweep over the Red Sox, and we will break them down game by game.
Game 1 – Astros 8, Red Sox 1
Biggest takeaways
- A lot of fun things happened in this game, but the biggest takeaway was the “Return” of Lance McCullers Jr. He pitched brilliantly. He controlled the opposition. He went deep into the game when you consider how deep pitchers usually end up in their first starts of the season. And he toughed it out when he got into a jam in the seventh inning (his last). This start was a huge lift to the team and frankly to the fans. This is a Lance we have not seen pitch this way since his 8-game regular season return from injury in 2022.
- Good things happen when Jose Altuve picks and chooses what is a strike. During the broadcast the next night, they made a point that may be true. With the new ABS system out there, Jose may believe he can protest certain pitches rather than swing at them. I always felt they called his strike zone the worst on the team, probably due to his small stature. Well, after leading the team in walks early in the season, Altuve had a great game in the opener against the red hose, going 4-for-4 with two homers and a walk.
- Ryan Weiss, in his second outing, threw two scoreless innings with 3 Ks and allowed the rest of the bullpen to rest.
- Yordan Alvarez continued his torrid start with two hits, including a moonshot homer to right and two RBIs. Young and skinny Brice Matthews put a motor into one and hit a 434 ft homer – the longest in the majors up to that point.
Game 2 – Astros 9, Red Sox 2
Biggest takeaways
- The biggest takeaway may have been that the team forgot that Hunter Brown was pitching and kept up the offensive display as they extended their winning streak to four.
- But Hunter took a big step up from his good, not great, first start, both in length and quality. He started with four no-hit innings and ended with 6 innings, 1 hit, 1 run, and 8 Ks. He looked like someone who would be chasing that Cy Young Award this year.
- Someone named Cody Bolton had been brought up a few days ago, and the career journeyman with a 5.60 career ERA, pitched the last 3 innings and looked good doing it, allowing 1 run and putting up 5 Ks.
- Yordan (with a double and a home run) and Carlos Correa and Christian Walker (both with doubles) had 2 RBIs each.
- This win meant that the Astros would finish the next day with a series win and would stay above .500 even if they lost. But they would not lose.
Game 3 – Astros 6, Red Sox 4
Biggest takeaways
- The absolutely biggest takeaway from this game was that after the offense had gotten rolling against average or less pitching, they kept it going against a guy who is supposedly better than Hunter Brown. 2026 MLB ace rankings: Baseball’s best starting pitchers – ESPN ……Supposedly….
- Carlos Correa got down 1-2 with 2 outs in the fifth inning, the game tied and two ducks on the pond. He then launched the game-winning three-run homer that carried the team to its fifth straight win.
- Even though Bryan Abreu gave up a solo homer to the first hitter in the ninth on a backdoor slider, he then turned around and struck out the side with his velocity getting up as high as 97 mph. He seemed to have much better control, and that increased velocity. Hopefully, he is back.
- Yordan had two more hits and 2 runs scored. Isaac Paredes and Walker knocked him in.
- And that “other” catcher Christian Vazquez launched one in the seventh inning, which he had not done for the Astros since the 2022 championship run.
- Just to note – in 2025, the Astros had two 5 game winning streaks in June. Period. If the Astros win in Sacramento on Friday, they will have a longer streak than in all of 2025.
- Also note, that after being at the bottom of the hitting stats after two games, the team is one of the top 2 or 3 offenses in the majors now.
It was a great way to finish off the home stand with a sweep of the Red Sox. Now off to the West Coast. Stay tuned.
ALL THINGS ASTROS 
17 responses to “Early Astros’ series: Red Sox”
Good morning,
The most important thing about this early 5-2 record is that it allows Joe to really give Matthews, Loperfido and yes, Cam Smith more time to acclimate to hitting in the majors. It’s still the big question. And in finding out if these guys are going to hit, Dana might not be as inclined to pull the rug out and shock us by moving Paredes for a left handed outfield bat. I would hate to see him upset the mojo right now. Ironically, the way the Red Sox are going, they could still come calling.
But it does remain today that we don’t have a viable depth chart for outfielders. So, eggs in one basket, at least for now.
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I actually thought that watching the first two games. Durbin and Mayer don’t seem like the answers Boston fans are going to settle for. Would Boston now come off it’s insistence that salary be exchanged for salary? Could Early or Abreu (who looked great) now come into play?
I don’t think there is a world where Wilyer Abreu is traded. Just seems to important – keeps the defense settled in RF, has a strong, compact swing, seems primed for a career year. I still don’t think Boston is where a deal will be made – in the sense of pure baseball Duran would be the match – but salaries, and how they project the next 2-3 years, are keeping the Astros off that. And I don’t know where Early fits in for us anywhere but AAA right now either. I just don’t see it.
I’ve got no idea what happens to Isaac’s playing time when the timer runs out on the Pena excuse. Does anyone really think Pena is so “injured” that he can only play every other game? Espada is doing a James Harden, started dribbling at the top of the key with 15 seconds left on the shot clock, looked up, saw 5 seconds left, now what? Does he have a step back 3 in his pocket?
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Not sure where Jose found this plate discipline all of a sudden. I would have to suspect, given his career path and the direction he has been going, he is just seeing it well and it’s not sustainable. If he is all of a sudden going to start taking outside breaking pitches, for a season, he will end up an all star.
Hunter’s second start is what I think we will see most of the season. He throws a little too much out of the zone, and combine that with the swing and miss, pitch counts are going to be high. Just keep coming in at consistent 6 inning starts with the occasional 7, and yes, he can compete for a Cy.
In the end though, these 7 games belong to Yordan. It’s not just bashing, its the pitching around. Its the free bases. And its setting a tone the rest of them are feeding off of. It’s throwing pitchers off making it easier for the guys behind him. Its forcing starters into the stretch. Right now, its the old guard Yordan and Altuve that are making the lives of Smith and Loperfido easier. Even Walker is benefiting being down stream of them. It seems every time he bats people are on and changes a pitchers approach. How many times has Carlos batted with bases loaded already? We are just not used to this.
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daveb – On the OF – Loperfido has done everything you could ask at the plate. Cam – after a very slow start is coming around and he’s been taking walks so his OBP and OPS are good. Matthews may need more seasoning or maybe I should just keep saying YIE.
Steven – Yordan has 3 homers in 7 games – he could easily have 5 homers. One of his doubles was off the wall in the deepest portion of the park. And that one on opening day was a homer if they had opened the frigging roof.
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Dan, Lops and Brice have been on the roster for 7 games. They need 50. Cam will be in right field even if he does not hit. What are the options?
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Well, the options right now are Jake Meyers in center and a bit of Yordan sprinkled in at LF.
In the minors – Zach Cole is injured – broken toe on a hit by pitch. Taylor Trammell would be a possibility – he is raking right now, but he would have to be added to the 40 man. They could clear a spot by moving Ronel Blanco to the 60 day.
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Other crazy idea – Christian Walker has 114 games in left field on his resume – but only 1 game in the majors – most of his time in LF was a decade ago in the minors.
I’m sorry that is way outside the box for Joe Espada who built the box and lives inside it.
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I’d forgotten about Zach D. Assuming health, he’d be my replacement for Matthews. But like I said, I really hope Brice gets at least 50 games into the season. I guess that would mean the club overall would be performing pretty well 50 games in.
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Good morning! Dan, are you done with Joe? I don’t think Christian Walker is a viable option in left. First, he is very slow afoot. But he has no arm, and does not even like trying to start a 3-6-3 double play. And I can’t remember the last time he made a throw across the diamond to third. I really do think the original Zach should next in line.
Hope your pipes are in good shape, I assume a busy weekend for you. Happy Easter.
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I’m OK with Joe, daveb. I think when he has a healthy lineup and pitching staff he does really well and when important parts are gone he struggles – like you would expect.
I frankly thought that Walker was faster than Paredes who also was suggested for LF at some point. And you are probably right about his noodle arm…. like Meyers. I was barely serious on that suggestion, but whatever. I did call it a crazy idea.
Thanks for the kind singing words. I have been trying to shake a raspy voice since getting sick last week. I think I’m close to all the way back. Have to sing today at 3 PM services and then on Easter Sunday at our normal 11 AM Mass.
Blessed Easter to all.
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I think we’re largely overthinking it with the infield as being a problem. Correa’s injury history hasn’t suddenly gone away and Jose Altuve is still aging at the same rate. Walker is playing the way we expected him to last year. Recall that he had an injury in spring training last year that may have contributed to that slow start, but like Altuve he is not magically getting younger. Espada can basically rotate those five guys across the four positions such that one of them gets every fifth day off. Throw in the Alvarez DH opportunities and no one is really sitting when healthy much more than we saw over the last few Baker/Espada years. The concern I have is the preference of those guys to sit a guy when he’s hot. I am surprised Pena hasn’t played more as well at this point, though.
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Well put Devin. There are options there and like you say – someone will miss some time (hope not much). I do go a little crazy when he sits somebody coming off a great game. “I told him he would have Sunday off before the series.” Well – un-tell him.
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Ack!! Astros being ambushed by the A’s.
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Won’t surprise me to see Munoz released today. What would surprise me would be to see Javier demoted to the pen now – but I won’t be surprised by it happening after two more starts. Have to admit though – a fly ball pitcher without his best fastball in that ballpark in that dry air against a good offense due for a breakout – it was a recipe.
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Yeah, Arrighetti is pitching on the same days as Javier right now. It’s probably not by accident.
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Biggest problem with Javier was the walks. Yuck. The dropped pop up did not help.
Munoz put the game out of reach.
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Good Easter morning. Dan, I hope you’re ready to work those pipes.
What a reversal of outcome from Friday. Imai showed a much different game. Really positive.
I think 13 walks is great, but we probably could have taken 20.
You know if Cam and Lops settle in and provide even a .750 OPS each, that’ll be enough for now.
Am looking forward to seeing which Lance shows up today.
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