Friedman has a batty history with Houston
HOUSTON — Houston can be hot and sticky during the summer, and kids who can get away tend to head to camp.
Not Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations. Friedman grew up in Houston, and he had a game plan every summer.
“I figured out how to finagle my way into the Astrodome and watch games,” he said.
His favorite game: Mike Scott pitched a no-hitter to clinch the National League West for the Astros in 1986. Friedman was 9. (Scott pitched 293 innings that year, including playoffs. Friedman’s future self would be apoplectic.)
Friedman did not collect Tshirts or autographs.
“I would come early and get broken bats,” he said. “They would break bats, and I would be lurking. I probably had 90 to 100 of them. I don’t know where they are.”
Friedman later played in the Astrodome, for his high school team. The Astros moved out of America’s original domed stadium and into Minute Maid Park, formerly known as Enron Field, in 2000.
Their landlord is the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority. The chairman of that authority: Friedman’s father, Ken.
Tune up
The Dodgers have a department of research and development, mining endless streams of data for any factor that might give the team even the slightest competitive edge. Has the R&D team determined that the volume or quality of music played during batting practice can influence the performance of hitters?
“Come on,” Friedman said. “That’s ridiculous.”
It wasn’t his idea, he said, to make the Astros twice take batting practice to the sounds of cheesy soft rock at Dodger Stadium. But turnabout is fair play, so the Astros provided no music when the Dodgers worked out here Thursday night.
“I heard they had a quiet workout with no music,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said, “which I did not set up, but I fully approve of.” He smiled.
Actually, the Dodgers provided their own music for the workout, with a portable sound system they attached to the batting cage.
Throwing blanks
Kenta Maeda pitched 22⁄3 more scoreless innings Friday, allowing the Dodgers to stay within striking distance of the Astros.
The converted starter has appeared in seven of the team’s 11 postseason games, and has nine shutout innings, giving up only two hits and a walk. He has nine strikeouts.
But after extending to 42 pitches, he is also likely to be unavailable Saturday in Game 4.
Late switch for Pederson and Hernandez
The Dodgers made a late change to their lineup, shifting Enrique Hernandez from designated hitter to left field. Joc Pederson moved from left to DH. Manager Dave Roberts indicated the team preferred Hernandez’s versatility in the field.
Hernandez was 0 for 1 with a walk before being replaced by Andre Ethier in the seventh inning. Pederson had a double in two atbats and scored the Dodgers’ first run after a walk.
Relishing the experience Alex Wood, the Dodgers’ Game 4 starter, has championship experience. Just not lately. He enrolled at Georgia the year after the Bulldogs went to the College World Series.
“In high school, won a state championship,” he said. “Lost my junior year. And after that, nothing notable.”
He is trying to make sure he takes it all in.
“The biggest thing for me is just trying to kind of let it all sink in and enjoy the moment,” said Wood, who lost his only postseason start this year. “It goes by so fast and you turn back and you’re like, ‘Wow, what happened?’ ”
Juiced ball?
After eight home runs were hit in Game 2, Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel offered an explanation.
“I think the balls are juiced, 100%,” Keuchel said.
Commissioner Rob Manfred dismissed any such conclusion on the basis of Game 2, or on any one game. Manfred repeated what he has said throughout a season in which a record number of home runs were hit: The balls have been tested repeatedly and fall within the specifications provided to manufacturers.