McCormick replaces Peña at leadoff spot
MINNEAPOLIS — Replacing Jose Altuve is an immense task. The Astros are still searching for an ideal way to move forward in his absence.
Sensing pressure building on his rookie shortstop after eight games, manager Dusty Baker moved Jeremy Peña out of the leadoff spot on Saturday morning and replaced him with Chas
McCormick.
Peña struck out four times in the team’s 3-2 loss on Friday afternoon, lowering his OPS to .571. He slashed .171/.256/.314 in 39 plate appearances atop the Astros’ order, a spot opened when Altuve fractured his right thumb during the World Baseball Classic last month. Peña hit sixth in Saturday’s batting order.
“I’ve been thinking about it some,” Baker said on Saturday before Houston’s game against the Twins. “… When you’re going good, you love (hitting) leadoff because you’re getting four, maybe five at-bats. Those at-bats add up quickly and the pressure is on you quickly.”
Baker initially picked Peña to lead off due to his elite speed and quickstrike power propensity. Peña managed just three extra-base hits in Houston’s first eight games and again appeared susceptible against sliders. All four of his strikeouts on Friday ended on sliders.
Perhaps of greater concern is Peña’s inability to hit four-seam fastballs. Entering Saturday’s game, Peña had a .100 batting average and just one hit — a home run — against the 55 four-seam fastballs he’d seen.
Baker said he spoke with both McCormick and Peña prior to Saturday’s game to ensure both were comfortable. McCormick and Peña each hit leadoff eight times last season, but according to Baker, McCormick hit there more in the minor leagues than Peña.
“McCormick said he’s batted leadoff quite a bit in the minors and Peña said he just did it in the lower minors,” Baker said. “(Peña) was my choice early because of the speed and what he brings to the table. He can probably run more down there with where he’s hitting. He’ll probably get whoever’s behind him some more fastballs, maybe he’ll get some more fastballs.”
Baker said third baseman Alex Bregman volunteered to move from the two-hole to hit leadoff, but the skipper put more value on McCormick’s speed in the leadoff spot. Kyle Tucker is an ideal candidate to hit leadoff, too, but Baker did not want to disrupt his torrid start by moving him from where he’s comfortable.
“We’ll try this,” Baker said. “That’s what the season is all about, trying to come up with the best combinations for the day and also for the player involved.”
McCormick scored a run and had one hit on Saturday. Peña homered in the ninth.
Abreu strikes out on clock violation
José Abreu authored an unusual piece of Astros history on Saturday — the first hitter to ever strike out on a pitch clock violation.
Facing an 0-2 count against Minnesota starter Joe Ryan to start the second inning, Abreu did not get set in the batter’s box or appear alert to the pitcher by the time the clock reached eight seconds. Home-plate umpire Brennan Miller immediately called him out. Abreu did not protest.
Major league rules require hitters to be “alert to the pitcher” before the eight-second mark of the clock — which runs for 15 seconds with no baserunners and 20 seconds with runners on. Abreu batted on Saturday with no one aboard.