Astros break out bats against Twins
Bregman turning Crawford Boxes into his new home (run) with sweep-capping shot
Part of developing into the Astros’ best hitter this season meant Alex Bregman had to figure out how to use the home field to his advantage.
He is a 6-foot, 180-plus-pound tank, but through two seasons, Bregman had appeared to be not strong or skilled enough to pull high or outside pitches for extrabase hits. More often, he rolled over those pitches or whiffed at them. When he drove them the other way, a fielding shift typically choked the right-center gap.
Now Bregman, with a scrupulous sense of the strike zone, chases less and waits to strike. He no longer aims for the gaps. He wants to clear them.
Bregman is pulling home runs at Minute Maid Park and holding a one-handed finish to standing ovations.
With his 29th home run catapulting the Astros to a 9-1 win and series sweep of the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night, Bregman has launched 13 balls into the
Crawford Boxes this season. He hit seven in 2016--17 combined.
He also uncorked a bases-clearing double for a single-game career-high five RBIs. He extended an on-base streak to 33 games, which is the longest active streak in the majors. He is batting .298 with a .956 OPS and 96 RBIs.
“We’re seeing it with Alex right in front of our eyes,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “He’s becoming an elite player. Guys aren’t perfectly done developing when they get to the big leagues. He’s a perfect example.”
Twins starter Jake Odorizzi entered the game 3-0 with a 0.72 ERA in four career starts against the Astros. He left it after 52⁄3 innings shaking his head.
After Bregman’s two-run shot in the third inning, Evan Gattis added another in the fourth.
Gattis turned so quickly and violently on a fastball for his 25th home run that the ball rocketed 107 mph and 430 feet until it ricocheted off the concrete façade beneath the train tracks.
Yuli Gurriel’s two-out RBI single in the fifth chased Odorizzi.
An inning later, Jose Altuve broke an 0-for-19 skid with an RBI double that scored George Springer .
Bregman then excited the crowd with a deep foul ball that had the distance to be a homer. He squared up the next pitch, but lined it out to left field.
He avenged the 329-foot shortcoming in his next at-bat. With the bases loaded in the eighth, Bregman hit a ball to the same area in left field, but it soared 336 feet this time. Bregman arrived at second with a double.
In nine games batting third in the lineup, Bregman has a .387 average, a 1.435 OPS and 10 RBIs.
Framber Valdez (3-1, 1.37 ERA) continued his impressive understudy performance in the rotation while Lance McCullers Jr. recovers from elbow discomfort.
The lefthanded rookie allowed one earned run in 51⁄3 innings. Half of his outs came on the ground and five from strikeouts.
Valdez worked around three singles and three walks until the fifth inning. He left a fastball up, which Willans Astudillo obliterated a home run.
Valdez would not get to clean up his mess in the sixth. He exited after giving up two singles.
“I tell you what, man, he had a lot of movement with his fastball and a really good breaking ball,” said Twins first baseman Tyler Austin, who struck out twice on Valdez curveballs. “When you’ve got movement like that, it makes it tough to square up.”
Austin came to bat in the sixth, and Hinch called on Will Harris. The righthander continued the strategy. Harris struck out Austin with a curve in the dirt, and then induced a dribbler that he fielded to end the jam.
After Tony Sipp allowed a oneout single in the ninth, righthander Dean Deetz made his major league debut. Deetz got a fly out and strikeout to ignite fireworks above the train tracks.
The Astros have won five consecutive games and 12 of their last 15. On Friday, they begin a threegame series at Boston, home of baseball’s winningest team this year.
During the Astros 10-game homestand, Bregman hit .486 (18 for 37) with seven doubles, five homers and 17 RBIs.
“It’s a shame we have a day off tomorrow for him,” Hinch said. “He’s enjoying being in the batter’s box.”