Hinch wanting to get more out of Fisher
Though he reiterated the Astros are “trying to stay patient” with struggling outfielder Derek Fisher, manager A.J. Hinch acknowledged there is a “sense of urgency” for Fisher to become more consistent offensively. Message received. Fisher obliterated a 95.8 mph, first-pitch fastball from Shohei Ohtani for his first home run of the season — a two-run shot to dead center field in the fifth inning of Tuesday’s 8-7 loss to the Angels. His 425-foot laster was the longest home run hit by an Astro at Minute Maid Park this season.
Eighteen of Fisher’s 19 previous at-bats ended without a hit.
Awarded a spot on the 25-man roster during the final week of spring training, Fisher entered Tuesday’s game against the Angels hitting just .128 with 19 strikeouts in 42 plate appearances.
The offensive shortcomings and lack of quality at-bats for Fisher and Jake Marisnick have cut into each player’s time, Hinch said last week. When Yuli Gurriel plays first base and Evan Gattis is at designated hitter, Marwin Gonzalez will get more time in left field than those two.
“We’re trying to stay patient with him and just let him continue to work on things to get back to contributing the way that he can,” Hinch said Monday. “He’s frustrated because of some of the tough at-bats, some of the swing and miss.”
Fisher provides excellent baserunning — he has scored the go-ahead run from second base as a pinch runner in two games already — and his defense in left field is serviceable. He stole a home run during Gerrit Cole’s outing against the Mariners on April 18.
In that game, though, he provided an 0-for-4 effort at the plate with two strikeouts, an increasingly familiar norm.
“He’s mixed in a couple games here and there, but there is a sense of urgency that we’d like to see him be a little more consistent at the plate,” Hinch said.
Fisher finished with two hits and a walk Tuesday but made a big out in the seventh inning, fanning with one down, the bases loaded and the Astros trailing 8-7. They would leave all three runners on base.
He then struck out with a man at first to end the one-run loss.
St. Pius product shines in debut
The Astros were aware of Justin Anderson’s arsenal: a fastball approaching 100 mph complemented by a power slider he relies on against righthanded hitters.
Anderson, a St. Pius X graduate who attended UTSA, made his major league debut Monday evening — against the hometown team he grew up idolizing.
“What you don't know,” manager A.J. Hinch said after the game, “(is) how he's going to control his emotions when he's in the game.”
The 25-year-old told reporters Monday afternoon he “just lost it” when he realized his first major league series would be against the Astros. That night, he preserved the Angels’ 2-0 lead with a scoreless eighth inning.
The Angels reliever ceded singles to George Springer and Jose Altuve on consecutive pitches before facing Carlos Correa as the go-ahead run with two outs.
Three of his next four pitches were sliders. Correa swung through the final one, ending the inning with a strikeout and prompting a wild roar from the group of family, friends and former teammates just above the Angels dugout.
“He did a great job of coming in and keeping his emotions in tact,” Hinch said. “Springer had a good swing against him, but he came up with some big outs."
Anderson made his second appearance on Tuesday night, entering in the seventh inning with the bases full and the Angels holding an 8-5 lead. He uncorked a wild pitch to make it 8-6, then allowed a walk to Alex Bregman and an RBI single to Marwin Gonzalez to make it 8-7. But Anderson preserved the Angels’ lead by striking out Derek Fisher and getting Springer to hit into a 5-4 force play.