The Astros beat the Nationals 6-3 Tuesday night to even the three game series. Tatsuya Imai showed some improvement after his brutal start against the Twins July 1, but appeared to be dealing with a blister on his finger during the outing, with Espada making a mound visit to check on him. Despite playing through the issue, he still put pressure on the bullpen after his night ended with just 3.2 innings pitched. Jose Altuve homered and Nick Allen drove in a season-high three runs.
Imai’s Outing
Coming off one of his worst starts of the season, 1 1/3 innings and five runs against the Twins July 1, Imai went up against a Nationals lineup that ranked among baseball’s best first inning offenses.
Here is a look at his game stats, per MLB:
• Innings Pitched: 3.2
• Hits Allowed: 4
• Runs Allowed: 2
• Strikeouts: 3
• Walks: 2
Imai threw 84 pitches before the bullpen had to step in. It was not a dominant performance by any means, but it was an improvement over his last outing.
Although the Astros were able to secure the win, a large part of that was due to Nick Allen. Allen is known to be a great defensive shortstop but not great at the plate. That was not the case Tuesday night. Nick Allen came through when it mattered most, stepping up to the plate with bases loaded and driving in two runs. He then came through again with men on base and drove in a third. Nick Allen drove in a season-high three runs, a big night for the shortstop filling in for Peña, per ESPN.
Jose Altuve also had a good night. He homered, making it his ninth of the season. The Astros scored six runs to give Imai and the bullpen plenty of cushion.
The Astros even the series at one game apiece heading into Wednesday’s finale. Spencer Arrighetti takes the mound in game three against Foster Griffin. A series win would be a nice way to head into the All-Star break, and the momentum they need to carry on, especially after securing a series win and snapping the longest winning streak in the MLB this season against the Rays.
The Astros are now 46-48 with the win.
This was a needed bounce back after Monday’s wild loss. Imai’s inconsistency remains the biggest question for this rotation.
