The Houston Astros finally got back in the win column against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, snapping a three-game losing streak thanks to six strong innings from Hunter Brown and a couple of homers from a previously dormant lineup. It was exactly the kind of effort that fans hope will get this team back to playing like the AL West contenders they sure appear to be on paper.
But that momentum will have to wait at least one more day. Friday usually means game day for all 30 teams in the league, but Houston may have checked the schedule only to discover that their Astros are off on April 4. So what gives?
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Why aren't the Houston Astros playing today?
The answer is a surprisingly simple one. Thursday also happened to be the Twins' home opener, after starting the season on the road in St. Louis and then Chicago. And in cold-weather markets that play in open-air stadiums, MLB will often build in an off day the next day in order to account for a possible rainout — the last thing you want to do is ring in the new season with a postponement and then have to scramble to either play a doubleheader the next day or make the game up later in the year. (Plus, Opening Day ceremonies often take a bit of time and would be hard to squeeze in ahead of a doubleheader.)
So the two teams will be off on Friday before completing their three-game set this weekend, with a matinee on Saturday followed by another one on Sunday. Houston will send Spencer Arrighetti and then Ronel Blanco to the mound, hoping to build on Thursday's win and vault back to the top of what appears to be a very winnable division.