A chaotic fifth inning and a few unlucky bounces leave Houston fighting an uphill battle
The Houston Astros kicked off another series with a loss against the Colorado Rockies. So far this season, they have shown their ability to make a serious comeback after a tough loss, but this game-one defeat felt different.
Sometimes baseball isn’t about what you do right or wrong. Sometimes, it’s about what happens when everything that can go sideways… does.
The Astros fell 9–7 to the Rockies at Coors Field in a game that turned on one chaotic fifth inning. Colorado sent 14 batters to the plate and scored eight runs, putting Houston in a hole they would struggle to climb out of.
Houston starter Cody Bolton struggled early, and the bullpen allowed a crucial home run to Troy Johnston off Ryan Weiss. A ground ball that hit the second-base bag turned into an RBI double instead of an out, keeping the inning alive and making it very difficult for the Astros to recover.
Jeremy Peña came close to ending the fifth inning, but a bad-luck bounce off the bag extended it for the Rockies. Later, Yainer Diaz was held at third on a strong throw home, stopping Houston from mounting a bigger rally and keeping the deficit intact.
The Astros made a late push in the eighth, driving in two runs to cut the score to 9–7, but the early damage was too much to overcome.
Johnston gave Houston trouble all night, recording a three-hit game that included a bunt single, an RBI double off a lucky bounce, a home run, and a throw that robbed Houston of a run, with timely hitting and a bit of luck making it a tough night for Houston and putting Johnston at the center of the Rockies’ fifth-inning surge.
Some losses are about being outplayed. This one just felt like it was decided by inches. The fifth inning was full of unlucky breaks for Houston, with routine plays going against them and giving the Rockies key opportunities.
The Astros showed grit in the eighth, rallying late and refusing to go quietly, but the early damage had already set the tone. Even a solid team like Houston can be humbled by luck, timing, and the tiniest margins. Can the Astros bounce back and continue their pattern of major comebacks in the second game of the series?