Imai's Rough Start, Astros Hold On

Houston’s Tatsuya Imai had a rocky start despite a nine-run lead, lasting just one inning and exiting with a high pitch count, forcing the bullpen to carry the load in a 10-8 win. Though his fastball was electric, he struggled with command and fell behind hitters, blaming his slider’s placement. Manager Joe Espada confirmed the high pitch count was the catalyst for the change. Still adjusting to MLB after coming from Japan, Imai’s recent outings have been strong — now the Astros hope he can bounce back quickly, while the bullpen’s resilience secured the win. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/bcb4f42b57f6611c