Houston's Bats Are Ice Cold and George Kirby Is About to Make It Worse

The Houston Astros just got blanked 5-0 by Cincinnati. Three hits. That's it. After racking up double-digit hits in seven straight road games through Friday, the offense that leads the entire American League in batting average (.258), total bases (598), and on-base percentage (.333, tied with New York) suddenly looked lost. Now they're coming to T-Mobile Park Monday night to start a four-game series against a Mariners team that has George Kirby on the mound, and if you're an Astros fan, that's basically the worst timing imaginable.

The Astros Need to Snap Out of This Fast

Houston manager Joe Espada knows the problem. "We've got to get back to doing what we do best," he said. "We've got to make opposing pitchers work. We've got to control the at-bats. We've got to pass the baton. The last few days, that was not the offense that we've been able to deploy early in the season." But here's the thing: Espada also said it's a quick fix. He's seen this team lock in before, and he believes they will again. They better, because they're about to face a Mariners pitcher who owns them.

Peter Lambert gets the start for Houston on Monday. The right-hander is 2-2 with a 2.42 ERA and just threw seven scoreless innings against the Dodgers on May 5, allowing only three hits and four walks with four strikeouts for a 2-1 win. That was his best start of the season, but he's alternated wins and losses in his four starts so far. He faced Seattle once before, back in 2024 with Colorado, and it wasn't pretty: six runs on six hits across three innings in a 10-2 loss.

Kirby Is Built Different Against Houston

George Kirby is 4-1 with a 2.94 ERA this season, and he is absolutely dominant against the Astros. In his career against Houston, Kirby sits at 4-1 with a 2.17 ERA in 10 starts. He beat them 6-2 at home on April 13, allowing two runs on seven hits with six strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings. Since 2022, Kirby has 25 wins against the AL West, more than any other pitcher in baseball. Right now, he's riding a stretch of five consecutive starts allowing two earned runs or fewer, sitting 3-0 with a 2.53 ERA during that span. Coming off a loss to Atlanta on May 5 where he allowed two runs on five hits with five strikeouts over seven innings, Kirby is sharp and ready.

Seattle's Rotation Gets a Boost

The Mariners dropped their series finale 2-1 to Chicago on Sunday despite a brilliant start from Logan Gilbert, who threw six scoreless innings on just one hit and nine strikeouts. Seattle is 3-3 in rubber matches this season and will activate right-hander Bryce Miller from the injured list on Wednesday to strengthen the rotation. Miller, sidelined since March 22 with a left oblique strain, will slot in after Kirby and Bryan Woo, with Luis Castillo handling the series finale Thursday.

First pitch Monday at T-Mobile Park. Two teams heading in different directions, and one of them desperately needs to remember how to hit.

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