DRONING ON ABOUT CHEATING

Barry Laminack: Nothing like a good Twitter spat. Thanks, 'Tyler' Bauer

Barry Laminack: Nothing like a good Twitter spat. Thanks, 'Tyler' Bauer
Alex Bregman did not shy away from a Twitter battle. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Oh I do love a good Twitter spat.

And that's exactly what fans were tweeted too earlier this week when Trevor Bauer came out and in so many words accused the Astros of cheating.

It all started with this tweet from @Blaze4551:

"Are Astros doctoring baseball or throwing spit balls.  look at spin rates of verlander, cole and morton, inreased dramatically pitching in Astros uniform. they probably using a substance or like chewing gum like morton did like post season"

And this reply to the above tweet from @drivelinebases:

"Chewing gum? Also spit balls would reduce spin theoretically. Anyway, what a weird coincidence you have discovered. 🤔"

To which Bauer replied with a bunch of "hmmmm" emojis, followed by the following statement:

"If only there was just a really quick way to increase spin rate. Like what if you could trade for a player knowing that you could bump his spin rate a couple hundred rpm overnight...imagine the steals you could get on the trade market! If only that existed…"

It didnt take long for Lance McCullers Jr. to respond with a tweet of his own, directed at Bauer:

"Jealousy isn't a good look on you my man. You have great stuff and have worked hard for it, like the rest of us, no need for this. I will ask though because my spin rate and spin axis on my 4 seem is a$$."

Bauer replied to McCullers tweet by back peddling a bit:

"I never said Astros are cheating. My only claim is that using sticky stuff on your hand increases the rpm on fastballs. Which is blatantly true."

And then out of nowhere, here comes Alex Bregman kicking the ant pile:

"Relax Tyler ... those World Series balls spin a little different.... 😭"

Uhhh, Alex...

At this point it kind of fell apart, but not before Bauer changed his twitter name to Trevor "Tyler" Bauer.

Well played, sir.

Later on, Bauer came out with a lengthy statement, where, in so many words, he stated that he'd be fine if baseball let pitchers use pine tar, he just wants them to be consistent.

"So, pick a substance that's sticky, that gives you all the performance benefits and just put it on the back of the mound. That way if you want to use it you can. And everybody knows it's being used. And if you want to use other substances and skirt the rule, whatever. Have a certain amount of outlawed substances, vaseline or whatever. But if you want to use sticky stuff, it's right there on the mound. Put your fingers on it and throw."

At some point in all of this twitter nonsense, some idiot even used a picture of Josh Reddick and his glove, implying that HE was cheating.

Only that's stupid because Reddick doesn't pitch, as one fan pointed out by suggesting that the pine tar on his Reddicks glove is why he has a "... 0.00 era". HA!

And don't worry, Reddick saw the tweet and replied with this gem of his own:

https://twitter.com/RealJoshReddick/status/991378695096094721

God I love Twitter.

What this all boils down to is Bauer throwing shade on former UCLA teammate Gerrit Cole. Apparently they didn't get along in college and still don't to this day.

I'm really looking forward to May 18. That's when Bauer will take the hill for the Indians in Minute Maid Park. Too bad it will be Verlander's turn in the rotation, and not Cole's.

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Yainer Diaz is looking more comfortable at the plate. Composite Getty Image.

After dropping a frustrating series to the Chicago White Sox, the Houston Astros find themselves in a familiar position—searching for answers, but still within striking distance. Despite their inconsistency, Houston sits just three games behind the AL West-leading Mariners, who are currently 7 games over .500 and riding an 8-2 stretch. For as up-and-down as the Astros have been, the division remains tantalizingly close.

That inconsistency was on full display throughout the White Sox series. Jake Meyers and Zach Dezenzo each played the roles of both hero and heartbreaker. Dezenzo launched a massive home run in Game 3, a moment that energized the dugout and briefly shifted momentum. But his costly defensive error later in the game flipped the script. Meyers was a spark plug in Houston’s lone win, delivering a clutch performance at the plate, only to run the team out of a rally in the finale when he was picked off second—right before Jeremy Peña ripped what would have been an RBI single.

Jose Altuve’s struggles are quietly becoming more worrisome. He’s recorded just one multi-hit game since April 19 and has only one homer since April 8. On Sunday, he swung at the first pitch after Lance McCullers had grinded through a 33-pitch inning—a decision that raised questions about his awareness in a veteran moment. Should manager Joe Espada have reminded Altuve of the situation? Or is this on Altuve, who should have known what to do as one of the team leaders?

Signs of life

There are flickers of life from the bats. Last week, Houston's team OPS was an underwhelming .667 (23rd in MLB), with a slugging percentage of .357 (25th). They've nudged those numbers up to .684 (19th) and .370 (21st), respectively. It’s modest progress, but enough to suggest this offense might be trending in the right direction. Still, their 5-5 record over the last 10 games feels emblematic of who they are right now—a .500 team with both talent and flaws.

Looking ahead

The upcoming schedule could be a turning point. Three of the next five opponents have losing records, and none of them are elite. This stretch offers a prime opportunity for Houston to finally build momentum and close the gap in the division—assuming the Mariners cool off from their current tear, which seems inevitable given their unsustainable 8-2 pace.

McCullers is officially back!

Lance McCullers returned for the first time since 2022 and, despite being limited to 3.2 innings due to command issues (three walks and a hit batter), there were encouraging signs. His velocity was there, and the stuff looked sharp. It’s a start, and perhaps a step toward stabilizing a rotation that still needs length.

Steering the ship

Manager Joe Espada, however, continues to draw scrutiny. His decision-making in the finale raised eyebrows again. Giving Isaac Paredes a day off when Yordan Alvarez was already sitting left the lineup depleted. Rather than using promising young infielder/outfielder Cam Smith, he opted for Mauricio Dubón and Brendan Rodgers—a defensive combo that didn't inspire confidence. It feels at times like Espada isn’t prioritizing winning the final game of a series, a pattern that could haunt the team down the stretch.

The plot thickens

Meanwhile, Christian Walker’s slump is dragging on. He went 0-for-5 twice in the last two series and looks out of sync at the plate. The Astros need more from their power hitters if they hope to make a real run. And with Alvarez now heading to the IL with hand inflammation, runs will be even harder to come by.

All told, this team still feels like one hovering just above or below .500. But in a division that remains wide open, the path forward is clear: play better, hope the Mariners come back to earth, and capitalize on a soft schedule. The race is far from over—but it’s time for Houston to start acting like contenders.

We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!

The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!

*ChatGPT assisted.

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