BRAD LIDGE BRINGS THE HEAT
Exclusive: Brad Lidge reveals why Astros have a huge advantage
Jun 8, 2020, 7:13 pm
Photo By Elsa/Getty Images.
We still have no idea if we will even have a 2020 MLB season as baseball's owners and the MLBPA continue their tone-deaf negotiations publicly in the midst of a pandemic and increased racial tensions sweeping the nation.
However, if MLB does prevent itself from driving off a cliff and can strike a deal with its players, the Houston Astros coming off the revelation of the teams 2017 sign-stealing cheating scandal, might actually have a significant advantage according to former Astros All-Star closer Brad Lidge.
"It is absolutely amazing how this thing has played out to the benefit of the Houston Astros players," Brad Lidge said on The Jake Asman Show on Gow Media's SB Nation Radio. "The one thing that I will keep coming back to is, I think collectively we all understand that there are bigger things out there, more important issues. After what everybody in this country has been through, I think it's going to be pretty hard to go out there and boo the players with the same energy had the coronavirus not hit us. I also think because of the fact there are not going to be as many fans in the stands that will also benefit guys."
Lidge does point out that if there are fewer people in the stands in states that might allow fans to attend games at a lower capacity that sometimes you can actually hear a lot more.
"If there are a really few fans, sometimes you can hear those fans more when there is not as much white noise," Lidge said. "But as a general rule, this is a huge blessing for the Houston Astro players. I think the globe has been through a lot more, a lot bigger things than the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal."
While the sports world is no longer focused on the Astros for the time being, Lidge notes that things will change over time.
"It's a huge obviously, egregious foul for the game of baseball but there are bigger more important things right now," Lidge said. "At some point that will be a focus again once baseball gets going."
You can listen to The Jake Asman Show weekdays from 8 AM-10 AM Central on SB Nation Radio.
You can listen to the full interview with Brad Lidge below:
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.