Astros, thriving without missing slugger, seek another win vs. Phillies

Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez missed his 48th game on Tuesday with a right hand fracture, an extended stint on the injured list that seemingly should have undermined the Astros' hopes.

But when Cooper Hummel bashed an opposite-field home run in the bottom of the eighth inning Tuesday night against the Philadelphia Phillies, it not only propelled the Astros to a 1-0 victory in the opener of this three-game interleague series, it also improved their mark to 30-18 without Alvarez.

The teams will meet again Wednesday in Houston, and the Astros again will rely on a variety of contributors. From standouts such as Jeremy Pena, Isaac Paredes and Jose Altuve to utility players such as Mauricio Dubon and Hummel, Houston has excelled without Alvarez by employing the surprising depth within its clubhouse.

"I feel like it's the next-man-up mentality," Astros manager Joe Espada said. "It's everyone finding a way to help win games. Good teams do that, and we need that. It's contagious.

"Those guys in there (the clubhouse), they want to be in the game. They'll look at me like, ‘When am I going to get my spot and do something to help or contribute?' I love that about this team."

Rookie left-hander Colton Gordon (2-1, 4.54 ERA) has the starting assignment for the Astros on Wednesday. He allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits and one walk with four strikeouts over five innings on Thursday and did not factor into the decision of a 6-4, 10-inning road loss to the Athletics.

Season-ending injuries for starting right-handers Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski opened the door for Gordon, who began the season with Triple-A Sugar Land, to contribute to the Astros' success. Gordon has issued five walks and struck out 34 in his first seven starts.

Gordon will make his first career start against the Phillies and his first interleague appearance.

Right-hander Zack Wheeler (7-2, 2.61 ERA) is the scheduled starter for the Phillies. He threw five shutout innings against the New York Mets on Friday but did not factor into the decision of a 10-2 victory after allowing four hits and three walks with eight strikeouts. Wheeler is 1-0 with a 1.06 ERA in three starts this month with 24 strikeouts across 17 innings.

Wheeler is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in two career starts against the Astros. In his previous outing against Houston, Wheeler allowed two runs on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts over six innings but did not factor into the decision of a 3-2, 10-inning win on Aug. 26, 2024.

Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (right wrist inflammation) is incrementally nearing a return from the injured list, which the club placed him on nearly three weeks ago.

Harper executed 50 swings off a tee toss on Tuesday in addition to fielding ground balls and participating in a throwing program. The Phillies don't expect Harper to return during their current series, but he continues to show progress.

"(Wednesday) hopefully we get some (batting practice) in the cage," Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. "We'll just keep progressing (in) intensity, volume."

--Field Level Media