Houston's Injury Nightmare Just Got Worse, and Their Pitcher Can't Stop Bleeding Runs

The Houston Astros are getting hammered by injuries and bad timing, and Sunday's series finale against St. Louis is starting to feel like a must-win they can't afford to lose. After dropping a 7-5 decision to the Cardinals on Saturday, the Astros lost outfielder Joey Loperfido to right quad tightness on Friday. Loperfido had an MRI on Saturday and is likely headed to the injured list, according to manager Joe Espada. Houston's injury situation was already grim with Jake Meyers (right oblique strain) and Zach Dezenzo (right elbow sprain) already sidelined on the 10-day list.

To plug the holes in their outfield, the Astros claimed outfielder Dustin Harris off waivers from the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. Harris isn't some secret weapon, though. He slashed .224/.318/.414 across 27 games split between the Texas Rangers and White Sox. Still, Espada likes what he sees. "Our reports have him pretty good in the corners," Espada said. "Left-handed bat. There's some speed in there that we like." Harris will primarily play the corners once he arrives. The Astros have dropped three straight heading into the weekend, and a sweep at home would be brutal.

Burrows Is a Walking Problem

Right-hander Mike Burrows takes the mound for Houston on Sunday with a 1-3 record and a 6.55 ERA that's getting worse by the start. The numbers are staggering. Burrows has allowed 33 hits, tied for the most in the majors, while also tying for the most earned runs (16) and homers (five) surrendered in the American League. In his last outing against the Seattle Mariners on Monday, Burrows logged a season-best six innings but still got lit up for 11 hits and six earned runs. That's not a quality start. That's a disaster that happened to last six innings.

St. Louis Smells Blood

The Cardinals are playing a complete game right now. Manager Oliver Marmol's crew won Friday and Saturday with a mix of sharp pitching and balanced offense. Kyle Leahy and Andre Pallante combined to allow just four runs over 10 innings across the first two games. The Cardinals got contributions everywhere: four different hitters drove in runs in the series opener, and three Cardinals homered on Saturday, including Masyn Winn and Jose Fermin going deep for the first time this season. Left-hander Matthew Liberatore (0-1, 4.29 ERA) gets the ball for St. Louis on Sunday. Liberatore took his first decision of the season in his last start, allowing four runs on six hits and three walks over five innings in a loss to Cleveland on Monday.

Houston needs a win Sunday to avoid the sweep. The way this is shaping up, that's asking a lot.

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