Despite dealing with a wave of injuries, the Houston Astros are proving themselves as one of MLB’s most formidable forces. Closing out June with a 19–7 record, the best in the Majors for the month, the Astros swept the Philadelphia Phillies and took two of three from the Chicago Cubs, improving their season mark to 50–33 and becoming just the third team to reach 50 wins, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Detroit Tigers.
The key to this surge has been the performance of a depleted but determined roster. The Astros have endured extended absences from star players, including slugger Yordan Alvarez, who has been out since early May with a broken hand. Four starting pitchers are also on rehab assignments in Florida. Yet the team has gone unbeaten in its last 11 series (9-0-2) dating back to May 22, exemplifying their depth and tenacity.
Bryan Abreu, a go-to weapon in Houston’s bullpen, epitomized that spirit during Sunday’s 2-0 win over the Cubs. Called into action in the seventh inning with runners on first and second and no outs, Abreu delivered six pivotal outs across two scoreless innings. He struck out four of the six batters he faced, using 98+ mph fastballs and sharp sliders to escape a jam and neutralize Chicago’s top hitters.
“After everything and all the bad news, we’re picking each other up and have each other’s back, and keep doing our thing and going out there and competing,” said Bryan Abreu, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. “That’s pretty amazing for us.”
Sunday’s outing was only the second time since 2023 that Abreu recorded six outs in a game. Entering that contest, he had pitched in 37 of Houston’s 83 games, with just six outings longer than one inning. Yet he has been scored upon in just 3 of 38 appearances this season and owns a 1.63 ERA. Abreu’s effectiveness in high-leverage situations is especially notable as he has stranded 11 of 12 inherited runners and ranks among the top three relievers in MLB for such moments, per Baseball Reference.
Statistically, Abreu’s dominance comes with some risk as he allows a 48.8% hard-hit rate and a 12.4% walk rate, both career highs. Yet his 41.8% whiff rate and 34.6% strikeout rate, both top-tier among MLB relievers, have allowed him to avoid damage. He induced nine whiffs on 13 swings Sunday, continuing a season of overpowering outings.
Complementing Abreu’s effort was Framber Valdez, who improved to 9-4 with six shutout innings, extending his scoreless streak to 13 innings. Valdez is 8-0 with a 1.72 ERA over his last 10 starts. Closer Josh Hader followed Abreu with his 23rd save in as many chances, maintaining a perfect save record this season and sporting a 1.67 ERA.
Jose Altuve provided the game’s only offense with a two-run homer, his 13th of the season and his first extra-base hit in 34 at-bats. It marked hit No. 2,313 of his career, putting him one shy of tying Jeff Bagwell for second on the Astros’ all-time hits list.
With Alvarez nearing a return and Houston’s rotation regaining strength, the Astros are set to build on their recent dominance, and Bryan Abreu’s emergence remains central to their push.
