Astros' Josh Hader sets record straight on pitching restrictions, closer role

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Astros Josh Hader, Ryan Pressly
Hader goes on the record about pitching restrictions. Composite Getty Image.

After the Houston Astros signed Josh Hader to a 5-year $95 million contract, several questions started surfacing about how he will be used on his new club.

He and Ryan Pressly have said all the right things regarding who will pitch the 9th inning. It seems both players just want to win and appear okay with however manager Joe Espada plans to deploy them.

Hader shed even more light on his usage when he joined MLB Network this week. When asked about his pitching restrictions, Hader said the arbitration system is why he chose to “protect” himself and only pitch one inning per outing.

The arbitration system told me the traditional role of a closer is where the value is [with] relievers… I was told to my face what you’re doing is not worth it. So at the end of the day I had to protect myself, because if I don’t, the team isn’t going to protect me for the long term.”

Hader also went on to say the “playoffs are a different beast,” so workload wasn't something he was concerned about in the postseason, “it's all hands on deck.”

Now that we got that out of the way, be sure to watch the video above as Hader talks in-depth about joining the Houston Astros and the one thing missing from his resume, a World Series title.

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Jalen Green helped the Rockets even the series! Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Jalen Green made eight 3-pointers and scored 38 points to lead the Houston Rockets to a 109-94 win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night in a testy matchup to even the first-round Western Conference series at one game apiece.

The seventh-seeded Warriors never led and played short-handed for most of the night after Jimmy Butler left with a pelvis contusion after a hard fall on a foul late in the first quarter.

Green, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft, rebounded from a flop in his playoff debut, when he scored just seven points on 3-of-15 shooting, with a dominant Game 2.

His eight 3-pointers were two more than the No. 2-seeded Rockets made on 6-of-29 shooting in a 95-85 Game 1 loss.

Alperen Sengun had 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Rockets. Tari Eason had 14 points off the bench.

Game 2 is Saturday night at Golden State.

Stephen Curry had 20 points and nine assists for the Warriors and become the 11th player in NBA history to reach 4,000 career playoff points with 4,017.

Houston led by 20 with about 10 minutes left before the Warriors used a 9-0 run, with two 3s from Quinten Post, run to get within 11. Jalen Green was called for a flagrant foul on Draymond Green at the end of that run after he flailed an arm into his face.

The Rockets then used an 8-0 spurt, highlighted by a step-back 3 from Green, to extend the lead to 99-80 with 5 ½ minutes remaining. Draymond Green received a technical foul in that stretch for arguing with officials and Eason received one for throwing a towel in an “unsportsmanlike manner.”

The loss of Butler, acquired from Miami in a February trade, was a huge blow to the Warriors after he had 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the series opener. On top of Butler’s injury, the Warriors were also hampered by Brandin Podziemski’s stomach ailment.

He missed most of the first half dealing with the problem and was scoreless in 14 minutes after scoring 14 points in Game 1.

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