The Houston Astros have had a tough go this season when it comes to their pitching staff. They lost their ace Hunter Brown at the beginning of the season, and he didn't return until June. They also lost Cristian Javier around the same time with a similar injury, and that is just two of the injuries their pitching staff endured. Then, earlier this week, they traded Lance McCullers Jr. to the Brewers after 11 seasons.
Despite all of their struggles, there have been some bright spots, like Spencer Arrighetti, who had an outstanding first part of the season, but since June, he hasn't looked the same.
Then there is Peter Lambert. Lambert might just be the Astros' most consistent arm of the season so far. Lambert is not the pitcher anyone expected to be holding this rotation together. He was signed to a minor league deal after pitching in Japan last season with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.
Lambert sit at the second half of the season 8-5 with a 3.03 ERA and 91 strikeouts over 92 innings, per MLB. Those are numbers that would make any rotation proud, let alone one that has been as banged up as Houston's.
In his most recent outing, he continued to come in clutch for the team. Friday night, to kick off the Astros' series against the Orioles, Lambert was the starting pitcher. Despite the Astros losing, it wasn't at the hands of Lambert.
He had a few rough moments, but also set a career high in the process.
Lambert had been cruising but walked three straight batters, including Pete Alonso, to force in the tying run. Lambert had not walked a batter in 17 straight innings before that stretch, making it all the more surprising.
Aside from walking three batters and forcing in a run, Lambert continues to be one of the Astros' most reliable arms. He struck out a career-high 10 batters over six innings, allowing just one run on three hits. He matched his career high in strikeouts and then hit double digits for the first time in his career. He gave the Astros exactly the length they needed, per ESPN.
With the trade deadline approaching and the rotation continuing to thin out, Lambert has quietly become one of the most valuable pitchers on this roster. The Astros need him to keep showing up like this if they want to stay in the AL West race.
