Deadspin | Astros, Rockies kick off series searching for reversal of fortune
Apr 13, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (21) hits an RBI-single against the Seattle Mariners during the fifth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images On Monday, the Houston Astros completed a 10-game road trip so nightmarish that a starting pitcher allowing six earned runs over laborious six innings essentially represented a high point.
The Astros dropped the finale of a four-game series with the Seattle Mariners 6-2 on Monday, extending their losing streak to eight games, the longest for the club since 2013. Houston, which will host the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series, placed five players on the injured list during the road trip, including three members of its starting rotation.
With ace Hunter Brown and fellow right-handers Cristian Javier and Tatsuya Imai on the IL, the Astros’ rotation is in flux. Only Mike Burrows, who worked six innings on Monday, and Lance McCullers Jr., who didn’t escape the fifth inning on Saturday, remain in the rotation. Despite being in an early stage of the season, the Astros are in desperate need of a reset.
“This is a road trip that’s one to forget,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “We’ve got to go home and start all over again.”
Left-hander Colton Gordon, recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on Monday, is scheduled to start the series opener for the Astros. Gordon finished 6-4 with a 5.34 ERA across 20 appearances (14 starts) as a rookie last season. He made his big league debut on May 14, 2025, against the Kansas City Royals, but did not factor into the decision of the Astros’ 4-3 victory after allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings. In three starts with Sugar Land this season, Gordon is 1-1 with a 1.76 ERA and 13 strikeouts across 15 1/3 innings.
In his lone career appearance against the Rockies, Gordon allowed four runs on nine hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings but did not factor into the decision of the Astros’ 6-5 road win on July 1, 2025.
Right-hander Michael Lorenzen (1-1, 8.36 ERA) is the probable starter for the Rockies on Tuesday. He worked a scoreless inning of relief against the San Diego Padres on Saturday in his first appearance out of the bullpen after three turns through the rotation. Lorenzen is in his first season with the Rockies after pitching for the Royals last season and splitting time between Kansas City and the Texas Rangers in 2024. After spending his first seven seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, Lorenzen has pitched for six organizations since 2022.
Lorenzen is 1-3 with a 5.74 ERA across seven career appearances (five starts) against the Astros. He earned the win against Houston on April 8 after allowing one run on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings in the Rockies’ 9-1 home victory.
The Rockies followed their three-game sweep of the Astros last week by dropping all four games of a weekend series with the San Diego Padres. With their bullpen already taxed after the Padres scored 21 runs in the first three games of the series, the Rockies scratched left-hander Kyle Freeland before the series finale. Valente Bellozo salvaged things by working 4 1/3 innings of relief, but Colorado was looking forward to the off day in Houston on Monday.
“The off day will help big time,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said.
According to Schaeffer, left-hander Jose Quintana should be available during the series against the Astros after a recent bullpen session. Quintana landed on the 15-day injured list with a right hamstring strain on March 30.
–Field Level Media
#Deadspin #Astros #Rockies #kick #series #searching #reversal #fortune
Apr 13, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (21) hits an RBI-single against the Seattle Mariners during the fifth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images On Monday, the Houston Astros completed a 10-game road trip so nightmarish that a starting pitcher allowing six earned runs over laborious six innings essentially represented a high point.
The Astros dropped the finale of a four-game series with the Seattle Mariners 6-2 on Monday, extending their losing streak to eight games, the longest for the club since 2013. Houston, which will host the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series, placed five players on the injured list during the road trip, including three members of its starting rotation.
With ace Hunter Brown and fellow right-handers Cristian Javier and Tatsuya Imai on the IL, the Astros’ rotation is in flux. Only Mike Burrows, who worked six innings on Monday, and Lance McCullers Jr., who didn’t escape the fifth inning on Saturday, remain in the rotation. Despite being in an early stage of the season, the Astros are in desperate need of a reset.
“This is a road trip that’s one to forget,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “We’ve got to go home and start all over again.”
Left-hander Colton Gordon, recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on Monday, is scheduled to start the series opener for the Astros. Gordon finished 6-4 with a 5.34 ERA across 20 appearances (14 starts) as a rookie last season. He made his big league debut on May 14, 2025, against the Kansas City Royals, but did not factor into the decision of the Astros’ 4-3 victory after allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings. In three starts with Sugar Land this season, Gordon is 1-1 with a 1.76 ERA and 13 strikeouts across 15 1/3 innings.
In his lone career appearance against the Rockies, Gordon allowed four runs on nine hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings but did not factor into the decision of the Astros’ 6-5 road win on July 1, 2025.
Right-hander Michael Lorenzen (1-1, 8.36 ERA) is the probable starter for the Rockies on Tuesday. He worked a scoreless inning of relief against the San Diego Padres on Saturday in his first appearance out of the bullpen after three turns through the rotation. Lorenzen is in his first season with the Rockies after pitching for the Royals last season and splitting time between Kansas City and the Texas Rangers in 2024. After spending his first seven seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, Lorenzen has pitched for six organizations since 2022.
Lorenzen is 1-3 with a 5.74 ERA across seven career appearances (five starts) against the Astros. He earned the win against Houston on April 8 after allowing one run on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings in the Rockies’ 9-1 home victory.
The Rockies followed their three-game sweep of the Astros last week by dropping all four games of a weekend series with the San Diego Padres. With their bullpen already taxed after the Padres scored 21 runs in the first three games of the series, the Rockies scratched left-hander Kyle Freeland before the series finale. Valente Bellozo salvaged things by working 4 1/3 innings of relief, but Colorado was looking forward to the off day in Houston on Monday.
“The off day will help big time,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said.
According to Schaeffer, left-hander Jose Quintana should be available during the series against the Astros after a recent bullpen session. Quintana landed on the 15-day injured list with a right hamstring strain on March 30.
–Field Level Media
![Deadspin | High scorer Liv McGill transferring from Florida to Oklahoma State Florida guard Liv McGill (23) shoots past Mississippi forward Christeen Iwuala (12) during the first half of an NCAA women’s basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, February 26, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun] Former Florida guard Liv McGill, one of the most highly-touted players in the women’s college basketball transfer portal, committed to Oklahoma State on Tuesday. McGill put up 22.5 points, 6.3 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game in 31 starts for the Gators in her sophomore season. She played an SEC-best 37.2 minutes per game, also averaging 5.3 turnovers. McGill was a first-team All-SEC selection. In 68 career games (all starts) over two seasons, she has put up 19.2 points, 5.7 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game. CBS Sports rated McGill the No. 2 overall player in the portal, behind only Iowa State star Audi Crooks. ESPN rated McGill No. 4. “Liv is arguably the most exciting player to watch in all of college basketball,” Oklahoma State coach Jacie Hoyt said in a statement. “She has elite quickness and an unbelievable finishing package around the rim. Liv can score at all three levels, but she is so much more. She has great court vision and can deliver a pass on a dime. Her speed and athleticism allow her to jump passing lanes on the other end of the floor. “… She is a leader and I believe she has the talent and heart to take our program to heights it has not reached before.” Oklahoma State went 24-10 last season and lost to eventual champion UCLA in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32. Florida, 18-15 a year ago, did not make the NCAA Tournament in McGill’s two seasons. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #High #scorer #Liv #McGill #transferring #Florida #Oklahoma #State Deadspin | High scorer Liv McGill transferring from Florida to Oklahoma State Florida guard Liv McGill (23) shoots past Mississippi forward Christeen Iwuala (12) during the first half of an NCAA women’s basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, February 26, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun] Former Florida guard Liv McGill, one of the most highly-touted players in the women’s college basketball transfer portal, committed to Oklahoma State on Tuesday. McGill put up 22.5 points, 6.3 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game in 31 starts for the Gators in her sophomore season. She played an SEC-best 37.2 minutes per game, also averaging 5.3 turnovers. McGill was a first-team All-SEC selection. In 68 career games (all starts) over two seasons, she has put up 19.2 points, 5.7 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game. CBS Sports rated McGill the No. 2 overall player in the portal, behind only Iowa State star Audi Crooks. ESPN rated McGill No. 4. “Liv is arguably the most exciting player to watch in all of college basketball,” Oklahoma State coach Jacie Hoyt said in a statement. “She has elite quickness and an unbelievable finishing package around the rim. Liv can score at all three levels, but she is so much more. She has great court vision and can deliver a pass on a dime. Her speed and athleticism allow her to jump passing lanes on the other end of the floor. “… She is a leader and I believe she has the talent and heart to take our program to heights it has not reached before.” Oklahoma State went 24-10 last season and lost to eventual champion UCLA in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32. Florida, 18-15 a year ago, did not make the NCAA Tournament in McGill’s two seasons. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #High #scorer #Liv #McGill #transferring #Florida #Oklahoma #State](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28347673.jpg)

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