At one point, the Houston Astros were 12-24 for the season after losing to the New York Yankees. Since then, they’ve won 31 of their last 48 games to stay at two games above .500. Hunter Brown is a significant factor in Houston’s fantastic turnaround, considering the injuries to some of their key pitchers.
In his latest start (July 1 against the Toronto Blue Jays), Brown surrendered two hits and three walks while tallying five strikeouts to earn his sixth win this season. More importantly, the Astros preserved a 3-1 victory to stay three games behind the Seattle Mariners in the American League West.
Brown is stepping up to the plate as one of the Astros' leading pitchers, while Justin Verlander, Luis Garcia, Jake Bloss, Jose Urquidy, Cristian Javier, and Lance McCullers Jr. are all on the injured list. He has surrendered only one earned run in 31 innings throughout his last five starts, translating to a 0.29 ERA.
Hunter Brown has a sensational 0.29 ERA (1 ER in 31 IP) over his last five starts. pic.twitter.com/7KrVYpXNsl
— MLB (@MLB) July 1, 2024
Through 17 games, Brown has a 4.07 ERA, 94 strikeouts, and a 1.33 WHIP. If their starters don't recover in time, Brown will be a significant factor in the Astros' playoff push, especially now that they can earn a division title or a Wild Card spot.
Brown's next start will likely be on July 7 in a road game against the Minnesota Twins.
-Lance Fernandez