HOUSTON -- Now that the calendar has flipped to June and balloting for All-Star Game voting is set to begin soon, the Astros’ top three candidates to represent the club at this year’s Midsummer Classic were making their case in a 1-0 win over the Rays on Sunday afternoon at Daikin Park.
Astros ace Hunter Brown fired six scoreless innings, allowing one single while striking out five batters, to pick up his Major League-leading eighth win. Shortstop Jeremy Peña went 2-for-3 with a stolen base and scored the game’s only run and closer Josh Hader pitched a 1-2-3 ninth with a pair of strikeouts for his 15th save in as many tries.
“That’s an easy yes,” Astros manager Joe Espada said postgame when asked if Brown, Peña and Hader should make the American League team.
The Astros, who were outscored, 30-9, in the four games by the Rays, made a first-inning run stand up. Peña reached on a two-base fielding error by third baseman Junior Caminero against Rays starter Taj Bradley and scored on a two-out single by Christian Walker.
Brown (8-3) lowered his ERA to 1.83 through 12 starts and 73 2/3 innings and rebounded to beat a Rays team that tagged him for a season-high five runs on May 21 in Tampa. On Sunday, Brown didn’t allow a hit until Josh Lowe followed a walk with a single in the sixth, and he overcame a season-high-tying four walks.
“I think he did a nice job adjusting to try to do things differently than he tried to do in Tampa when they saw him last,” Espada said. “I think he executed pitches when he needed to. I thought that was a pitching duel. That’s the best we’ve seen Bradley throw the ball against us. He was really, really good.”
Brown’s 93rd and final pitch coerced a double play grounder off the bat of Yandy Díaz to end the sixth, with Brown pumping his fists as the out was recorded at first base.
“I had to make some big pitches there in some spots, especially the sixth inning,” Brown said. “Taj pitched a really great game. It was good that we came out on top of that one. I had to navigate some traffic. Just a couple of leadoff walks and walking the nine-hole hitter twice is not how you draw it up, but sometimes that’s just the way it goes.”
Houston’s bullpen, which gave up 23 runs in the previous two games of the series, answered the call Sunday with Bryan King, Bryan Abreu and Hader finishing off the two-hit shutout. Hader has the most saves (15) in the Major Leagues without a blown save.
“This game is really hard, so to be mentioned [as All-Star worthy], it’s pretty special,” Hader said. “I don’t ever take those for granted. Not really focused on that. Definitely just trying to stay in the present moment and just trying to continue to attack the zone.”
Brown and Peña have never made an All-Star Game, but Hader has been selected five times -- 2018-19 and 2021-22 with the Brewers and ’23 with the Padres. He’s aiming for his first time in the Midsummer Classic in the American League.
“We got a lot of guys right now that could definitely be selected,” Hader said. “Obviously, the position players are voted on. We’re definitely going to do our best to promote them and get them in there. These dudes are doing it, so it makes sense to have them there. If we could all make it together, it would be even better.”
Peña entered Sunday with a bWAR of 3.4, which was second in the Major Leagues behind only the Yankees’ Aaron Judge (4.7). He’s slashing .309/.373/.480 with nine homers, 30 RBIs and 10 steals and is playing a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop. He won the award as a rookie in 2022.
The last Astros shortstop to make an All-Star team was Carlos Correa, who did it in 2021 -- the year before Peña took over for him as a starter.
“I’m going to show up, take care of my routine, prepare as best as possible for the game and then I’m going to go play,” Peña said. “Those are usually my goals -- take care of my body, sleep good. Making an All-Star team would be pretty cool.”