Singleton shakes funk with HR, double
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Jon Singleton accounted for the Astros’ offense in a 7-3 loss to the Tigers on Wednesday afternoon at Osceola County Stadium.
Singleton, who arrived in camp as the favorite to win the first-base job in part because he’s in the third year of a five-year, $10 million contract, was 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. He hit a two-run double to the right-center gap in the sixth inning and a majestic solo home run to right field in the ninth.
“It’s nice to see him have a good day,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “He’s worked pretty hard, and he hasn’t had a day like this yet. Obviously, he has it in him. To see him have a day like today is a nice fresh start for him for the rest of camp.”
Singleton lifted his batting average from .104 to .152. He has two homers and six runs batted in, putting him in a tie with Jose Altuve, Marwin Gonzalez and Tyler White for second on the team in RBIs this spring.
Brad Peacock started on the mound for the Astros and gave up three runs, three hits and a walk with two strikeouts over three innings.
Peacock paid dearly for a pair of fastballs that stayed up. Mike Gerber hit a solo home run to right in the second, and after John Mayberry Jr. followed with a walk, Bryan Holaday crushed a two-run homer to left.
“I felt really good today,” said Peacock, who threw 32 of his 56 pitches for strikes. “Just a little rough patch in the second inning, but other than that, my fastball was good, and my chang up came a long way.”
2 more plunkings displease Hinch
One day after George Springer was hit by a pitch for the team-leading third time, Astros manager A.J. Hinch couldn’t hide his frustration Wednesday after the Tigers hit Carlos Gomez and Jason Castro with pitches.
Detroit righthander Jordan Zimmermann hit Gomez in the back and Castro in the leg in the second inning. The Astros have been hit by pitches seven times this spring.
The Astros lost Springer last season from July 2 to Sept. 4 with a right wrist fracture after he was plunked by the Royals.
“I can do without our guys being smoked,” Hinch said. “We’ll pay attention to that — let’s put it that way.”
Gregerson faces minor leaguers
Righthander Luke Gregerson, whowas behind the rest of the pitchers because of a left intercostal strain, made his spring training debut Wednesday with a scoreless inning against some of the Astros’ top prospects in a minor league intrasquad game.
“I knowit’s a minorleague game on a back field. It’s not 50,000 people in the stands,” he said. “But you still get that pump of adrenaline when you’re facing live hitters.
“I physically felt great. The side feels 100 percent; the shoulder feels good. I’ll keep going.”
Gregerson struck out shortstop Alex Bregman, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft, and outfielder Derek Fisher. He then issued a walk to Evan Gattis, who has not played in a Grapefruit League game because he’s still recovering from sports hernia surgery.
After a pinch runner went to first for Gattis, Gregerson induced a fly out to center from J.D. Davis to end the inning.
“I feel like a few pitches got away from me,” Gregerson said. “I still have plenty of time to tighten those things up.”
Hacker will be sentenced in June
Sentencing for Christopher Correa, the former Cardinals executive who pleaded guilty in January to gaining unauthorized access into the Astros’ player scouting database, is now scheduled for June 6.
Houston attorney David Adler, who represents Correa in the case, requested and was granted a delay in the scheduled April 18 sentencing because he is involved in another federal court trial and has been unable to participate in Correa’s presentence report interview.
U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes granted the request, which was not opposed by prosecu- tors. Hughes ordered that the presentence report be delivered to Correa by May 2.
Correa, 35, of St. Louis, is a former director of baseball development for the Cardinals. He pleaded guilty Jan. 8 to five counts of unauthorized access of a protected computer from 2013-14. Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Prosecutors have agreed that the sentences will be served concurrently. Correa also must pay $279,000 in restitution.
Odds and ends
Chris Devenski, the Astros’ 2015 Class AA pitcher of the year, was reassigned to minor league camp, but the 25-year-old righthander will rejoin the major league team to start against the Padres in an exhibition in Mexico City on March 27. … Righty Doug Fister returned to camp feeling much better than he did when he was sent home Tuesday with what he called “the flu or something.”