Jeremy Peña is back and making his presence felt. After dealing with injuries for parts of the season, Wednesday was a reminder of exactly what he brings to this lineup when healthy.
Peña helped pave the way to secure the series win against the Tigers on Wednesday, contributing to the momentum they need to take on Cleveland this weekend.
On Wednesday, Peña homered in the third inning off Mize, making it his fourth of the season, giving the Astros an early spark.
Peña wasn't done after his homer. In the sixth inning, with the bases loaded, he came through again with a single that gave the Astros some much needed breathing room. Two RBI on the day to go along with the homer, a complete performance from the shortstop when his team needed it most.
Peña has battled through a rough stretch with injuries this season, missing time with a hamstring issue earlier in the year. Games like Wednesday are a reminder of how much this lineup misses him when he is out and how much better it looks when he is healthy and locked in.
With Cleveland coming to town for a tough series, the Astros need Peña producing like this. His ability to come through in big spots, especially with runners in scoring position, gives this lineup another dimension it has been missing for stretches this season. This series will be a challenging one, but when the offense is clicking, they are a competitive team.
