A team leaking oil turned to Diesel. Can Hunter Brown fuel an Astros resurgence?

HOUSTON — One man cannot cure all that ails the Houston Astros, but Hunter Brown is prepared to try. Every frustrating stretch or feeling of doubt during his 67-game absence arrived with an underlying ultimatum: stay afloat until the ace known as “Diesel” returns, the final hope of fueling a turnaround.

When Brown did on Tuesday night, it produced the most pomp of this otherwise plodding season. Five of the team’s content creators knelt near the dugout to await Brown’s emergence. Another photographer stood on the mound to capture close-up shots. While they did, befitting warmup music blared.

“This is just what the doctor ordered,” sang Ted Nugent to another of Detroit’s native sons.

Brown then tamed the city’s Tigers to announce his return atop the Astros’ rotation. He struck out seven across 5 2/3 impressive innings, invigorating a team in need of it while inviting hope that, perhaps, his presence is what will propel Houston forward.

“You could feel it. At least I did,” outfielder Cam Smith said. “We got to the stadium and, man, Diesel is on the mound again. It’s a great feeling because we always have a chance to win.”

On Tuesday, they did, 4-2. Few of the 33 victories that preceded it felt more satisfying, even if Brown did not factor into the final decision.

“He was incredible tonight,” said Ray Delgado, a journeyman infielder who snuck a go-ahead, two-run single through Detroit’s infield during the eighth inning. “I know he’s been out for a while. He gave us a shot to stay in the game and we were able to help him out at the end.

“Everybody was excited. You could feel the buzz the last few days that he was coming back.”

Missing Brown since March 31 has thrown Houston’s starting pitching into a state of disarray. Since then, only the Colorado Rockies have received a higher ERA from their rotation than the Astros’ 5.14 mark. Twelve other pitchers have started a game in Brown’s stead.

Neither Mike Burrows nor Tatsuya Imai — the team’s two marquee offseason additions — could compensate in Brown’s absence. Kai-Wei Teng did, and so has Peter Lambert, but none boasts Brown’s upside.

“I take pride in being somebody that the staff and my teammates can rely on,” said Brown, a Cy Young Award finalist last season. “We’ve had a lot of guys fill in and do a great job. It takes a full 40-man roster, but now that I’m back, hopefully I can hit the ground running and keep it going. That’s the goal. That’s the plan. We’re still in striking distance and everyone in this clubhouse knows it.”

Seven games under .500 and just three games out of a playoff spot, yes, the Astros are within arm’s reach in an awful American League. Brown’s return is the boost they required to mount a run, but he can only start every fifth or sixth game. AL MVP candidate Yordan Alvarez is proof that one premier everyday player can’t resurrect an entire club.

Expecting one starting pitcher to do so is foolish. Tuesday demonstrated it. Brown delivered everything the Astros could’ve envisioned — and even extended past a pitch count team officials would’ve preferred. He still exited in a tie game.

Houston went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position while Brown worked. The one hit didn’t even score a run. Across their past seven games, the Astros are now 5-for-47 with runners in scoring position. They’ve somehow still scored 28 times, though 10 of those runs came in one game.

In both the second and fifth, Brown’s infield defense did not complete two tailor-made double-play balls. Neither miscue resulted in a run, but they did force Brown to throw extra pitches he shouldn’t have.

“I worked really hard to get back and here we were,” said Brown, who had never gone on the injured list prior to his shoulder strain. “Shoot, I’ve put however many days in at this park and then you get to come out and compete again. It’s awesome. Really exciting.”

Rust appeared during Brown’s first two innings. The final 3 2/3 featured Brown at his best, bullying Detroit’s bevy of left-handed hitters with his curveball, sprinkling in the sinker against righties and sitting 96 mph with a four-seam fastball that finished four of his seven strikeouts.

During his first trip through the order, Brown battled his fastball command and fell behind in far too many counts. A leadoff walk in the second inning came around to score. A four-pitch free pass started the fifth, too.

“I don’t know, probably (because it’s) been a while since I’ve been out there,” said Brown, who was sidelined for 75 days, “but I felt like I settled in pretty good.”

None of Detroit’s first eight hitters swung and missed against Brown. He did not generate a whiff until his 34th pitch — a darting, 96.3 mph four-seam fastball that James Outman swung through on a two-strike count.

That strikeout stabilized Brown’s outing. He retired 10 of the next 12 Tigers. Six of them struck out, including Outman again to conclude the fifth.

Brown finished the inning at 76 pitches. He had only built his pitch count up to 78 during his minor-league rehab assignments. As a result, manager Joe Espada promised before the game to “keep an eye” on Brown’s workload. Reliever Steven Okert warmed up throughout the bottom of the fifth.

Brown still emerged for the sixth. That’s “part of the job,” the ace said, one Brown will have to repeat routinely if Houston has any hope of salvaging this season.

“Haven’t done that since my injury,” Brown said. “Tried to empty the tank and I did.”

Brown’s four-seam fastball still reached 95.6 mph. A putaway slider generated a feeble swing from Dillon Dingler. A two-strike sinker at the top of the zone froze AL Rookie of the Year candidate Kevin McGonigle. That Kerry Carpenter coaxed a walk to ensure Brown could not complete the sixth felt like a footnote.

“You could tell some fatigue was starting to set in, but this guy competes, man,” Espada said. “He’s a horse.”

A horse this team hopes to ride for the remainder of this season.