University of Milwaukee alumnus AJ Blubaugh started Game 1 of the wild-card series for his Houston Astros against the Chicago White Sox, but he was even more impactful in Game 2, when he appeared early in relief.
Blubaugh, 26, made all of his 62 appearances for the Astros in 2026 out of the bullpen, but he was called upon to open Game 1 on Sept. 29 as the first component of a bullpen game.
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He struggled, walking three batters and only retiring two batters, permitting an unearned run and getting saddled with the loss in a 6-3 setback.
But after Houston starter Hunter Brown allowed four first-inning runs in Game 2 at Daykin Park in Houston, Blubaugh entered the game with two outs in the first and stranded the bases loaded with a groundout by Chicago’s Sam Antonacci.
Blubaugh, an Ohio native, then struck out two of the three batters he faced in the second for a 1-2-3 inning, exiting with his team facing a 4-1 deficit.
Both UW-Milwaukee alumni to reach the majors are with the Astros, although outfielder Daulton Varsho is unavailable after undergoing wrist surgery Sept. 29.
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Varsho, who started for the Toronto Blue Jays last year on their way to the seventh game of the World Series, joined the Astros at the trade deadline.
Blubaugh, a two-time Relief Pitcher of the Year in the Horizon League with the Panthers, became the seventh-round pick by the Astros in 2022. He had a 3.66 ERA this year in 96 innings, with 94 strikeouts and 1.229 WHIP.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: UW-Milwaukee alumnus appears in first two playoff games for Astros
