His time?
Astros call up prize prospect Tucker, send Marisnick down
SportsMap Staff
Jul 7, 2018, 10:36 am
The Astros' quest to win a second consecutive World Series might have gotten a significant boost on Saturday.
The team called up prize outfield prospect Kyle Tucker, and sent Jake Marisnick down to Triple-A for the second time this season.
Marisnick had become a polarizing figure for the Astros. He had seven home runs and 19 RBIs in 153 at bats, but hit just .190 and struck out an alarming 69 times. His defense is spectacular, but offensively he has been a serious liability.
The big story is Tucker, the Astros' most elite prospect since Alex Bregman. After a slow start at Triple A Fresno, Tucker has managed a .306 average, 14 HRs and 66 RBIs in 80 games. He is considered one of the top 20 prospects in all of baseball by most services.
Tucker will play Saturday against the Chicago White Sox.
Tucker was the fifth overall pick in the 2015 draft out of high school, and has been a high-end prospect ever since. The Astros have struggled to find a place for him on a team that has the second-most wins in all of baseball. But they finally decided to give him a chance at the big-league level.
If Tucker is ready to produce, it could be the equivalent of adding another big time bat via trade, and help boost an offense that has been very good, if a little short of last year's production. It really is a no-risk proposition. If he does not perform, they have not really lost anything. If he does? They have another key weapon for the stretch run and playoffs. And if he lives up to his potential? He could be a key cog in another World Series run.
Fans have been salivating at the idea of seeing Tucker. They will finally get their chance.
The Houston Astros are looking to avoid an unexpected sweep Wednesday night as they wrap up their three-game set against the Cleveland Guardians at Daikin Park.
Winners of six of their last ten despite back-to-back losses, the Astros (55-37) turn to left-hander Brandon Walter (1-1, 4.15 ERA) to steady the ship and salvage the finale. Walter has been reliable in his recent outings, and he’ll face a Guardians lineup that has struggled to string together hits, batting just .204 over their last 10 games.
Cleveland (42-48) entered the series on a 10-game losing streak, but now has a chance to sweep the AL West leaders and take the season series. Slade Cecconi (3-4, 3.56 ERA) gets the start for the Guardians. The 26-year-old righty has kept his ERA under 4.00 this year and will look to neutralize a Houston offense that leads the American League in batting average at .260 and is hitting .295 over the last 10 games.
All eyes remain on Jose Altuve, who has driven in 16 runs and slugged four homers over his last 10 games. He’s been the heartbeat of the Houston offense, while Isaac Paredes continues to deliver steady power at the top of the lineup. The Astros have scored five or more runs in eight of their last ten games, but the bullpen faltered late in both of the first two games of this series.
Cleveland counters with the steady presence of Carlos Santana and the always-dangerous Jose Ramirez. Though Ramirez is just 6-for-38 in his last 10 games, he’s delivered key home runs in the series and remains the Guardians’ biggest threat.
With the season series now 3-2 in favor of Cleveland, Wednesday’s matchup carries added weight for the Astros as they look to regroup and avoid letting momentum slip further. First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -144, Guardians +121; over/under is 8 runs
Astros lineup for the finale
What stands out? First off, Jake Meyers returns to the lineup after missing a couple of games with a calf issue. With Meyers back in the two-spot, Cam Smith returns to hitting cleanup. Caratini is playing first base again and hitting fifth, followed by Yainer Diaz (C), Cooper Hummel (DH), Taylor Trammell (LF), and Mauricio Dubon (SS).
Image via: MLB.com/Screenshot.
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