NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN

Manager Joe Espada keeps his word on adjustments to Astros lineup

Astros Yainer Diaz, Joe Espada, Yordan Alvarez
Opening Day is upon us! Composite Getty Image.

The long wait is finally over. The Astros are back in action on Opening Day against Nestor Cortes and the New York Yankees.

Not only do we have an official roster released by the Astros, but we also know how manager Joe Espada is going to put his stamp on the batting order.

First, let's look at the roster below.

Grae Kessinger made the club after dealing with a hamstring injury that had his availability in question. He gets the nod over Corey Julks who is heading back to Sugar Land.

Tayler Scott and Parker Mushinski will join the Astros bullpen, and Bennett Sousa is now on the IL with shoulder inflammation. Kessinger, Scott, and Mushinski were the only true wildcards to make the club, as there weren't any real surprises otherwise.

Astros lineup versus the Yankees

Manager Joe Espada recently said he planned on hitting Yordan Alvarez second and was considering batting Kyle Tucker in the three spot. And that's exactly what he did today against the lefty, Cortes. We were wondering if Espada would change his batting order against left-handed pitchers, but he told the media today that would not be the case.

The other big question mark was whether Jake Meyers or Jeremy Pena would bat ninth. Today, Meyers is slotted to hit last.

Here's the batting order with Framber Valdez pitching for Houston.

Getting Alvarez and Tucker more at-bats sounds like a recipe for success to us. And if we're being honest, this is an improvement from last year's lineup on paper. Now the guys have to go prove it on the field.

Let's go beat those Yanks, and go Astros!

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Rockets beat the Grizzlies, 119-115. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.

Alperen Sengun had 32 points and 14 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets held on to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 119-115 on Thursday night in a showdown between two of the top teams in the Western Conference.

Jalen Green finished with 27 points and Fred VanVleet scored 22 as the Rockets won their third straight and solidified their hold on second place in the Western Conference, moving 1 1/2 games ahead of Memphis.

Ja Morant scored 27 points in his return from a five-game absence with a shoulder injury, and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 21 points, eight rebounds and six blocks for Memphis. Desmond Bane had 16 points.

Houston dominated the inside early, scoring 20 points in the paint before the halfway point of the first quarter. Memphis initially couldn't stop anything at the rim. Houston opened a 17-point lead before taking a 68-63 advantage at the break.

Takeaways

Rockets: Houston is 12-5 on the road, including six straight wins away from home.

Grizzlies: After allowing the Rockets to score inside and build a big lead, Memphis chipped into the advantage to make it a more competitive game.

Key moment

With 3.8 seconds left in the game and Houston leading 117-114, Bane fired up a 3-pointer that rattled in. But Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins called timeout before the shot was made. Bane was fouled on the ensuing inbounds, and Memphis wouldn't get another chance for a winning shot.

Key stat

Houston is 19-3 when they score at least 110. Houston hasn't allowed more than 115 points in past 15 games.

Up next

The Rockets are at Atlanta on Saturday. Memphis travels to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves on Saturday.

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