Here's why Astros tension with Dusty Baker is about to reach a boiling point
HE'S HAD ENOUGH
31 July 2023
With about two months left in the regular season, the Astros still trail the Rangers in the AL West. The Rangers are adding as many pieces as they can before the trade deadline to make a hard push to win the division.
The Astros are still in a good place, and perhaps they can just make a few tweaks to the existing team that could give them a boost moving forward. One of those tweaks has to be using Yainer Diaz more often, and playing Martin Maldonado less. Which is something manager Dusty Baker seems unwilling to do.
When questioned about his head-scratching decisions, Baker is starting to get chippy with the media. And just the other day, Baker took issue with a question when asked if the team would carry three catchers, which would allow Dusty to start both Diaz and Maldonado together.
Asked if the Astros have considered going back to carrying three catchers to give him some flexibility to play Yainer Diaz and Martín Maldonado together, Dusty Baker said "Yainer has trouble with lefties. Everybody trying to help me manage, I don't really need it, thank you."
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 30, 2023
Astros fans have certainly gotten used to the strange lineup decisions, but his comments about Maldonado being a similar hitter to Diaz outside of batting average, is just factually incorrect.
Via: The Athletic:
“Him and (Maldonado) have about the same amount of at-bats… Other than batting average, they've done pretty close as far as production is concerned…”
Yainer Diaz is currently slugging .507 with Maldy at .302. How about OPS? Diaz is sitting at .789 with Maldonado at .541.
Not to mention Diaz is the better defensive catcher at this late stage of Maldy's career. And to put the cherry on top, the Astros team ERA is lower with Diaz catching.
So what exactly has to take place to get Yainer in the lineup on a more regular basis?
Be sure to watch the video above as we lay it all out.
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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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