Astros' J.P. France: Under consideration for Game 4
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France and Jose Urquidy are being considered to start for the Astros in Game 4 of the ALDS versus the Twins on Wednesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Manager Dusty Baker seemingly ruled Hunter Brown out when he used the righty in relief in Game 2. France really struggled in the final two months of the regular season in collecting a 5.84 ERA, but he posted a 2.85 mark prior to that. Urquidy pitched to a 5.29 ERA this season while missing time with a shoulder issue, although he pitched well in a spot start in his final appearance of the regular season.
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Astros' J.P. France: Available out of bullpen
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France (personal) is back with the Astros and is available out of the bullpen, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
France was scratched from his scheduled start against Arizona on Friday due to a family emergency. While his absence lasted just one day, he won't get another chance to start.
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Astros' J.P. France: Scratched due to family emergency
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France was scratched from his start Friday versus the Diamondbacks due to a family emergency.
Jose Urquidy will get the start instead as the Astros open their final series of the regular season. Entering play Friday, they sit two games back of the Rangers for first place in the AL West and one game up on the Mariners for the third AL wild-card spot.
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Astros' J.P. France: Scratched from start Friday
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France was scratched from his start Friday against the Diamondbacks for undisclosed reasons, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Given their position in the American League West and wild-card standings, Friday's game is pretty close to a must-win game for the Astros, so France must be dealing with some kind of physical issue. Look for an update on France's status to arrive later Friday. Jose Urquidy will pick up his first start since Aug. 23 in place of France.
France (11-6) allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits and a walk while striking out five over five innings to take the loss Saturday against the Royals.
France didn't receive any run support while he was in the game, and the Astros' comeback effort fell short in the late innings. With 26 runs allowed (25 earned) over his last 28.1 innings, it appears France has worn down late in the season. He's still at a respectable 3.83 ERA despite a 1.36 WHIP and 101:47 K:BB through 136.1 innings this year. His last start of the regular season is lined up to be a road outing in Arizona, but it's tough to envision him being part of a potential postseason rotation if the Astros are playing in October.
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Astros' J.P. France: Roughed up by Royals
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France escaped with a no-decision Saturday in the Astros' 10-8 loss to the Royals, coughing up five runs on five hits and four walks over 4.1 innings. He failed to strike out a batter.
Kansas City jumped out to a 3-0 first-inning lead in the wild affair, but France was able to avoid taking his sixth loss of the season when Houston tied things up at 6-6 in the top of the seventh. The right-hander has given up at least five runs in three of his last five starts, posting a brutal 8.87 ERA, 1.97 WHIP and 16:15 K:BB through 23.1 innings over that stretch. With the Astros in a dogfight for the AL West title -- they're a half-game up on the Rangers and 1.5 games ahead of the Mariners after Saturday's action -- France could lose his rotation spot over the final weeks of the season, with Jose Urquidy the most likely replacement.
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Astros' J.P. France: Walks five in win
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France (11-5) yielded one run on four hits and five walks over six innings Sunday, striking out five and earning a win over the Padres.
Despite his lackluster final line, France threw five shutout frames before Matt Carpenter's solo shot in the sixth inning. France has allowed nine homers in his last five appearances, posting a brutal 7.20 ERA during that span. However, he's given up two or fewer runs in eight of his last 10 outings with a 7-2 record across that stretch. France now owns a 3.61 ERA and a 96:42 K:BB through 127 innings. His next start is projected to be in Kansas City.
Astros' J.P. France: Surrenders five in no-decision
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France did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks over five innings in Houston's 13-6 victory over the Rangers. He struck out five.
France struggled early Monday, allowing two runs in the opening frame in an eventual no-decision. After posting a 2.75 ERA through his first 18 starts, France has now surrendered 17 runs in his last three outings (13 innings), pushing his ERA to 3.72 with a 1.31 WHIP and 91:37 K:BB across 121 innings this season. The 28-year-old rookie will look to get back on track in his next outing, currently scheduled for this weekend against the Padres.
France (10-5) earned the win Tuesday, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk over 5.2 innings against Boston. He struck out three.
It was an impressive effort from France after he was tagged for 10 runs in his previous outing against this same Red Sox team. The 28-year-old France has now allowed two earned runs or fewer in nine of his last 10 starts. He lowered his ERA to 3.49 on the season with a 1.29 WHIP and 86:34 K:BB across 19 starts (116 innings). France is currently in line for a key road matchup with the Rangers in his next outing.
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Astros' J.P. France: Implodes against Red Sox
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France (9-5) took the loss Thursday, allowing 10 runs on 11 hits and two walks over 2.1 innings against Boston. He struck out three.
France began his outing by surrendering a home run to Alex Verdugo, and it wouldn't get better from there -- the Red Sox would eventually tally 10 runs on 10 hits off the rookie right-hander, who recorded just seven outs. Coming into the day, France hadn't allowed more than two runs in any of his last seven starts, working to a 1.94 ERA over that span. His ERA ballooned from 2.75 to 3.56 on the season with a 1.31 WHIP and 83:33 K:BB across 18 starts (110.1 innings). France could get a chance for redemption in his next outing -- he's currently slated for a rematch with the Red Sox at Fenway.
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Astros' J.P. France: Earns loss despite quality start
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France (9-4) took the loss Friday, allowing two runs on seven hits and one walk over six innings in a 2-0 loss against the Mariners. He struck out seven.
France continues to pitch well in his first major-league season but was outmatched in a pitchers' duel by fellow rookie Bryce Miller. France has allowed three or fewer runs in each of his last 13 starts and has gone at least six innings in 11 of those 13 appearances. He's currently projected to face the Red Sox next week in the friendly confines of Minute Maid Park.
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Astros' J.P. France: Cruises to ninth victory
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France (9-3) earned the win over the Angels on Saturday, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out five batters over seven innings.
France was back in the rotation Saturday after a temporary move to the bullpen following his previous start. The right-hander continued to hum along, picking up his fifth win over his past five outings. Excluding an effective 3.1-inning relief appearance last Sunday against New York, France has picked up four straight quality starts, going exactly seven innings in each instance. He's given up more than three earned runs in an outing only twice over 17 appearances on the campaign, with his last such performance coming all the way back on May 29. The only knock on him from a fantasy perspective has been his below-average strikeout numbers, but France has still been a valuable rotation piece with nine victories, a 2.74 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP.
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Astros' J.P. France: Back in rotation Saturday
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France is scheduled to start Saturday's game against the Angels in Houston, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
After the Astros acquired Justin Verlander from the Mets and returned Jose Urquidy from the 60-day injured list last week, Houston elected to keep a five-man rotation intact, leaving France as the odd man out. With Urquidy turning in a short start Sunday against the Yankees in his first outing back from the IL, France ended up coming in relief and struck out four over 3.1 innings en route to nabbing the win. Just as manager Dusty Baker suggested was the case last week, France's move to the bullpen was short-lived, as Houston will move to a six-man rotation at least temporarily while the team is in the midst of a stretch of nine games in nine days. France will return to the hill Saturday looking to claim his seventh win in eight appearances.
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Astros' J.P. France: Scoops up win in relief
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France (8-3) was the pitcher of record in Sunday's 9-7 win over the Yankees after giving up one unearned run on three hits and three walks while striking out four over 3.1 innings out of the bullpen.
After serving as a starter in his first 15 appearances with Houston, France moved to the bullpen Sunday to clear a spot in the rotation for right-hander Jose Urquidy, who was activated from the 60-day injured list to make his first start since April 30. Urquidy was on a limited pitch count and labored through 3.1 innings before being pulled from the contest, paving the way for France to effectively piggyback him. France was able to come away with his fourth consecutive win and his sixth win in seven outings while lowering his ERA to 2.75 in the process. The rookie right-hander isn't expected to be in line for a permanent stay in the bullpen, but manager Dusty Baker has yet to reveal when France may make his next start.
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Astros' J.P. France: Making temporary move to bullpen
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Astros manager Dusty Baker said Friday that France is being moved to the bullpen only temporarily, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
France will be available in relief as a piggyback option Sunday behind Jose Urquidy (shoulder), who is returning from the 60-day injured list to start the Astros' series finale with the Yankees. Even though France will move to the bullpen this weekend, the Astros seem willing to roll with a six-man rotation for at least a portion of the stretch run. The 28-year-old France has delivered a sharp 2.85 ERA through 91.2 innings (15 starts) this season with Houston.
France (7-3) earned the win in Monday's 7-3 victory over Cleveland, allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out six batters over seven innings.
France fell behind early after giving up two runs in the second inning, but he bounced back and kept the Guardians off the scoreboard for the remainder of his outing. The rookie finished with his third straight quality start, and he's completed exactly seven frames in each game during that stretch. France has now won five consecutive decisions in a span of six starts, registering a 1.88 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 22:8 K:BB across 38.1 innings during that period. Even with Jose Urquidy (shoulder) on the verge of a return and the Astros possibly in search of another starter as the trade deadline approaches, France's spot in the rotation should be secure given his excellent results on the campaign.
