Quiet In The Clutch: Astros Start Season 0-2

0:00Hi, this is Alex Cantrowitz. I'm the host of Big Technology podcast, a long time reporter and an on-air contributor to CNBC. And if you're like me, you're trying to figure out how artificial intelligence is changing the business world and our lives. So each week on Big Technology, I bring on key actors from companies building AI tech and outsiders trying to influence it, asking where this is all going. They come from places like Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, and plenty more. So if you want to be smart with your wallet, your career choices, and meetings with your colleagues and at dinner parties, listen to Big Technology podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Quick quiz, what injury law firm has been helping people in the district, Maryland, and Virginia for over 35 years. That's right, it's Greenberg and Betterman, auto accident, medical malpractice, get a free consultation by visiting gblawyers.com and feel better. Hey guys, thanks for tuning in to this episode of Astros Baseball. Not a good start for your Astros. They lose the first two games and they start the season

1:03oh and two. Not a good way to start a four game series with the Los Angeles Angels. Why can't we beat those guys? All right, so going into the series, I was expecting to win three out of four of these. It's the Angels. We have Hunter Brown. That's an automatic win. Mike Burles looks great. We should have Tatsuya Mai, Lance McCullough's Jr., you're not man, that's McCullough's, but Christian Javier, we shouldn't lose the series. It's the Angels. They have picked up some pitching, so maybe they're going to be better than people expect. But you know what? The problem with the Astros last season is what? Scoring runs. That's right. And that's what's going on so far in the first series of the season. The first two games, the Astros have only scored two runs. And the two runs came tonight. They actually got shut out in the opening game.

2:05If you didn't know, if you weren't watching, maybe you're on vacation out on a boat and you don't have internet, I don't know. But pretty annoying. Pretty annoying way to start the series or the season, actually. And they need to win these two games coming up or it's going to be ugly. They got Boston next and then after that, the A's. So if you got four against the Angels, three against the A's, that's a good start to the season. But as it's been like the last two years, the Astros struggle at the beginning of the season. So let's go to game one, Hunter Brown. That should be an easy win. When Hunter Brown starts, he should win. But in the back of your mind, the Astros don't score. But we weren't thinking that was going to happen again. We were thinking the Astros were going to, we're just going to get it on this year. Score some runs, get on the board. But that's not what happened, folks.

3:07Hunter Brown, four and two-thirds innings, four hits, zero runs. He walked four batters and struck out nine. Great start to begin the season for Hunter Brown. I know it was a short start. There's a lot of walks, a lot of strikeouts. You're not going to go very far with that many pitches. But early in the season, you don't want to take them too far anymore. However, after six innings, the combination of Hunter Brown and Blue Ball, it's zero to zero. So even though we haven't scored, we got the pitching to keep the game close. However, Blue Ball goes back out in the seventh and Mike Trout. A solo home run is one to zero. Blue Ball ended up going two and a third. Only gave up two hits in one run. That was that home run. He didn't walk anybody and he had three strikeouts. You can't blame Blue Ball. It's one of the best players of all time. Take your hat off to him.

4:10In the eighth inning, Peraza had an RBI single. They made it two to nothing. That was off Brian King. Then Rola came out for the ninth and Shanuel had a home run. The Astros lose three to zero. So there's really no Astros offense of highlights. The biggest thing that happened in game one is that you're on would add a home run. If the ball did not hit the rafters in the top of Daiken Park, you know, I got to remember that it's Daiken. Even though it's been a year, it's still ingrained in my mind that it's been at me. I don't know about you guys. All right. So the Astros lose three to zero. Blue Ball takes the loss. The Astros no runs 0 for seven with runners in scoring position and they left nine runners on base. So they had the runners on base. They just couldn't get them in. And this is a new stat that they're

5:13putting on MLB.com. With two outs, they left five runners in scoring position. So most of the RISP was with two outs. So no two out magic for the Astros in game one. Christian Sky Walker went one for three. Joey Loper Fito, who we traded back for with the Toronto Blue Jays, went two for four. And that my friends was the only two hits that the Astros had in game one. So the angels had three runs on nine hits. So they scored three runs and two of those runs were solo home runs. So when this game, the Astros pitching staff did enough for the Astros to win the game, but the offense didn't show up. The offense did not show up.

6:15So game two, the debut of Mike Burroughs. Super excited about this. The guy had magical stuff. And also J.P.3, Jeremy Pena, back in the lineup, Bryce Matthews in center field for Jake Myers in this one. And then Joey Loper Fito, who went two for four, two of the only three hits for the Astros on the pitch for game two. So on the top of the first Samuel grounded into a double play, great double play by the Astros and the runner scores from third one to zero. The angels in the bottom of the first out to the walks with the bases loaded and were tied up in the top of the second. Josh Low hits a three run bomb and it is four to one angels. And we'd never get closer than that. Trout had another home run in the fifth, five to one angels. And then you're done.

7:18Finally gets a hold of one solo home run is first one of the year could have been could have been two. That makes it five to two. It's only the fifth inning. So the Astros are not out of it, but they didn't scored again. They could only muster up two runs. Top of the ninth netto had a home run, six to two. And that's the final Los Angeles angels have taken two of the first four games so far. Mike Burles five and two thirds innings nine hits and five runs. That is not good. Two walks, six strikeouts. He gave up two long bombs. Roddy Munoz, two thirds of an inning, three walks. He walked three of the five batters that he faced. I think he did a challenge and Joe Aspada doesn't want the pitchers challenging the pitches. Oakert an inning and two thirds, three strikeouts. No runs and no hits. So Oakert in the first game and then another guy did pretty good in game one. But I don't

8:26remember who it is. All right. Ryan Weiss, debut of Ryan Weiss, one inning, two hits in a run. He gave up that home run and netto. I don't know why I don't have the stats for the pitchers that came on. But I did. Maybe I already said it and you were here with me. So don't worry about it. All right. Jeremy Payne, you first game back. This is a positive, two positives. You're done at a home run and Jeremy Payne went two for five. He stole a base, scored a run. You're done went one for five with a home or out two. They got to hit Kareya two for three with a walk. Yiner one for four with a strikeout. Yiner had a chance to come up big a couple of times and he didn't. Astros two runs on eight hits. So they're getting the hits. But they were one for seven runners in scoring position and they left nine on base. They left five of those nine on base in scoring position with two outs. Again,

9:30that's hard for me to say because it's a new stat. So they had five, they left five on base when there was two outs. So you got to get that two out magic Astros. That's what you're missing. Game one, they were old for seven with runners in scoring position. So that is one for 14. They left 18 on base and 10 were left in scoring position with two outs. So next up for the Astros Saturday at 610. It is Mr. coffee on the shirt, coffee stain, Christian, Javier against deadmers. If you go to Sunday, it's 305 and both teams have to be determined. But this is the spot for Tatsuli Amai. Now my question for you folks is this. I don't know if this is far fetched or maybe I know what I'm talking about. I have no idea. One of them's got to be right. So let's say that the,

10:37I don't even know if this makes sense. Let's see the Astros lose game three. Maybe they throw Christian, I mean, Lance McCuller's out there for game four and save Tatsuli Amai for the Boston series. Then they'll have Amai. They'll have Hunter Brown again and then Mike Burles. Maybe that gives him a better chance to get Boston. I mean, I don't know. I don't even, that doesn't make sense because if you're going to get a win, get a win. It doesn't matter when you do it. But I don't know. That's just my thought of Lance has to be determined because it should be Tatsuli Amai's turn on Monday. I'm just, I'm lost folks. On Sunday, my bad. I was looking for my phone so I could look at the scores for today and let's see. I think the Yankees won again. The Blue Jays beat the A's. That's good for us. The Tigers are beating the Padres and the Mariners are up five to one. So if you look

11:43at the standings, the A's haven't won yet. Seattle's getting ready to win their first game and Texas isn't playing today. So the Astros are 0 and 2. They're in the in the bottom, the seller of the division so far. But all they got to do, win Saturday and Sunday. Win Saturday and Sunday and that's it. Turn things around, put the right people out there, knock in runners and scoring position, get some two out magic and let's beat the LA Angels on Saturday and Sunday. This is your host Rob Fontano and I really do appreciate you guys for tuning in to the first episode of the 2026 regular season. Thank you so much. Every day the world gets a little weirder and a lot more awesome. Cool stuff. Daily takes a look at everything from mining in space to the latest in the fight against cancer to how AI

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