Lineup without holes gives rotation a nice backup plan
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Everything comes easy right now.
The first pops and cracks. The initial words filled with hope and renewal. The debut of the 2017 Astros in orange and blue, which unfurled on a sunny, windy Wednesday after two days of soft spring-training teasing.
But ever since A.J. Hinch replaced Bo Porter and the Astros became good again, little has come easy for this rebuilt, remade club.
Of course, there was the thrill of 2015, when real
baseball returned to Houston and Minute Maid Park shook with playoff life. But even that year, it took Dallas Keuchel saving his team’s season every home start and just enough random offensive power to survive. And even when the Astros were the best team in baseball for a couple months last year, key starting arms suddenly disappeared and the 2015 American League Cy Young winner never was himself.
Which is why Keuchel was thinking big picture and dreaming larger Wednesday morning, in between opening up about a shoulder that never felt right in 2016 and set up the Astros’ season-changing 17-28 start.
“We had a lot of 3-1, 4-2, 3-2 ballgames,” said Keuchel, before the first day of official workouts. “We pitched our (butt) off in ’15 and, deservedly so, we made a playoff spot. In ’16, we scored some runs, but we weren’t good at pitching. … Maybe we can get back to ’15 and have the same DNA we had and make a little run again.” ‘We have a good team’
They could be better than that.
That’s what Keuchel was thinking as he imagined a lineup that finally lacks holes on paper and could produce the most balanced club since Jeff Luhnow and Hinch paired up.
Proven veterans Carlos Beltran, Josh Reddick and Brian McCann even out a dangerous young core of Jose Altuve, George Springer, Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman. There’s also depth on the mound and bench, giving Hinch a multitude of names to overcome what his team struggled to endure last season.
It has taken Luhnow five-plus years to create this major league roster, which has undergone constant change just to get to this point. As spring begins and gloves start to smack, Hinch’s main job is now balancing all the weapons he has — not trying to gloss over obvious flaws.
“You’re going to hear me say, ‘We have a good team.’ And being a good team includes all of the things that you would expect: pitching, defense, hitters, depth,” Hinch said. “We certainly, on paper, in February, have an incredibly balanced team. So can we keep it intact? Can we push it in the right direction?”
For all the strikeouts, poor situational hitting and quick three-out innings, the Astros ultimately scored almost the same amount of runs in 2016 (724) as during their 2015 playoff year (729). Lance McCullers was off limits last opening day, though, while Keuchel posted a 4.41 ERA in April and 6.63 in May.
The Astros’ starting arms were just as undependable. They finished 15th out of 30 teams in ERA (4.37), while the two highest months set up an April dive (4.97) and September slide (4.85).
“There was different times last year where the different parts of the team showed up,” said McCullers, who was one of the best pitchers in the game last July (2.08 ERA) but barely touched the rubber August-October. “It’s the most important thing … to kind of be clicking all at the same time, especially toward the end when you’re trying to make that run.” Sounding optimistic notes
Hinch needs time before he names a new No. 1 starter. Keuchel and McCullers unpacked in West Palm Beach knowing that 2017 is already about proving themselves again. But underlining their push for more is the understanding that as long as these Astros are solid on the mound, their bats finally should be able to carry the team from Game 1 to 162.
A good, consistent Keuchel and a healthy McCullers in September might provide all the balance the Astros need.
“Being in this lineup is just something special to be a part of,” said Reddick, who arrived just as the Astros were wrapping up Wednesday. “You look at the guys that are starting things off, and I’m sitting here wondering where I’m going to hit. I’m excited no matter where it is. I could be hitting sixth and it’d be like hitting third.”
Keuchel acknowledged this is “by far” the best 1-9 lineup that has backed him since he debuted in 2012.
“Not even close,” Keuchel said. “(In) 2015, I’m still kind of in shock by how we even made the playoffs.”
McCullers drove home the need for balance in a season that never seems to end. Then the Astros’ potential ace sounded just like a 2015 Cy Young winner.
“Now, you can give up a couple runs and still get some wins,” McCullers said. “So there’s less pressure for me.”
Less pressure. More balance.