Astros Missing Half Their Outfield and Still Have to Beat the Cardinals or Get Swept

The Houston Astros are in real trouble. Joey Loperfido went down with right quad tightness on Friday and didn't even play Saturday's 7-5 loss to St. Louis. An MRI confirmed it on Saturday, and manager Joe Espada said Loperfido will likely hit the injured list. That's on top of Jake Meyers (right oblique strain) and Zach Dezerno (right elbow sprain) already sitting out on the 10-day IL. The Astros are three games into a losing streak, and Sunday is their last chance to avoid getting swept.

The Waiver Wire Band-Aid

Houston claimed outfielder Dustin Harris off waivers from the White Sox on Saturday, a move that had nothing to do with the Loperfido injury but speaks to how desperate the situation is. Harris hit .224/.318/.414 across 27 games between the Texas Rangers and White Sox. Not exactly lights out, but he brings speed and can play the corners. "Our reports have him pretty good in the outfield corners," Espada said. "Left-handed bat. There's some speed in there that we like." The team is hoping Harris can at least help patch the bleeding while they wait for bodies to return.

Burrows Has to Pitch Better or Houston Gets Swept

Right-hander Mike Burrows gets the ball Sunday for Houston with a 1-3 record and a 6.55 ERA that's tough to look at. He's allowed 33 hits, tied for the most in baseball, along with 16 earned runs and 5 homers, both among the worst in the American League. His last start was a season-best six innings, but he still gave up 11 hits and six earned runs in a loss to the Seattle Mariners on Monday. The Cardinals counter with left-hander Matthew Liberatore, who dropped to 0-1 after allowing four runs on six hits and three walks with two strikeouts over five innings against Cleveland on Monday.

St. Louis has been sharp so far. Starters Kyle Leahy and Andre Pallante combined to allow just four runs over 10 innings in the first two wins. The Cardinals' lineup has been balanced too: four different hitters drove in runs Friday, and three went deep Saturday, including Masyn Winn and Jose Fermin recording their first homers of the season. Manager Oliver Marmol is seeing exactly what he wanted to see early on. "We've just got to stay head down and continue to work on the things that we're working on," he said. "Stay downhill. These guys have done a nice job this road trip, so we need to continue that Sunday."

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.