It may only be spring training, but the Astros are pleased they have won most of their games.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Two weeks from Tuesday, the Astros will play their final spring training game in Florida.
It isn’t time to get serious yet, but as time winds down, the intensity will start to pick up.
Of course the results don’t truly matter, but the Astros’ 13-5-2 mark in spring training isn’t due to luck or some hot streak that can’t be duplicated.
They’re simply that good. And that deep.
Their hitters haven’t gone off, but their starting pitchers have thrown like aces, and their reserves have entered games and continued to play solid baseball.
Tuesday’s 6-1 win over the Mets at First Data Field was an impressive wash-rinserepeat performance for a team that showed no sluggishness, despite having spent all day Monday traveling to the White House on a day off sandwiched between hour-long road trips from West Palm Beach to here.
Few will remember these results when the games start to count, but day-to-day, winning now doesn’t hurt, and the Astros have the best record in the Grapefruit League
“It’s a good culture, (winning) obviously creates a positivity, and guys are playing well,” manager A.J. Hinch said.
After Gerrit Cole’s start Tuesday — he allowed one run in four innings — Astros starting pitchers have a combined 1.50 ERA (nine earned runs in 54 innings) in 20 starts this spring.
Cole impresses with his thought process
Tim Federowicz, who caught Gerrit Cole’s spring debut with the Astros, was at catcher again Tuesday for his fourth outing.
Cole, who threw 62⁄3 innings in his previous two starts of the spring with Brian McCann behind the plate, gave up one earned run on four hits, with seven strikeouts and two walks, in four innings of work.
Both walks came on 3-2 pitches, but Cole felt his stuff was good enough that he should have challenged hitters earlier in the count.
That’s what spring training is for.
Despite the heat he throws, Cole is a thinking man’s pitcher.
“It’s the little details that matter,” Cole said. “(Winning and losing) boils down to one or two pitches a game, so ev- erybody has to be on the same page.”
Manager A.J. Hinch said he has been impressed with Cole’s attention to detail, and he described Cole as “thirsty” for information.
“Most of the time, when a guy has power, we don’t talk about his cerebral part of his game, but he’s impressive both physically and mentally,” Hinch said. “He’ a very meticulous guy on the mound.
“He’s not just a power guy that throws 95-98 or 99 (miles per hour) and gets through it. He throws every pitch with a purpose.”
With two starts remaining in the spring, Cole has allowed two earned runs in 122⁄3 innings.
Davis continues to make his case
J.D. Davis, who started in Class AA last season, was promoted from Corpus to Class AAA Fresno in mid-July and after just 15 games was bumped onto the major league roster, continues to impress this spring.
He went 2-for-3 Tuesday to improve his spring average to a team-best .394 average and a 1.111 OPS, with 13 hits in 13 games. Oh, and his two hits came off Noah Syndergaard, who was dealing 99 miles-perhour sinking fastballs.
“I’m just trying to get comfortable trying to go out there and compete and have a good at-bat every time,” Davis said.
The 24-year-old is competing with A.J. Reed and Tyler White for early-season playing time that is available because hand surgery has sidelined first baseman Yuli Gurriel.
“He’s playing as much as anybody on our team,” A.J. Hinch said. “You come into camp and you can draw a team out on paper … now there’s a little competition in a couple different spots that I think will be interesting until the end.”
Odds and ends
Justin Verlander pitches Wednesday in a home game against the Cardinals. Dallas Keuchel takes the mound at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches on Thursday, though the Astros will be designated as the visitors against their stadium roommates, the Nationals. …
The Astros Foundation continues its volunteer effort with the 4B Disaster Response Network and Eight Days of Hope, working on Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts throughout the Houston area through March 24. This includes funding meals for volunteers, providing uniforms and equipment to the Dickinson Little League and volunteering to refurbish the Dickinson Little League field and complexes. The Astros Foundation encourages anyone who would like to join the Astros Foundation Volunteer Corps to visit astros.com/volunteer for information.