Red Sox pitcher defends Houston Astros after Carlos Beltran's recent comments
ASTROS NEWS
04 April 2022
Chris Sale defends Astros. Photo by Getty Images.
Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale joined WEEI's The Greg Hill Show on Monday and was asked about Carlos Beltran's recent comments about the Astos World Series title being tainted in 2017 due to sign-stealing. Sale had a different reaction to Beltran's comments than I believe many were expecting.
“I don’t know, man. Here’s the thing, and I’m going to give you my honest opinion. If the Astros were the only team doing it, then yeah, give it back. Take it back. I know for a fact they weren’t,” Sale said. He also went on to caution people about pointing fingers at teams for cheating. "Make sure that you and your team weren’t doing something..."
And let's be real, Carlos Beltran just took a job working essentially for the Yankees. If he wants to keep that job, he's going to have to toe the company line. And while I'm reading between the lines here, I think Sales' quote about "pointing fingers" is directly pointed at the Yankees. Plus, we know the Red Sox have been punished twice by MLB for using technology to steal signs, so obviously the Astros weren't the only team doing it. And MLB concluded that the Yankees improperly used a dugout phone in 2017.
At this point, we're talking about stuff that happened 5 years ago, and Sale said as much. He feels it's time to move on, and there's nothing we can do now to fix what happened in 2017.
Editor's note: Chris Sale discusses the Astros and Yankees around the 10-minute mark in the video above.
How Astros surging ace raises key questions about Houston's short, long-term rotation moves
Jul 25, 2024, 5:39 pm
It's no secret to Astros fans that the ascension of Hunter Brown is one of the primary reasons the team was able to rebound from a disastrous start to the season.
Astros manager Joe Espada has seen enough from Brown to start throwing around the word “ace” when talking about him.
Joe Espada on Hunter Brown: "He's having that ace feeling to him. We are expecting him to go out there and deliver what he just did. We knew all along that is in him and now he's starting to turn the corner. He's starting to have that swag where he knows 'my team needs a win.'"
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 24, 2024
And it appears the biggest key to Brown's turnaround was mixing in a two-seam fastball to keep right-handed hitters honest. Brown needed a pitch that could command the inside of the plate, which allows his other pitches to be more effective.
We learned just recently, from Chandler Rome of The Athletic, that Alex Bregman was the one that suggested the addition of the two-seam fastball to Brown's arsenal.
Come to find out, Bregman often shares advice on how to attack hitters. Or he'll ask pitchers why they chose a certain pitch in a specific situation.
This just goes to show that veteran leadership can make a big difference. Especially on a team with so many young pitchers and catchers. Bregman was able to help Brown when no pitching coach could.
For Brown, this small tweak could be the catalyst that changes the course of his career. And the Astros season for that matter.
However, some will say the difference in Brown is more about confidence than anything else. But confidence only builds after repeated success. Nobody knows where Brown would be without the two-seam fastball.
Looking ahead
If the Astros do make the playoffs, where will Espada slot Brown in the playoff rotation? Framber Valdez has the playoff experience, so he'll probably be penciled in as the number one starter.
Justin Verlander (neck) still isn't facing live batters, so it's hard to count on him. Ronel Blanco has been an All-Star level pitcher this season, but he doesn't have any experience pitching playoff games for the Astros.
So it wouldn't be surprising at all if Brown is the team's number two starter. In all likelihood, whoever is pitching the best at the end of the season may get the nod. But it's fun to discuss in the meantime.
Finally, how does Hunter Brown's arrival impact the Astros' plans at the trade deadline? And how could that affect Justin Verlander's future with the club?
Be sure to check out the video above for the full conversation!
Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
