Fortuitous rainout results in split doubleheader today
MINNEAPOLIS — Rain washed away the Astros’ game in the third inning Wednesday night, erasing a 5-0 deficit to the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.
The teams will play a split, day-night doubleheader Thursday. The first game is scheduled to begin at 12:10 p.m., the second at 6:10 p.m.
Doug Fister will start the first game against Twins righthander Jose Berrios. Chris Devenski will come out of the bullpen to start the second game opposite lefthander Tommy Milone.
Lefthanded reliever Kevin Chapman will join the Astros from Class AAA Fresno for the second game as the 26th man that teams are allotted for the second game of doubleheaders.
Rain is in the forecast again Thursday.
Dallas Keuchel allowed five runs before play stalled, although two of them were unearned. Alex Bregman committed a two-base error to open the Twins’ four-run second. Carlos Correa botched a Miguel Sano ground ball that allowed a run to score and extended the inning. Brian Dozier tagged Keuchel for a leadoff homer in the first.
“We obviously are fortunate because of the way the game started,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “You never know how it’s going to end, but we’ll take the restart.”
Wednesday’s score wouldn’t have become official until the home half of the fifth inning.
“I’ve never been a part of something like this,” Keuchel said. “It’s almost like a practice against another team, almost like a spring training game (where) the stats don’t count.”
Reliever Gustave gets first call-up
By the time 4 p.m. rolled around on Wednesday, a new player already occupied one of the corner lockers in the visitors’ clubhouse at Target Field.
Carlos Gomez’s No. 30 Astros uniform that hung there Monday and Tuesday had been replaced by
Jandel Gustave’s No. 61. Gustave, a 23-yearold reliever, joined the Astros from Class AAA on Wednesday for his first stint in the major leagues. For however long he is with the team, the hardthrowing righthander will be used in middle relief.
Gustave, who hails from the Dominican Republic, was originally signed by the team as an international free agent in May 2010. He posted a 3.71 ERA in 51 innings of relief in Class AAA this season, often called upon to log two innings.
“The stuff is electric. There’s no question about it,” Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said. “He’s got swingand-miss stuff. He’s got a fastball-slider combination that should work up here. (Fresno manager Tony DeFrancesco) said he’s been pitching well recently, and I think he’s going to take advantage of this opportunity and show us what he’s got.”
Gustave might not be with the Astros all that long. The team will need active roster spots for Luke Gregerson (oblique strain) and Yulieski Gurriel (minor league tuneup) within the next week. Ken Giles’ wife is expecting the couple’s first child in the coming days, so he may go on paternity leave.
Gustave learned of his promotion Tuesday night. He is now one of nine rookies on the Astros’ increasingly young roster.
“I feel so excited,” he said.
Marisnick earns everyday shot
Jake Marisnick became the Astros’ everyday center fielder on Wednesday, but the elite defender must produce well enough offensively to hold on to it.
Marisnick entered Wednesday night’s rained-out game against the Minnesota Twins batting only .225. But he has hit .301 since the start of July. His .602 OPS, while an upgrade over the justjettisoned Carlos Gomez, does not typify that of a lineup fixture.
“I think he represents a lot of the upside of what can happen out in center field, but he’s got to continue to play well to keep that spot,” manager A.J. Hinch said.
“We’ve got options. (George) Springer could go over to center. (Tony) Kemp could go over to center. There’s some guys in the minor leagues that are making some pushes. Like anything, his performance is going to dictate his playing time.”
Marisnick batted seventh Wednesday, the highest he has been in the lineup in a start this season. The 25-year-old said he considered the 30-yearold Gomez a mentor.
“He helped me out a lot,” Marisnick said. “In the clubhouse, he would kind of take me aside and tell me how to go about things. He was a big part of just my growth as a player.”
Gregerson happy with pen session
Reliever Luke Gregerson did not feel any lingering problems of his oblique strain when throwing a bullpen session Wednesday and could be activated from the disabled list as early as Friday.
Astros manager A.J. Hinch said whether Gregerson is activated Friday or in the days that follow depended on how the pitcher felt into Thursday. The team could have the veteran righthander throw another bullpen session this weekend in Toronto before his activation.
Gregerson, who hasn’t pitched in a game since July 27, threw Wednesday in Target Field’s visitors’ bullpen with the righthanded Carlos Correa and lefthanded Tony Kemp alternating as stand-ins at the plate.
“It went well,” Gregerson said. “My side felt really good. (I was) a little erratic on pitches, but that’s to be expected after not getting on the mound in a few days. But other than that, everything felt pretty much right where it needs to be.”
The session was designed to be more aggressive than a typical bullpen session, a way of testing Gregerson’s oblique.
“I probably amped it up a little more than I normally would from a throwing standpoint. That’s probably why I was kind of all over the place,” he said. “But it was more just to test my side to make sure that if I’m going to let it go that it’s going to hold on and I’m not going to feel anything and we can move forward. That was the case, and I felt good.”