Rough Start for the Astros in Windy City Showdown
Yesterday's game against the Chicago Cubs started on a rocky note for our Houston Astros. In the first inning, the top of our lineup with Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and Yordan Alvarez quickly went down in order, with nothing to show for it.
Cubs Take Early Lead
Our pitching seemed to struggle right out of the gate as well. The Cubs capitalized early with a sacrifice fly by Michael Busch and a big blow coming from a three-run homer off the bat of Dansby Swanson, putting the Cubs up 4-0 in the first inning. Definitely not the start we were hoping for.
Astros Begin to Rally
But, true to form, the Astros didn't let that early deficit define the game. By the top of the 3rd, we started to claw back, thanks to a fielding error by Busch and a handful of singles that led to two runs, closing the gap to 4-2. Yainer Diaz, Jeremy Pena, and Jon Singleton got in on the action, but we just couldn't seem to close that scoring gap.
Astros' Late-Game Efforts
Despite a solid pitching performance from our bullpen to keep the Cubs scoreless after the first inning, our bats couldn't quite make up the difference. It came down to the wire in the 9th when Jose Altuve sent one flying over the left-field wall, bringing us within one. Unfortunately, that's where our rally ended, with Bregman grounding out, Alvarez striking out, and Tucker lining out to right, sealing the game with a Cubs win, 4-3.
Looking Ahead
This was a tough loss, especially after such a spirited comeback attempt. The Astros showed resilience, and the pitching staff did an admirable job holding the Cubs at bay after the early onslaught. We'll dust ourselves off and get ready for the next one. Let's go Astros!
Scoreboard for Astros @ Cubs (April 24th, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
| 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 0 |