Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown (58) throws to the plate during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on May 15. Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Houston Astros' Emerging Ace Makes Tough History in Loss to Rangers

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Brady Farkas | Last updated May 16, 2025 9:45 AM ET

The Houston Astros dropped a tough 1-0 decision on Thursday night against the Texas Rangers at Globe Field Field.

In perhaps the pitching matchup of the early season, Jacob deGrom of the Rangers out-dueled Hunter Brown of the Astros. deGrom went eight shutout innings, striking out seven, while Brown went all eight innings, striking out nine. He gave up just one earned run on three hits and no walks.

Brown is now 6-2 with a 1.43 ERA. He's also on the wrong side of some tough team history, according to @JayHayKid of Underdog Fantasy:

Hunter Brown is the first Astros pitcher to lose in a start in which he went 8+ IP while allowing 3 or fewer baserunners and 1/0 runs since Pete Harnisch on May 3, 1991.

Hunter Brown is the first Astros pitcher to lose in a start in which he went 8+ IP while allowing 3 or fewer baserunners and 1/0 runs since Pete Harnisch on May 3, 1991.
— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) May 16, 2025

With Justin Verlander now gone in free agency, and Framber Valdez set for free agency after the year, Brown is the emerging ace of the Astros staff.

Just 26 years old, he's in the fourth year of his career out of Wayne State. He's 30-24 lifetime with a 3.69 ERA. He's struck out 67 batters in 56.2 innings this season.

The two teams will play again on Friday night with first pitch coming at 8:05 p.m. ET. The Astros will send Lance McCullers Jr. to the mound against Nathan Eovaldi. McCullers, making his third start of the season, is 0-1 with a 15.73 ERA. He gave up seven earned runs in just 0.1 innings in his last outing. Eovaldi is 4-2 with a 1.78 ERA.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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