Houston Astros manager reveals polarizing lineup adjustment against Mariners
CHANGE CAN BE A GOOD THING
28 May 2024
Alex Bregman will hit 5th on Tuesday night against Seattle. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.
Coming off a tough loss on Monday night, the Astros will be making some adjustments to the batting order for Tuesday night's game in Seattle.
Houston manager Joe Espada made his weekly appearance on the Astros flagship station and said he plans on moving Alex Bregman down to fifth in the lineup.
The Astros against Luis Castillo: Altuve 4, Tucker 9, Alvarez 7, Peña 6, Bregman 5, Meyers 8, Singleton DH, Abreu 3, Diaz 2
Brown RHP
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) May 28, 2024
Bregman has three hits in his last 30 at-bats, with zero home runs and just 2 RBIs. The last time Bregman was dropped in the order (May 13) he hit sixth against the A's and responded with a huge two home run game.
The following day, he hit fifth and recorded another home run. After that, Bregman returned to the cleanup role, and has yet to hit another dinger.
Perhaps moving Bregman back down will get his bat going once again. Many questioned at the time why Espada would move Bregman back to fourth if he was producing in the five or six spot. Why mess with a good thing? But here we are, moving Bregman back down just two weeks later.
Hopefully, this could provide another spark that could help propel the Astros to a series win over Seattle.
On the bright side
Espada said in his interview today that Luis Garcia is ahead of schedule in his Tommy John rehab and could begin facing hitters soon. If that goes well, rehab starts could be right around the corner. This could be critical to the team's success if Jose Urquidy and Cristian Javier continue to miss time with forearm discomfort.
José Soriano and two relievers combined for a two-hitter and Oswald Peraza hit his first home run since a trade from the Yankees to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Soriano (10-9) allowed one hit and struck out eight in seven innings. Luis García allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth for his 25th save.
There were two outs in the fifth when Peraza connected off Hunter Brown (10-7) into the bullpen in right-center field to put the Angels up 1-0. His homer comes after his two-run single in the ninth inning Saturday helped Los Angeles to a 4-1 victory that snapped a three-game skid.
Yoan Moncada walked to start the eighth and scored on Mike Trout’s double that bounced off the wall in center field to make it 2-0. Taylor Ward walked before Luis Rengifo reached and Trout scored on an error by Lance McCullers Jr. when the pitcher overthrew first base.
Yordan Alvarez singled with no outs in the first and Soriano walked a batter in the second and sixth innings. The Astros didn’t get another hit until Ramón Urías doubled with one out in the eighth inning. Los Angeles outfielder Taylor Ward was injured trying to make a catch on that hit when he crashed face-first into the metal scoreboard in left field.
He was carted off the field holding a towel to the right side of his face. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance where interim manager Ray Montgomery said he would receive stitches to close the cut and be evaluated.
Brown allowed three hits and a run with five strikeouts in six innings. McCullers Jr. allowed three hits and two runs in his first relief appearance since 2018.
Key moment
The home run by Peraza.
Key stat
It’s the fifth time the Astros have been shut out this month.
Up next
LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) will start for Los Angeles in the series finale Monday against RHP Luis Garcia, who’ll make his return after sitting out since May 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.
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