The Braves blew the game open against Hader on Monday night. Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images.
When the Astros signed Josh Hader to anchor the back of the bullpen with Ryan Pressly and Bryan Abreu, we thought the club might have the best 'pen in MLB.
But at this early stage in the season, nobody is confusing these guys with Octavio Dotel, Brad Lidge, and Billy Wager.
Heading into the ninth inning on Monday night, the Astros handed the ball to Hader trailing the Braves 2-1. Instead of keeping the game close and giving the Astros' offense one more chance, the Braves teed off on the closer putting the game out of reach and ultimately winning 6-1.
Hader has one save on the season with an ERA over nine. Which has us wondering, do the Astros have a Hader problem?
Don't miss the video above as ESPN Houston's John Granato and Lance Zierlein weigh in!
How Astros look to jumpstart squad with these much-needed returns, roster moves
Apr 29, 2024, 7:33 pm
Coming off a much-needed two-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies, the Astros have some tough teams on their schedule as they try to climb back in the race in the AL West.
Houston's pitching appears to be back on track, with Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander looking good since returning from injury. And Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy should return soon to give the club another boost. Which does raise some questions about who will remain in the rotation when the staff is fully healthy.
Sweet relief
The Astros bullpen finally lived up to expectations on Sunday, so hopefully that's a sign of things to come for the rest of the season.
End of the line?
Jose Abreu continues to struggle at the plate, so the Astros decided to promote Joey Loperfido to the big league club. We could see his debut as soon as Tuesday night when the Astros host the Guardians.
Be sure to watch the video above as we react to the big wins in Mexico City, look ahead to the Astros next two opponents, and much more!
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 YouTube: stone cold stros - YouTube with the complete audio available via Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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