San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Correa, Baker on opposite ends of universal DH debate
ATLANTA — Carlos Correa embraces the inevitable. His manager is less enthused.
Before playing another National League-style World Series game on Saturday, Correa advocated for a designated hitter in both leagues to “keep moving the game forward.”
“People come to the ballpark to see a great game, but also they love to see home runs,” Correa said. “Pitchers are not hitting many of them. So I think the DH should be universal.”
Dusty Baker, who managed four National League teams before the Astros hired him last year, said he is in favor of sticking to the status quo, reiterating a viewpoint he's shared on numerous occasions. Baker worried that a universal designated hitter will harm the growth of the game among young players “that just want to DH at 12 or 13 or 14.”
“There's more to the game than just hitting if you're going to be a ballplayer,” Baker said.
The sport's collective bargaining agreement is scheduled to expire Dec. 1. Many in and around the game expect a universal designated hitter to be part of the negotiations for a new one. The expectation is it will be implemented.
Baseball used the universal designated hitter during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season but returned to its traditional configuration this year. Astros pitchers entered Saturday's game 1-for-20 with nine strikeouts during
their 20 regular-season interleague games.
“It's just a different game when you come to the National League,” Correa said. “I don't want to say (it's a) free out, because some of the pitchers can actually hit. But (if ) you just walk the (eight-hole hitter), you're in trouble, and then you face a pitcher and get out of the inning.”
Correa's Astros took advantage of that exact scenario during Game 3, when starter Luis Garcia surrendered a two-out double to Travis d'Arnaud in the second inning. Garcia intentionally walked eight-hole hitter Dansby Swanson and forced opposing starter Ian Anderson to hit. Garcia struck him out on four pitches
to finish the inning.
“To me, that's not real baseball,” Correa said. “I want to see real hitters out there who will make it a little tougher for the pitchers also.”
In other Astros news, the team removed catcher Jason Castro from their World Series roster on Saturday due to COVID-19 protocols.
Garrett Stubbs has been added to the roster in Castro's place.
Greinke joins Ruth in eight-hole of lineup
Zack Greinke batted eighth for the Astros against the Braves in Game 4, the first pitcher not to bat ninth in the World Series since Babe Ruth of Boston Red Sox hit sixth in Game 4 in 1918.
“That's something that we've done for a while in the National League,” Baker said. “I actually got it from Tony La Russa, and it makes sense. He handles the bat. Also, we can get one guy on each inning and he goes at least two innings and his spot will come up, so I don't have to burn a pinch hitter.”
Greinke, a 38-year-old righthander, has a .225 career average with nine homers and 34 RBIs in 521 at-bats.
Catcher Martín Maldonado, 1 for 8 in the Series and 3 for 37 (.081) in the postseason, hit ninth for Houston.
Ruth in that 1918 game was the only previous pitcher not to bat ninth. Then 23, he went 1 for 2 with a two-run triple and a sacrifice, and he got his second win of the Series by allowing two runs over eight innings against the Chicago Cubs.
Braves’ Lee makes history with start
Dylan Lee, a 27-year-old Braves lefty who made his major league debut on the final weekend of the regular season, became the first pitcher to make his first major league start in the World Series.
His two major league regular season appearances are the fewest for a Series starting pitcher, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The previous low was six by Philadelphia's Marty Bystom, who allowed three runs over five innings in a no-decision against Kansas City in Game 5 of 1980, a 4-3 Phillies win; and the Mets' Steven Matz, who gave up two runs over five innings against the Royals in Game 4 of 2015, a 5-3 Kansas City win.
The start will be the first in more four years for Lee, since
July 23, 2017, when he pitched five innings for Class A Greensboro against Asheville in a no-decision.
Ahead 2-1 in the Series, the Braves were short on starting pitchers even before Charlie Morton broke a leg in Tuesday's Game 1. Atlanta is planning to string together relievers in Games 4 and 5 and has Max Fried and
Ian Anderson available for possible Games 6 and 7.
Lee, a 10th-round pick by Miami in the 2016 amateur draft from Fresno State, was 5-1 with a 1.54 ERA in 34 relief appearances this year for Triple-A Gwinnett. He made his big league debut on Oct. 1 against he New York Mets, allowing one hit in a scoreless eighth inning with the Braves trailing by two runs.
The rookie has pitched twice in the postseason. Lee relieved with Atlanta trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 after five innings of NL Championship Series Game 5, and allowed one run in two innings, a solo homer by Chris Taylor.
Lee relieved with two on and no outs in the sixth inning of World Series Game 2 on Wednesday and threw 13 pitches to five batters. One inherited runner scored on Yuli Gurriel's grounder.