Astros 10, Reds 0: Burrows Cruises as Cincinnati’s Skid Hits Eight

The lead

May 8, 2026 - Cincinnati - The Houston Astros treated Great American Ball Park like a launch pad and still got a vintage start on the mound. Mike Burrows allowed three hits over seven innings, Yordan Alvarez and Zach Dezenzo each launched two-run homers, and the Astros rolled to a 10-0 win that pushed the Cincinnati Reds losing streak to eight, per the Associated Press recap on CBS Sports.

Zach Cole and Christian Vázquez added late solo blasts off Tony Santillan in the ninth—back-to-back swings on consecutive pitches—after the Astros had already built separation inning by inning.

How the game turned

Brice Matthews tripled for the first time in his big-league career in the second, and Dezenzo brought him home with his first homer of 2026. Alvarez capped the early template with a sixth-inning blast clocked at 115.9 mph—Fridays like that turn a park quiet in a hurry.

Burrows (2-4) struck out six, walked one, and handed off to a pen that kept Cincinnati to five hits total. It was Houston’s third shutout of the season and the Reds’ fourth time held scoreless, per the wire story.

Pitching and matchup notes

Nick Lodolo (0-1), in a season debut delayed by a spring-training blister, absorbed four runs on five hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings while fighting his breaking-ball feel—only two strikeouts as Cincinnati tried to steady the outing.

Bats that changed the board

Houston finished with 13 hits and four homers in the CBS box—rotation-level run support that lets a starter breathe.

During the skid Cincinnati had been outscored 60-23, per AP—context that sharpens how loud a 10-0 result feels in May.

AthX Engine fantasy angle

Houston led the May 8 slate at 23 AthX Engine team FP, pairing Burrows’ 27 pitching FP with Yordan Alvarez’s 8 hitting FP on AthX Engine’s daily board. Shutouts with crooked middle innings still clear the team bar when the bats back the zero. AthX Engine differs from dynamic pricing.

What comes next

Spencer Arrighetti and Chase Burns were listed for Saturday’s middle game as both clubs try to flip the series script—Houston chasing continuity, Cincinnati hunting anything to stop the bleeding.

*Sources: MLB.com schedule, ESPN game page, CBS Sports recap, Associated Press via CBS, and AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*