J.J. Watt and Kealia Ohai Watt along with a few Astros step up in time of need for Houston
Houston's athletes donate to help in time of need
Mar 16, 2020, 4:35 am
J.J. Watt and Kealia Ohai Watt along with a few Astros step up in time of need for Houston
With school and work shutting down for thousands of Houstonians the Houston Food Bank received some financial help from some of Houston's biggest stars. The Food Bank will assist students who depend on free lunches, among others during the COVID-19 pandemic.
#Astros All-Star OF George Springer donating $100K to the employees at Minute Maid Park who are impacted by the cancellation of events: “These are the people that help take care of my family when I go to work. Now I want to help take care of them when they’re in a time of need.”
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) March 14, 2020
An incredible gesture by George Springer in the same vein as Kevin Love of the Cavaliers and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks in the NBA.
With our help, @HoustonFoodBank is assembling quarantine food kits so our students and their families don’t need to worry about their next 28 meals. Please join me in helping our community, every little bit counts! https://t.co/fr7eCRGvNP https://t.co/XpOxyeu9XU
— Alex Bregman (@ABREG_1) March 14, 2020
Alex Bregman took care of a tremendous amount of meals. As schools close down students who depend on free breakfast and lunches lose the ease of access to their meals.
I will be following @ABREG_1 lead & donating 10 k meals to the @HoustonFoodBank to help these families in need during this time!!! Houston will always come together in times of need. Please join us! @karaleighhh @LMcCullersJrFdn 🤘 https://t.co/19zvT2ObMj https://t.co/AjILtPK1Ea
— Lance McCullers Jr. (@LMcCullers43) March 15, 2020
Following the lead of his teammate Alex Bregman, Astros pitcher Lance McCullers also helped out on the food front.
Sports stars @JJWatt and @KealiaOhai made a generous donation to the Houston Food Bank so we can continue to serve our community during this time of great need. Thank you both for helping us remain a safety net for southeast Texas! https://t.co/bcQO25dVSv
— Houston Food Bank (@HoustonFoodBank) March 15, 2020
J.J. Watt and his family are no stranger to charity. Watt of course raised $37 million for Hurricane Harvey relief. He paid for the funerals of students and teachers who were slain in a school shooting.
Now Watt and his wife Kealia Ohai Watt have stepped up with a very generous donation. The Houston Food Bank explains every one dollar provides three meals. So, in theory, the donation provides over one million meals.
#Rockets CEO @tadbbrown: “We’re putting together a plan to take care of our part-time employees during their time of need.” https://t.co/OsHtlH506R
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) March 13, 2020
Many NBA teams, in the midst of their season, have started to do the same.
If you'd like to donate to the Houston Food Bank you can at this link
The Houston Astros return to Daikin Park on Friday night looking to end a three-game home losing streak as they open a three-game set against the Los Angeles Angels.
Ronel Blanco takes the mound for Houston, aiming to bounce back after a rough start to his season. The right-hander is 0-1 with a 9.45 ERA and a 2.10 WHIP through his first two outings. He’ll be opposed by Angels rookie Jack Kochanowicz, who has impressed early with a 3.27 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and eight strikeouts.
The Astros enter the night at 5-7, sitting third in the AL West and still searching for offensive consistency. Despite the team’s slow start, Jose Altuve has been a bright spot, hitting .333 with three homers in his last 10 games. Yordan Alvarez, though still looking for his power stroke to fully emerge, has contributed eight RBI.
Houston will need a stronger showing at the plate to keep pace with a hot Angels squad that has won seven of its last 10. Los Angeles ranks fourth in MLB in slugging (Houston is dead last) and is led by Kyren Paris and Logan O’Hoppe, who have combined for 10 home runs over the last 10 games. The Angels have gone 6-3 on the road and are currently second in the AL West.
This is the first meeting of the season between the division rivals. The Astros are 2-1 this year when scoring five or more runs but have struggled in lower-scoring games. Meanwhile, the Angels have outscored their opponents by 15 runs over their last 10 contests.
Here's a look at the Astros lineup for Game 1:
Screenshot via: MLB.com
Shaking things up
Brendan Rodgers is hitless in his last eight at-bats, so Joe Espada is hoping Mauricio Dubon can give the offense a spark as he's hitting ninth and playing second base.
First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. EDT.
The Astros projected starters for the series:
Friday-Blanco
Saturday-Ryan Gusto
Sunday-Hayden Wesneski
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