The latest news on your Houston Astros and from around MLB:
The Astros had a plan for yesterday’s game, a game that would have been started by Hunter Brown had he not been injured. The plan didn’t seem like a good one, and it was executed even worse:
The most damning information in this article would be these:
Houston’s coaching staff intended to deploy two pitchers against the Colorado Rockies: Weiss and a 27-year-old right-hander named Cody Bolton. Neither right-hander is stretched out beyond 65 or so pitches, but the team hoped piggybacking them could cover 27 outs and conserve an overworked group of relievers.
Weiss is still learning the nuances of relieving and being ready at any moment of a game. Before this season, he had not made a professional relief appearance since 2023. Weiss sported a 3.16 ERA across 46 starts during the past two KBO seasons.
If Weiss was going to pitch Monday regardless of his role, logic suggested starting him for no other reason than allowing him to maintain his routine. That Espada and pitching coach Josh Miller tabbed Bolton, and not Weiss, to start the game seemed curious. Bolton had never started a major-league game, but had made 35 relief appearances. He finished Houston’s sixth game of the season with three scoreless innings.
With a 3×5 performance, Jose Altuve picked up career hit 2400. (and 2401 and 2402).
Cam Smith’s 462-foot HR was the ninth longest in Astros history. Here are the Top 8:
The Astros will go forward with plans for a 6-man rotation starting April 10:
Cody Bolton stayed in the game after taking a laser to the back in the first inning. The Astros sent him for imaging after the game as a precaution.
Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good:
Do the Angels have an ace in Jose Soriano?
This hasn’t happened in over 30 years!
I’m willing to bet Jung Hoo Lee has had worse job requirements:
She’s a lefty!
The Nationals hit 3 eighth inning HRs to take the lead on the Cardinals. (Spoiler Alert: Nats won.)
Cal Raleigh vs Jacob deGrom. 12 pitches. Epic Battle. But in the end, there can be only one:
Willson Contreras vs Brandon Woodruff. The rivalry you didn’t know you needed, until now.
Contreras later came in spikes up on a slide into 2nd:
Contreras was still hot after the game:
Brewers’ Christian Yelich essentially called Contreras act tired (start 2:22):
Woodruff called Contreras’ actions a big act:
Max Scherzer only lasted 2 innings yesterday before he removed due to forearm discomfort, but Blue Jays think he will make his next start.
This is terrific accidental comedy. The word anos without the tilde above the “n” doesn’t mean years, it means something very, very different. Something dead center of where you sit down. But Happy Birthday!
