BRAD LIDGE BRINGS THE HEAT

Exclusive: Brad Lidge reveals why Astros have a huge advantage

Exclusive: Brad Lidge reveals why Astros have a huge advantage
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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Kyle Tucker returns to Houston this weekend. Composite Getty Image.

Two first-place teams, identical records, and a weekend set with serious measuring-stick energy.

The Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs open a three-game series Friday night at Daikin Park, in what could quietly be one of the more telling matchups of the summer. Both teams enter at 48-33, each atop their respective divisions — but trending in slightly different directions.

The Astros have been red-hot, going 7-3 over their last 10 while outscoring opponents by 11 runs. They've done it behind one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, with a collective 3.41 ERA that ranks second in the American League. Houston has also been dominant at home, where they’ve compiled a 30-13 record — a stat that looms large heading into this weekend.

On the other side, the Cubs have held their ground in the NL Central but have shown some recent shakiness. They're 5-5 over their last 10 games and have given up 5.66 runs per game over that stretch. Still, the offense remains dangerous, ranking fifth in on-base percentage across the majors. Kyle Tucker leads the way with a .287 average, 16 homers, and 49 RBIs, while Michael Busch has been hot of late, collecting 12 hits in his last 37 at-bats.

Friday’s pitching matchup features Houston’s Brandon Walter (0-1, 3.80 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) and Chicago’s Cade Horton (3-1, 3.73 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), a promising young arm making one of his biggest starts of the season on the road. Horton will have his hands full with Isaac Paredes, who’s slugged 16 homers on the year, and Mauricio Dubón, who’s found a groove with four home runs over his last 10 games.

It’s the first meeting of the season between these two clubs — and if the trends continue, it may not be the last time they cross paths when it really counts.

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -112, Cubs -107; over/under is 8 1/2 runs

Here's a preview of Joe Espada's Game 1 lineup.

The first thing that stands out is rookie Cam Smith is hitting cleanup, followed by Jake Meyers. Victor Caratini is the DH and is hitting sixth. Christian Walker is all the way down at seventh, followed by Yainer Diaz, and Taylor Trammell who is playing left field.

How the mighty have fallen.

Pretty wild to see Walker and Diaz hitting this low in the lineup. However, it's justified, based on performance. Walker is hitting a pathetic .214 and Diaz is slightly better sporting a .238 batting average.

Screenshot via: MLB.com



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