Marisnick yet to make most of his recent playing time
The last-place Astros play seven more games before Carlos Gomez is eligible to return from the disabled list, affording Jake Marisnick several more opportunities to take hold of center field.
Nonexistent offense from the Astros’ center fielders has helped make for a top-heavy lineup. Although the oft-maligned Gomez is the main culprit, the light-hitting Marisnick hasn’t performed any better from the batter’s box.
Marisnick has mustered only five hits in 43 at-bats entering Tuesday’s series opener against the Orioles at Minute Maid Park. Among American League players with 45 plate appearances, none has fewer hits than the Astros’ 25-year-old outfielder.
Striking out at a 35.6 percent clip, Marisnick hasn’t been able to nail down his timing. The Astros would love to get him on a roll, but thus far he hasn’t taken advantage of the recent increase in playing time.
“The biggest thing is just missing pitches,” he said. “A lot of times, I’m getting myself into a good count and just missing a good pitch to hit.”
Marisnick has driven in only one run, and even his two extra-base hits, both doubles, were the result of some good fortune. A flare to shallow right field on May 14 bounced off the glove of Red Sox first baseman Hanley Ramirez, and Sunday’s two-bagger was awkwardly misplayed in center field by the Rangers’ Ian Desmond ,a converted shortstop.
“You go through stretches like this all the time,” Marisnick said. “If it’s in the middle of the season, it’s not as big a deal. When you start out of the year like this, it’s a little more frustrating.”
Astros manager A.J. Hinch faces decisions regarding playing time once Gomez returns, as early as May 31. Before the team shelved the two-time All-Star with a bruised left rib cage, Gomez’s dismal .486 OPS made him one of the worst everyday players in baseball. Hinch’s frustrations with Gomez’s play appeared to mount after he let a fly ball drop on May 15, costing the Astros their final game in Boston.
The Astros could live with a replication of the .236 batting average Marisnick produced last season because of his defense. When in the lineup, he’s one of baseball’s best defensive center fielders, as he showed on back-to-back run-saving catches in the fourth inning of Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Rangers.
They can’t live with .116.
Giles’ velocity closing in on 100
High-leverage spots with a lead have been scarce, but regardless of the inning, Ken Giles has of late looked much more like the pitcher the Astros relinquished so much to get.
After a brutal April, the flamethrowing righthander has been dominant in May. His last seven appearances have been scoreless, and his ballyhooed fastball is on the verge of again cracking 100 mph.
“I’ve finally gotten things figured out,” Giles said. “Just staying within myself is the key thing right now. I’m not trying to do too much.”
Fixing a mechanical flaw keyed Giles’ turnaround. He had developed bad habits with his hand placement, an issue remedied via repetitions in side sessions. Hitters were able to see his fastball longer, and it showed in his 9.00 April ERA. Now the opposition is again struggling to catch up to his heater.
“It was mechanical 100 percent. Not confidence. I always knew I had the confidence,” he said. “You’ve got to be patient, because you’re going to fail before you succeed. I haven’t failed a lot, so I had to go through that phase. It’s not a great thing to go through, but everybody goes through it.”
It’s far from a coincidence the radar-gun readings have crept up as Giles has ironed out his mechanics. His velocity is actually ahead of this time last season, when he was in his first full major league campaign with the Phillies. He has eclipsed 99 mph five times this month, including on a season-high 99.71 mph heater to strike out the Rangers’ Ian Desmond on Saturday.
Giles didn’t hit 100 mph last year until June 23. “100 Mile Giles” could return any day now.
Moran has soft spot for Orioles
Two decades before Colin Moran settled into his locker at Minute Maid Park, his first experience in a major league clubhouse came in a postseason setting. The Baltimore Orioles had just claimed one of their back-to-back ALDS victories (1996 and ’97), and once the celebration had settled down, Moran’s uncle, B.J. Surhoff, brought him into the clubhouse.
“It was pretty cool,” Moran said.
Moran said that growing up in Westchester County, N.Y., he rooted for both the Yankees and Orioles because of Surhoff, the longtime major leaguer and brother of his mom, Diane. When the AL East foes played, Surhoff and the Orioles took precedence.
This week, Moran will get the chance to play against the favorite team of his childhood. He is expected to be in the lineup for Tuesday’s series opener against Chris Tillman and should see plenty of playing time throughout the three-game series, given Baltimore’s right-hander-laden rotation.
Moran comes into Tuesday still in search of his first big league hit. With the Astros facing a recent a run of lefthanders, he has garnered only two starts and eight at-bats since joining the team last Tuesday in Chicago.
“I think once he gets a few more at-bats, he’ll get his rhythm and catch his timing,” manager A.J. Hinch said.
Davis repeats as TL honoree
Astros third-base prospect J.D. Davis was named the Texas League’s Player of the Week for the second consecutive week. Davis, 23, posted a 1.330 OPS behind four home runs (three in one game) and four doubles in Class AA Corpus Christi’s seven games last week.
On the year, Davis is batting .268 with an .845 OPS over 154 plate appearances.