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Tag: Jeremy Pena

  • Astros Take Rangers Series As Improvements Emerge: Four Thoughts

    Astros Take Rangers Series As Improvements Emerge: Four Thoughts

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    The gloom and despair of the Astros’ 4-11 start seemed compounded by injuries and a very tough schedule. In addition to missing Justin Verlander, Jose Urquidy, Framber Valdez, Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers, Jr., a pretty good starting rotation for most teams, Chas McCormick suffered a mild hamstring injury and Alex Bregman missed a couple games with an illness.

    Not an ideal way to start a home stand against a division rival and defending world champion. That’s before the Braves, one of the best teams in the National League, comes to town.

    But, the Astros managed to find their swagger at the plate and on the mound both Saturday and Sunday behind outstanding pitching efforts from Ronel Blanco (again!) and Cristian Javier, taking two of three against the Rangers and starting the season 4-3 against Texas keeping them just 2.5 games back in the standings despite the early struggles.

    With everything that has happened, it’s difficult to recognize that there is some surprisingly good news when it comes to this team. It’s not ALL good, but more of it than you might think.

    The offense is already better than you think.

    The Astros, after Sunday’s win, are fourth in home runs, sixth in walks, third in strikeouts, third in batting average, fifth in on-base percentage, fourth in slugging and fourth in OPS. Anyone who thinks this won’t be a very, very good offense is ignoring the fact they already are. Their struggles have mostly been hitting with runners in scoring position, where they were last going into Saturday. In just two games, they climbed to middle of the pack. A lot can happen with stats so early in the season.

    The fact is that, with a couple notable exceptions (see below), this is a fearsome lineup that is going to become even more formidable as the year goes on.

    Without Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier and Ronel Blanco have been great.

    Blanco has been an absolute revelation. He has the third best ERA in baseball and seems to have found a groove with his newly minted changeup that is absolutely devastating hitters. Javier came into the year with a boatload of expectations that he has met head one. He is eleventh in ERA and, like Blanco, his changeup has been the difference this year.

    On a team that boasts quite a few very good pitchers, having your third guy and someone no one even expected to be the rotation turn out such incredible performances early in the season has been nothing short of a godsend.

    The bullpen has improved.

    There was much consternation over the struggles of the bullpen early in the season, but seemingly everyone has hit their stride from newbie Tyler Scott to Seth Martinez (his rough, meaningless inning on Sunday notwithstanding) to Bryan Abreu to even Josh Hader, who looked human in the first few games. Even Rafael Montero looks capable out of the ‘pen.

    In truth, a lot of the struggle early this year have some reasoning behind them even if the losses continued to mount. This bullpen still has some issues, but it is much better than it began and continues to improve.

    There are still holes in the lineup (and the rotation).

    It remains almost unfathomable that the Astros went into the season with first base exclusively covered by Jose Abreu and Jon Singleton. Abreu is hitting .111 with 14 strikeouts and often looks lost at the plate despite a couple of hits over the weekend. Singleton, the designated power lefty bat off the bench, is faring slightly better hitting .250 with a pair of doubles, but very little actual power slugging just .321. Because Singleton is out of minor league options and Abreu is in year two of a fairly large three-year deal, the Astros are painted into a corner with both.

    In the rotation, Hunter Brown looks lost on the mound. Many were hoping he would make a leap in his second full year as a starter, but he seems to have regressed. Until they are fully healthy, they are going to have to run him out there every fifth day and hope he can figure it out on the fly.

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    Jeff Balke

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  • Five Astros Trying to Change the Narrative Early in the Season

    Five Astros Trying to Change the Narrative Early in the Season

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    As difficult a start as it has been for the Astros in 2024, there are legitimate reasons to believe the light at the end of the tunnel is not an oncoming train. In addition to the fact that they have faced multiple playoff contending teams and have yet to see Justin Verlander pitch outside of Sugar Land, it’s early. The Astros are not a team that does April well.

    As was pointed out by StatMuse just a week ago, the entire franchise has a losing record in the month dating back to 1965. Now, by all measures this has been a particularly bad run to open a season, but there have been real bright spots, especially from these five players who are working to change the perception people have of them.

    Jeremy Peña
    .325/.357/.500/.857
    Key Stat: 2 Home Runs

    The discussion of Peña’s changed swing mechanics reached a pretty ridiculous level during Spring Training. After a rookie season with 20 home runs and MVPs in the postseason and World Series, a lot was expected of the Astros shortstop in 2023. While his numbers across the board were roughly the same, his home run and doubles numbers dipped significantly, the product of a launch angle greatly reduced. In 2024, he re-tooled his swing and we are seeing far more line drives early this year. He also has two home runs. His last dinger prior to 2024 was last July.

    Seth Martinez
    Key Stat: 0.900 WHIP

    An ERA of zero through seven innings is great, but allowing just three hits and a walk in that same span is incredible. His WHIP is a ridiculous 0.571. Martinez was stellar throughout Spring Training and it has carried over into the season including his scoreless three-and-two-thirds innings Monday night in a win over the Rangers. He was always someone the Astros believed could have an impact, but he wasn’t able to stick on the major league club. Now, he is leading the bullpen. With key losses in the ‘pen over the winter, Martinez stepping up and becoming a steady reliever could not have come at a better time.

    click to enlarge

    Ronel Blanco is the AL Player of the Week.

    Photo by Jack Gorman

    Jake Meyers
    .250/.318/.550/.868
    Key Stat: .868 OPS

    No one questioned Meyers’ defensive abilities in center field until last year when his surgically repaired shoulder caused fans to wonder if he would even make the roster. It came as some surprise when he was declared the team’s starting center fielder this spring despite good arguments to be made that he was not the best option there even among some of the team’s prospects.

    But Meyers put together a solid spring and already has two homers with a plus-.800 OPS. The reality is that Meyers won’t be a “full time” starter anyway. When Yordan Alvarez plays in left (as happened Monday night), he will often be replaced by Mauricio Dubon or Chas McCormick, who can slide over from left. But he has shown enough already at the plate and has clearly bounced back defensively that he is a legitimate option in the team’s outfield rotation.

    Rafael Montero
    Key Stat: 0.857 WHIP

    Is Montero back? After getting a huge three-year contract prior to last season, there was a point in 2023 when many wondered if Montero should be waived. He was genuinely that bad. Later in the season, however, he righted the ship and began to regain his form. Fortunately, that has continued into this season. He has only given up one run — a solo home run in his first outing against the Yankees — and is currently sporting a 1.93 ERA in four-and-two-thirds innings pitched over five games. He has not allowed a hit since that solo shot against the Yanks. If he is back to 2022 levels of play, he could be a huge difference in the bullpen.

    Ronel Blanco
    Key Stat: 1 No Hitter

    Blanco was named AL Player of the Week after one of the most stunning starts to a season by any pitcher ever and certainly the most unexpected. After no hitting the Blue Jays, he came back with five hitless innings against the Rangers. Those 14 straight no-hit innings were the most for any pitcher since 1961.

    Considering the 30-year-old had only made eight starts in his career and was pressed into duty with the injury to Justin Verlander, it feels like a mammoth undersell to even use the word unexpected. Blanco has now legitimately played his way into a potential starting role, something virtually no one would have thought this spring when most just hoped he would be good enough to fill middle relief.

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    Jeff Balke

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  • Astros Fall on Opening Day 2024 to Yankees 5-4: Four Thoughts

    Astros Fall on Opening Day 2024 to Yankees 5-4: Four Thoughts

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    The Astros opened the 2024 season against conference rivals the New York Yankees on Thursday, dropping the home opener 5-4. It was a tale of two halves of baseball with the Astros dominating early then falling behind despite a late surge.

    It was manager Joe Espada’s first game as skipper and not without some measure of controversy, but, ultimately, the uneven performance from some of his marquee players cost them their first game of 2024. Here are some thoughts.

    Fast start not enough to overcome nine walks.

    The ‘Stros rocketed out to a fast start with three runs in the first and another in the second courtesy of a solo shot from Jake Meyers, all off of lefty starter Nestor Cortez, Jr. The second half of the lineup did most of the damage with RBI from Chaz McCormick, Yainer Diaz and Meyers.

    Unfortunately, the early burst of offense wasn’t enough to save them from the lack of pitching control. Framber Valdez tied his career high with six walks (and had one hit batter) over four-and-two-thirds innings, giving up three runs and striking out five. Three of his first four walks came on four pitches. After Rafael Montero gave up a solo homer, Ryan Pressly gave up a run on two hits and a walk. Pitchers scattered nine total walks over the game. They did that only once in 2023. It could have been worse for Valdez who managed to coax three double plays to get out of trouble, before he wasn’t able to any longer.

    Offense wasn’t the problem, exactly.

    Of the Astros one through five hitters, only Yordan Alvarez had two hits. The other four were 3-17 with a pair of walks. Conversely, the bottom of the order was 7-14. Diaz had three hits and Jeremy Peña had two. As mentioned, Meyers had a 415-foot blast onto the train tracks in left field on his first at bat.

    The problem was timely hitting. They left nine on base and were unable to score a single run after the second inning despite 13 hits and a pair of walks. It was a frustrating game at the plate in some respects, but also provided some hope that this team will be able to rake on most nights.

    Joe Espada made his mark for better and worse.

    The new manager promised to be more aggressive and that was evident in his first game. In the ninth, third base coach Gary Pettis waved Mauricio Dubon on a single from Kyle Tucker with one out. Right fielder Juan Soto fired a BB to the plate that just got Dubon. Replays were inconclusive, but it looked like he was tagged out at home.

    But, the most curious move was substituting Jon Singleton for Meyers in the bottom of the sixth inning with two on and two out. Espada said that it was a calculated move as righty reliever Jonathan Loáisiga is one of the best pitchers against right handers in the big leagues while being only mediocre against lefties. Singleton hit a weak ground ball to end the inning. While Loáisiga may be less-than-perfect against lefties, one does wonder why the Astros would think Singleton, who has never hit for average and is less than a year removed from being put on waivers after being out of baseball, was the right choice.

    Josh Hader was electric (and the South African kid wasn’t bad either).
    One thing went right and that was the first appearance of newly-signed closer Josh Hader. He entered the game in the ninth and struck out all three batters on 13 pitches. It looked almost easy. If there was any question about whether Hader is the Astros closer, this one outing should end that speculation entirely. His outing came on the heels of Tayler Scott, a South Africa native who just learned he made the 26-man roster on Thursday. He was fantastic in the eighth with one walk and one K.

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    Jeff Balke

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  • Cortes hurt, leaves after tying 3-run HR in ALCS Game 4

    Cortes hurt, leaves after tying 3-run HR in ALCS Game 4

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    NEW YORK — Nestor Cortes’ fastball dropped 3 mph from the end of the second inning to the third in Game 4 of the AL Championship Series, and New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone walked to the mound with head athletic trainer Tim Lentych.

    “He said he was fine,” Boone recalled. “I’m not going to just pull him out of the game because he isn’t perfect.”

    Eight pitches later, Cortes allowed a tying three-run homer to Jeremy Peña and the Astros went on to a 6-5 victory Sunday night that completed a four-game AL Championship Series sweep.

    “It’s kind of embarrassing that that happened, obviously, with the circumstances we were in,” Cortes said.

    Cortes had reaggravated his strained left groin during workouts in the five days ahead of the Division Series opener against Cleveland on Oct. 11 but made a pair of starts against the Guardians and won Game 5.

    He allowed a single and a walk in the first two innings against the Astros, then walked Martín Maldonado leading off the third and had a 2-1 count on Jose Altuve when Boone made the mound visit after his eighth pitch of the inning.

    “He asked me how I felt and I told him, `I feel well enough to compete. I feel great,’” Cortes recalled. “He knows I’m a competitor. He knows that it’s going to be hard to take me off the mound. And I think I showed all year that I’ve gained respect from him to leave me out there and grind through it.”

    Cortes threw 17 fastballs in the first two innings against Houston ranging from 89.4 to 92.4 mph. His seven in the second inning were from 87.7 mph to 89.1 mph.

    His control was off. Cortes went to three-ball counts on seven of 11 batters and he threw just 28 of 55 pitches for strikes.

    “It gradually got worse. It started locking up on me there in the third,” Cortes said.

    Altuve’s walk marked the first time the 27-year-old All-Star left-hander walked consecutive batters this year. He fell behind 3-1 when Pena homered on a cutter, driving it into the left-field seats.

    “I don’t think that homer was because I was hurt,” Cortes said. “It was just, he put a good swing to it. I thought I had located the pitch pretty well.”

    Cortes did not pitch between Aug. 21 and Sept. 8 because of a strained left groin, then returned to make five regular-season starts and two in the Division Series, when he allowed three runs in 10 innings.

    “It’s been lingering for a while,” he said.

    Cortes thought he could pitch through it and Boone believed him.

    “We’ve been dealing with this on different levels for a couple months,” Boone said. “He said he was fine and then obviously wasn’t quite fine enough.”

    ———

    More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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