HE'S HAD ENOUGH
Here's why Astros tension with Dusty Baker is about to reach a boiling point
Jul 31, 2023, 6:44 pm
Here’s why Astros tension with Dusty Baker is about to reach a boiling point
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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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.