{"id":418015,"date":"2026-08-27T07:08:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T07:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/418015\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T07:08:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T07:08:09","slug":"houston-astros-bullpen-fatigue-grows-as-starters-fail-to-pitch-deep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/418015\/","title":{"rendered":"Houston Astros’ bullpen fatigue grows as starters fail to pitch deep"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Enyel<\/p>\n

Enyel de Los Santos made his 58th appearance of the season Wednesday, second-most in an Astros bullpen that’s showing signs of fatigue down the stretch.<\/p>\n

Ryan Murphy\/AP Photo\/Ryan Murphy\"Houston<\/p>\n

Houston Astros center fielder Daulton Varsho (18) celebrates with Houston Astros third base coach Tony Perezchica while rounding third base after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Ryan Murphy)<\/p>\n

Ryan Murphy\/AP Photo\/Ryan Murphy\"Houston<\/p>\n

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) bats during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Ryan Murphy)<\/p>\n

Ryan Murphy\/AP Photo\/Ryan Murphy\"Houston<\/p>\n

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) hits a RBI double during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Ryan Murphy)<\/p>\n

Ryan Murphy\/AP Photo\/Ryan Murphy\"NEW<\/p>\n

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 26: Paul Blackburn #58 of the New York Yankees tags out Daulton Varsho #18 of the Houston Astros during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium on August 26, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Ishika Samant\/Getty Images\"New<\/p>\n

New York Yankees pitcher Elmer Rodriguez (71) pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Ryan Murphy)<\/p>\n

Ryan Murphy\/AP Photo\/Ryan Murphy\"New<\/p>\n

New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice, right, celebrates with teammate first baseman Luis Garc\u00eda Jr. after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Ryan Murphy)<\/p>\n

Ryan Murphy\/AP Photo\/Ryan Murphy\"Houston<\/p>\n

Houston Astros pitcher Peter Lambert (38) pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Ryan Murphy)<\/p>\n

Ryan Murphy\/AP Photo\/Ryan Murphy\"Houston<\/p>\n

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) flies out to right field during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Ryan Murphy)<\/p>\n

Ryan Murphy\/AP Photo\/Ryan Murphy\"Houston<\/p>\n

Houston Astros pitcher Enyel de Los Santos (65) pitches during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Ryan Murphy)<\/p>\n

Ryan Murphy\/AP Photo\/Ryan Murphy\"Houston<\/p>\n

Houston Astros pitcher Bennett Sousa (62) receives a mound visit after New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger hit an RBI double during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Ryan Murphy)<\/p>\n

Ryan Murphy\/AP Photo\/Ryan Murphy<\/p>\n

NEW YORK\u00a0\u2014 Before his club played the Yankees on Wednesday, manager Joe Espada acknowledged the state of a bullpen that has been the Houston Astros<\/a>\u2019 backbone all season and is bearing the burden of a concerning trend. Just one team in the majors started Wednesday having received fewer innings from its starting pitchers in August.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re going to continue to fight and grind through it,\u201d Espada said. \u201cBut there\u2019s fatigue in there\u00a0\u2014 but there\u2019s fatigue on every team right now. You\u2019re trying to win as many games as possible. I expect our starters to start getting us deep in the game. But right now, taking your starter out in the fourth inning, it can wear down on you. So we\u2019re trying to navigate those waters.\u201d<\/p>\n

No Houston starter has completed six innings since Hayden Wesneski went seven Aug. 10 against the Giants<\/a>. In seven of 13 games since, the Astros\u2019 starter has worked fewer than five innings. Their bullpen began Wednesday with the sport\u2019s third-lowest ERA since June 1, but relying so heavily on the unit with 30 games still to play in a division race oozes risk.<\/p>\n

Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n

Tuesday initiated 13 games in 13 days for the Astros, a critical stretch in which length from their starters gains even more significance to protect a relief corps they hope will pitch into October. To begin it, they sent a 24-year-old making his second major-league start to the mound at Yankee Stadium. Ethan Pecko lasted 4 \u2153 innings before four relievers worked the final 4 \u2154 frames in a much-needed win<\/a>.<\/p>\n

One of them warmed again Wednesday, late in another close game. The Yankees stacked seven left-handed hitters in their lineup, the top of which loomed again in the seventh inning. Before facing it, the\u00a0Astros blew a chance to take a lead in the top of the inning. A run already in, they loaded the bases with one out. Paul Blackburn struck out Christian V\u00e1zquez and Jeremy Pe\u00f1a to preserve a 3-3 tie.<\/p>\n

Steven Okert, one of two left-handed setup men in the Houston bullpen, entered Wednesday with more outings this season than all but two major-league relievers. Okert had pitched three of the past five days. So had Bennett Sousa, but in the left-hander jogged for the bottom of the seventh, his 12th appearance this month tying Okert for the team lead. A taut game slipped away before it ended.<\/p>\n

Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n

The Yankees scored four runs off Sousa and two more against Enyel De Los Santos in handing the Astros a 9-3 loss<\/a>, jumping on two arms in a bullpen that now has a 4.14 ERA in August. New York also scored single runs Tuesday against Okert and Bryan Abreu before Josh Hader worked a four-out save, instances of a unit that has been lights-out looking more vulnerable entering the season\u2019s final month.<\/p>\n

BATTERS
\nAVG
\nOBA
\nAB
\nR
\nH
\n2B
\n3B
\nHR
\nRBI
\nBB
\nSO
\nSB
\nCS
\nE<\/p>\n

Team Totals
\n.242
\n.317
\n4474
\n608
\n1084
\n196
\n15
\n177
\n579
\n443
\n1091
\n40
\n19
\n60<\/p>\n

Alvarez
\n.322
\n.437
\n472
\n88
\n152
\n28
\n1
\n36
\n91
\n91
\n99
\n1
\n0
\n2<\/p>\n

Pe\u00f1a
\n.283
\n.335
\n329
\n63
\n93
\n15
\n1
\n15
\n43
\n21
\n78
\n8
\n1
\n9<\/p>\n

Correa
\n.279
\n.369
\n122
\n22
\n34
\n8
\n0
\n3
\n16
\n18
\n26
\n1
\n0
\n1<\/p>\n

Diaz
\n.261
\n.290
\n249
\n28
\n65
\n10
\n0
\n10
\n32
\n10
\n42
\n0
\n2
\n2<\/p>\n

Paredes
\n.259
\n.355
\n459
\n51
\n119
\n23
\n1
\n17
\n72
\n54
\n70
\n0
\n0
\n7<\/p>\n

Allen
\n.258
\n.303
\n120
\n21
\n31
\n4
\n0
\n2
\n13
\n8
\n27
\n2
\n0
\n5<\/p>\n

Shewmake
\n.256
\n.272
\n78
\n10
\n20
\n4
\n0
\n3
\n9
\n2
\n13
\n0
\n0
\n2<\/p>\n

Altuve
\n.248
\n.311
\n412
\n59
\n102
\n17
\n2
\n14
\n41
\n37
\n93
\n4
\n3
\n5<\/p>\n

Delgado
\n.243
\n.300
\n37
\n4
\n9
\n1
\n0
\n1
\n4
\n3
\n7
\n0
\n0
\n2<\/p>\n

Walker
\n.229
\n.304
\n472
\n62
\n108
\n24
\n1
\n23
\n73
\n43
\n124
\n0
\n0
\n2<\/p>\n

Harris
\n.226
\n.286
\n31
\n4
\n7
\n0
\n1
\n0
\n4
\n2
\n6
\n2
\n0
\n0<\/p>\n

Smith
\n.216
\n.283
\n422
\n56
\n91
\n15
\n4
\n17
\n48
\n36
\n118
\n10
\n2
\n5<\/p>\n

Loperfido
\n.216
\n.314
\n102
\n13
\n22
\n7
\n1
\n1
\n12
\n14
\n31
\n1
\n1
\n1<\/p>\n

V\u00e1zquez
\n.214
\n.269
\n220
\n21
\n47
\n7
\n0
\n7
\n25
\n17
\n48
\n1
\n0
\n1<\/p>\n

Meyers
\n.213
\n.268
\n141
\n15
\n30
\n7
\n0
\n3
\n11
\n10
\n31
\n1
\n2
\n0<\/p>\n

Dezenzo
\n.213
\n.280
\n75
\n11
\n16
\n4
\n0
\n1
\n3
\n7
\n31
\n1
\n0
\n1<\/p>\n

Trammell
\n.208
\n.296
\n192
\n26
\n40
\n6
\n2
\n7
\n20
\n20
\n69
\n3
\n3
\n2<\/p>\n

Wade
\n.206
\n.330
\n97
\n13
\n20
\n5
\n0
\n2
\n15
\n18
\n27
\n0
\n0
\n0<\/p>\n

Varsho
\n.203
\n.263
\n74
\n6
\n15
\n3
\n0
\n3
\n7
\n6
\n18
\n1
\n0
\n0<\/p>\n

Matthews
\n.197
\n.250
\n208
\n23
\n41
\n5
\n1
\n7
\n22
\n15
\n71
\n4
\n4
\n1<\/p>\n

Price
\n.167
\n.231
\n12
\n1
\n2
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n6
\n0
\n0
\n1<\/p>\n

Spence
\n.162
\n.244
\n37
\n4
\n6
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n3
\n3
\n15
\n0
\n1
\n1<\/p>\n

Cole
\n.157
\n.189
\n51
\n4
\n8
\n1
\n0
\n3
\n8
\n1
\n21
\n0
\n0
\n1<\/p>\n

Johnson
\n.143
\n.294
\n14
\n1
\n2
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n2
\n3
\n0
\n0
\n0<\/p>\n

Whitcomb
\n.130
\n.167
\n23
\n2
\n3
\n0
\n0
\n2
\n5
\n1
\n11
\n0
\n0
\n0<\/p>\n

Salazar
\n.056
\n.227
\n18
\n0
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n3
\n3
\n0
\n0
\n0<\/p>\n

Vel\u00e1zquez
\n.000
\n.000
\n7
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n0
\n3
\n0
\n0
\n0<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

PITCHERS
\nW
\nL
\nERA
\nG
\nGS
\nSV
\nIP
\nH
\nR
\nER
\nHR
\nBB
\nSO<\/p>\n

Team Totals
\n66
\n67
\n4.68
\n133
\n133
\n40
\n1180.1
\n1070
\n656
\n614
\n177
\n550
\n1161<\/p>\n

Meyers
\n0
\n0
\n0.00
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0<\/p>\n

Hader
\n4
\n1
\n0.81
\n34
\n0
\n19
\n33.1
\n13
\n3
\n3
\n1
\n11
\n44<\/p>\n

Santa
\n0
\n1
\n1.17
\n10
\n0
\n0
\n15.1
\n8
\n6
\n2
\n1
\n6
\n9<\/p>\n

VanWey
\n1
\n0
\n1.50
\n5
\n0
\n0
\n6
\n5
\n2
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n5<\/p>\n

Okert
\n6
\n2
\n2.20
\n65
\n1
\n0
\n65.1
\n43
\n17
\n16
\n7
\n14
\n66<\/p>\n

Blubaugh
\n4
\n2
\n3.25
\n50
\n0
\n1
\n80.1
\n61
\n31
\n29
\n10
\n34
\n81<\/p>\n

Brown
\n3
\n3
\n3.51
\n14
\n14
\n0
\n74.1
\n56
\n31
\n29
\n10
\n43
\n76<\/p>\n

Pearson
\n1
\n0
\n3.60
\n16
\n0
\n1
\n20
\n16
\n10
\n8
\n1
\n12
\n16<\/p>\n

Lambert
\n8
\n7
\n3.66
\n23
\n23
\n0
\n128
\n106
\n54
\n52
\n13
\n51
\n125<\/p>\n

Abreu
\n5
\n3
\n4.17
\n52
\n0
\n7
\n49.2
\n36
\n25
\n23
\n7
\n36
\n63<\/p>\n

Teng
\n5
\n6
\n4.22
\n27
\n10
\n0
\n70.1
\n63
\n37
\n33
\n10
\n30
\n71<\/p>\n

Wesneski
\n3
\n1
\n4.23
\n5
\n5
\n0
\n27.2
\n24
\n13
\n13
\n2
\n10
\n22<\/p>\n

Ullola
\n0
\n0
\n4.50
\n4
\n0
\n0
\n6
\n4
\n3
\n3
\n2
\n1
\n9<\/p>\n

Arrighetti
\n7
\n5
\n4.60
\n17
\n17
\n0
\n88
\n68
\n47
\n45
\n12
\n50
\n87<\/p>\n

De Los Santos
\n2
\n3
\n4.67
\n58
\n0
\n5
\n61.2
\n59
\n36
\n32
\n8
\n14
\n57<\/p>\n

King
\n2
\n3
\n4.75
\n51
\n1
\n6
\n53
\n57
\n30
\n28
\n8
\n19
\n44<\/p>\n

Roa
\n0
\n1
\n5.19
\n7
\n0
\n0
\n8.2
\n10
\n5
\n5
\n1
\n7
\n6<\/p>\n

Imai
\n6
\n4
\n5.32
\n18
\n15
\n0
\n67.2
\n55
\n40
\n40
\n9
\n44
\n83<\/p>\n

Bolton
\n0
\n1
\n5.40
\n8
\n3
\n1
\n20
\n21
\n12
\n12
\n3
\n14
\n22<\/p>\n

Burrows
\n4
\n9
\n5.99
\n18
\n17
\n0
\n94.2
\n112
\n69
\n63
\n21
\n35
\n75<\/p>\n

Sousa
\n1
\n3
\n6.27
\n22
\n0
\n0
\n18.2
\n24
\n15
\n13
\n2
\n10
\n21<\/p>\n

Javier
\n1
\n4
\n6.47
\n12
\n8
\n0
\n40.1
\n48
\n29
\n29
\n8
\n19
\n38<\/p>\n

McCullers
\n2
\n3
\n6.86
\n8
\n8
\n0
\n39.1
\n38
\n32
\n30
\n7
\n22
\n43<\/p>\n

Murray
\n0
\n0
\n7.43
\n8
\n0
\n0
\n13.1
\n19
\n11
\n11
\n1
\n7
\n8<\/p>\n

Weiss
\n0
\n3
\n7.62
\n9
\n2
\n0
\n26
\n35
\n24
\n22
\n8
\n20
\n30<\/p>\n

Blanco
\n0
\n1
\n7.71
\n5
\n4
\n0
\n23.1
\n22
\n20
\n20
\n7
\n12
\n20<\/p>\n

Pecko
\n0
\n0
\n7.88
\n2
\n2
\n0
\n8
\n8
\n7
\n7
\n2
\n7
\n5<\/p>\n

France
\n0
\n0
\n8.10
\n3
\n0
\n0
\n6.2
\n6
\n6
\n6
\n1
\n5
\n4<\/p>\n

Salazar
\n0
\n0
\n9.00
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n1
\n1
\n1
\n1
\n0
\n0<\/p>\n

Alexander
\n1
\n1
\n9.33
\n4
\n2
\n0
\n18.1
\n21
\n19
\n19
\n4
\n8
\n14<\/p>\n

Gordon
\n0
\n0
\n11.57
\n4
\n1
\n0
\n9.1
\n21
\n12
\n12
\n6
\n3
\n11<\/p>\n

Mu\u00f1oz
\n0
\n0
\n15.75
\n3
\n0
\n0
\n4
\n7
\n7
\n7
\n3
\n6
\n6<\/p>\n

Wade
\n0
\n0
\n18.00
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n3
\n2
\n2
\n1
\n0
\n0<\/p>\n

The preferred remedy is what Peter Lambert offered Wednesday. Lambert worked 5 \u2154 innings despite laboring early such that the bullpen got active in the second. On a night where length was needed, the right-hander who has proven an unlikely savior of Houston\u2019s rotation<\/a> all season provided it again, falling one out short of becoming the first Astros starter in 16 days to get through six.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was definitely a big goal of mine today,\u201d Lambert said. \u201cAfter looking up after the third inning and seeing 60 pitches, I knew it was going to make it pretty difficult. But just glad I was able to dig deep and get out there for the sixth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lambert, who allowed two runs in the first inning and sat at 51 pitches after the second, said he \u201cwas throwing some quality pitches early in counts, I just wasn\u2019t really getting the quick outs.\u201d Kai-Wei Teng started to warm with two outs in the second before Lambert induced a fly out from Luis Garc\u00eda Jr. that stranded the bases loaded. He covered his next three innings on 34 pitches.<\/p>\n

Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n

\u201cHe threw a ton of strikes, started getting some quicker outs,\u201d Espada said. \u201cWhere we\u2019re at right now, we just needed to try to get a little bit more out of him. And he did, he stepped up and he really picked us up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Houston needs others to follow. Lambert ended the night at 142 \u2153 innings this season between Triple-A and the majors. He is close to his career-high of 149 \u2154 innings, set in 2019, with a month still to play \u2014 plus more if the Astros reach the playoffs. Maintaining their most consistent starter for such a possibility seems paramount, a balance they must strike with trying to get there. They held a half-game lead in the woeful AL West after play Wednesday.<\/p>\n

The same applies to the bullpen. Sousa had recorded five outs on eight pitches Tuesday, retiring all five hitters he faced. Yet his splits across 21 outings in an injury-shortened season were unusual. Sousa held left-handed hitters to a .433 OPS in his 44 appearances last year. They entered Wednesday hitting .324 with an .807 OPS in 40 plate appearances against him this season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just think guys know I like the slider,\u201d Sousa said Wednesday night. \u201cI still think I\u2019m putting the slider in decent spots. But I\u2019m just throwing it too much maybe, and they\u2019re sitting on it and the element of surprise maybe is not there fully.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of the 28 pitches Sousa threw Wednesday night, 23 were sliders. Yankees hitters whiffed on five of 13 swings against it, but all four they put into play went for hits. Some bad batted-ball luck was involved. Trent Grisham flared a slider for a leadoff single at 69.2 mph off the bat. After Ben Rice walked, Garc\u00eda pulled a slider on the ground, just past first baseman Christian Walker, for an infield single.<\/p>\n

Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n

Harder contact followed. Cody Bellinger drove a fastball off the base of the center-field wall for a two-run double. Spencer Jones lined a slider for an RBI single and Jazz Chisholm Jr. lifted another for a run-scoring double. All five hits against Sousa were from left-handed hitters as the Yankees opened a four-run lead they did not relinquish.<\/p>\n

\u201cMade some good pitches early, they kind of get it out there, get on base,\u201d Sousa said. \u201cAnd then later in the inning, still thought I made some good pitches, they just got more barrel on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

That the Astros\u2019 lineup totaled four hits Wednesday, a night after stirring for nine runs, lessened their pitchers\u2019 margin for error. That group\u2019s consistency remains suspect, and the club\u2019s 53-19 mark when scoring four or more runs illustrates how much the final 29 games could hinge on it. Opening up leads could offer Espada more flexibility with how he deploys his bullpen, as well.<\/p>\n

That Tatsuya Imai<\/a>, who has pitched three times in August, appears all but shelved\u00a0\u2014 he did not warm Wednesday\u00a0\u2014 renders that essentially a seven-man group right now. The Astros will be able to add a pitcher when rosters expand Sept. 1. For now, they\u2019re piecing things together amid a playoff hunt.\u00a0Wesneski will take the mound and mantle Thursday opposite Gerrit Cole, game three of 13 in a row.<\/p>\n

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