As the Houston Astros approach the conclusion of their series against the Seattle Mariners, they find themselves with several starting pitchers available for bullpen roles during the weekend. Right-handers Ronel Blanco, Tatsuya Imai, and Cristian Javier are all options for relief appearances during this stretch that includes two off days.
Blanco recently pitched four innings in relief during Houston’s 10-5 loss on Saturday, conceding five runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out three. This marked his first relief outing in five appearances since returning from Tommy John surgery.
Hunter Brown, who holds a 3-2 record with a 3.68 ERA, is scheduled to start the series finale on Sunday. Astros manager Joe Espada hopes to avoid having to use another starter out of the bullpen but appreciates the flexibility having these arms available provides as the team prepares for the final month of the season.
“It gives you some flexibility,” Espada remarked regarding the starters in the bullpen. “But again, we need to find spots for those guys to pitch. We’re about to go on a long stretch of games here pretty soon. We play 13 straight (starting Aug. 25). So some of those guys will be getting plenty of opportunities.”
Brown’s recent performances have been mixed. In a 4-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday, he allowed three runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts over five innings. After winning his last two starts in July, Brown has given up six runs on eight hits and five walks with 12 strikeouts across 11 innings in two winless starts this month.
Against the Mariners, Brown’s career record stands at 1-4 with a 4.09 ERA in nine starts. His most recent outing versus Seattle was on September 19, 2025, when he surrendered two runs on five hits, including two solo home runs, and two walks while striking out nine over six innings in a 4-0 loss.
For Seattle, right-hander Bryan Woo (8-8, 4.15 ERA) will be the starting pitcher in the series finale. Woo delivered five scoreless innings against the New York Yankees on Tuesday, allowing three hits and one walk with five strikeouts, though he took the loss in a 4-1 defeat. This marked his seventh start this season with at least five scoreless innings and three or fewer hits allowed.
Woo holds a 3-2 record with a 2.86 ERA in six career starts against the Astros. In his May 12 appearance in Houston, he allowed two runs on four hits and two walks with nine strikeouts over six innings, helping Seattle to a 10-2 victory.
Meanwhile, Mariners closer Andres Munoz experienced a rare rough outing in the series opener on Friday, allowing five runs (four earned) in the bottom of the 10th inning. This was the first time since June 14 that Munoz conceded multiple runs in an appearance. At that time, he gave up two runs on one hit and one walk without recording an out against the Washington Nationals.
Munoz currently has a career-high 4.47 ERA but also boasts a career-best 14.2 strikeouts per nine innings this season. Between those outings, he was 2-0 with a 0.93 ERA and 11 saves over 19 appearances.
Mariners manager Dan Wilson expressed confidence in Munoz’s resilience, noting, “He’s been through the league a long time, and he understands there are ups and downs to it. I don’t anticipate it being a problem for him. The way he’s throwing the ball lately and the process that he’s had has been outstanding, and I think that’s what you lean into at this point and you gain your confidence.”
