Win wrested with relaxation for a change
Maldonado’s 3-run blast, Greinke’s work take care of business
Relaxation is not common for the Astros. The club claws for each win, wondering if their tamed offense has scored enough to supplement a brutal but young bullpen. Four-run leads do not seem safe. They struggle for any semblance of competent relief. Clutch hits are few and far between.
For one night, all that ails the Astros appeared healed. Martin Maldonado mashed a three-run home run in the sixth to offer separation. Two relievers teamed for 21⁄3 scoreless frames behind a sterling start from Zack Greinke in a 5-1, series-clinching win over the Giants on Wednesday.
Manager Dusty Baker tried to use three relievers, but a miscommunication between the dugout and bullpen proved that, for the 2020 Astros, nothing comes simply. The interpretation of knuckles was to blame — another chapter in this crazy start to a pandemic-shortened season.
After Baker brought in lefthander Brooks Raley during the seventh, struggling righthander Josh James began to throw in the bullpen. Baker intended to throw him in the eighth. He wrote James’ name on his scorecard and went over to congratulate Raley. The manager gave his reliever knuckles and told him “good job.”
“Next thing I know,” Baker said, “I look out there and he’s the first one on the field. I said ‘Oh, man, you’re done.’ ”
At the same time, so did James. He emerged from the bullpen and took the mound to start tossing warmup pitches. Raley raced back to the dugout but had already crossed the white line. Major league rules state a pitcher who crosses onto the field of play must face the first hitter of that inning.
“I assumed that (knuckles) meant ‘good job for the inning’ and go back out there,” Raley said. “Obviously that meant something else. I now know that knucks means ‘Have a seat.’ ”
James was sent back to the bullpen. Baker discussed the mistake with two umpires. Raley took the mound. He threw a few preparatory pitches. The middle of the Giants order was due. Rules dictated the former Texas
A&M standout only had to face one batter. Instead, he vanquished all three on 10 pitches. Nine were strikes.
Acquired just four days ago, Raley secured five outs, the most crucial of the game for a cratering bullpen. Greinke gave the Astros (8-10) six splendid innings. Bad luck befell him in the first on a bloop triple from Mike Yastrzemski. Alex Dickerson struck a runscoring single to afford the Astros a deficit after only five pitches.
Greinke allowed little else. He struck out seven across 61⁄3 frames of one-run ball. San Francisco (8-12) scattered seven hits. In his last three starts, Greinke’s yielded only three earned runs across 18 innings.
“I felt really good (in) all three,” Greinke said. “I think I pitched better against the Angels and Oakland (than) today. I don’t know if I didn’t pitch as good or if their team gave tougher at-bats, but I felt good and it was tougher for me today.”
Greinke (1-0) threw 94 pitches Wednesday — a new season-high — and pitched into the seventh inning for the first time. A leadoff single and walk prompted Baker to summon Raley. Yastrzemski — 3-for-3 off Greinke — loomed. Greinke joked on the mound that “this lefty better get him out.”
Raley struck him out with a wicked slider before inducing a weak popup from pinch-hitter Darin Ruf. The lead was protected — not an easy proposition for Houston’s bullpen.
“Our bullpen came in and did a great job,” Baker said. “Outstanding job.”
Without Jose Altuve or Michael Brantley, the Astros’ offense still offered a workmanlike effort. Quality plate appearances arrived throughout the order, but clutch hits still elude it. Houston drew six walks and struck nine hits. They stranded four baserunners in the first three innings, including two in scoring position. They entered the fifth with only one hit.
From the fifth through the sixth inning, Houston sent 14 hitters to the plate. Ten reached base. The stretch produced all five runs, though the Giants had a helping hand. Walks to George Springer and Josh Reddick allowed Alex Bregman to hit and punch a run-scoring single into shallow center field to tie the game in the fifth.
“Early in the game, we didn’t have that many hits,” Maldonado said. “… Just to put some at-bats together, that’s pretty much what this team does, passing the baton to the next guy.”
To start the sixth, the Astros struck three straight singles against reliever Caleb Baragar (2-1). He uncorked a wild pitch to score Carlos Correa, leaving Maldonado at the plate.
Maldonado mashed a 2-2, fourseam fastball into left field. It landed four rows into the Crawford Boxes among the assortment of cardboard cutouts. Teammates gave a hearty cheer at a sight for sore eyes. Energy and relief were detected in a tense dugout, one containing a team wearing the toll of their terrible start.
“Man, I didn’t sleep last night,” Baker said. “I’ve had a number of sleepless nights. Very few people slept last night. I told ‘Strommy’ (pitching coach Brent Strom) he looked like hell today. Those games kind of wear on you. That shows the character on this team, when you come back off a tough loss.”