Baker hasn’t finalized Game 6 lineup
HOUSTON — A restless night seemed quite possible for Astros manager Dusty Baker, who said Monday he hadn’t finalized his World Series lineup for Game 6 on Tuesday night.
Some alterations in the batting order paid handsomely in Game 5. Carlos Correa, moved up to No. 3 after a 2-for-14 start in the Series, went 3-for-5 with two RBIS. Yuli Gurriel, moved up to No. 5, had three hits as well and scored twice.
Alex Bregman, whose .071 (1-for-14) start to the Fall Classic prompted Truist Park’s organist to play homage to his batting average with Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’ ” as he strode to the plate, moved down to seventh and had an RBI double in the second inning, putting the Astros on the board after they fell behind 4-0 on Adam Duvall’s grand slam.
“Usually, thoughts come to me in the middle of the night,” Baker said. “The lineup change (Sunday) came to me in the middle of the night when I should have been sleeping. But these things come to me, and you can’t really control when they come to you. I’ll try to sleep on it — if it lets me sleep.”
Baker said the process has been part of his entire managerial career. He mentioned Giants second baseman Robby Thompson, who in 1993 was hitting .259 in 28 games batting sixth before Baker moved him to the two hole, where he .327 in 98 games.
“I changed Rich Aurilia to second ahead of Barry Bonds (in 2001),” Baker continued. “He hit (37) home runs. You can’t help what comes to you. I’ve learned to trust what comes to me. It comes from above, as far as I’m concerned. … It doesn’t just come to you just out of the blue. It comes to you when your
team’s struggling — like we were.”
With Yordan Alvarez presumably returning to his DH role at Minute Maid Park, Baker also said he hadn’t decided whether Jose Siri or Chas Mccormick will man center field Tuesday.
“Depends on who I think is the best to hit (Braves starter Max) Fried, the best (for) outfield coverage, what we need for energy, who’s kind of been hot, who’s been cold,” Baker said.
Reading between the lines, the energy factor might sway Baker to Siri, who provided a spark amid a four-run second inning in the Astros’ Game 2 victory, although he also struck out three times. Mccormick is 0-for-4 in the Series and struck
out as a pinch hitter in Game 5.
Houston’s small ball outscoring Braves
The Astros have outscored the Braves 20-18 over the first five games. And they’ve done it, by and large, without the home run.
Two Jose Altuve solo shots account for all of the Astros’ home runs. The Braves, meanwhile, have scored 12 of their runs off eight homers, including a grand slam by Duvall.
Baker doesn’t think that creates an added impetus for the Astros to manufacture runs. He’s actually expecting his team’s homer production to ramp up.
In regard to producing nine
runs in Game 5, Baker said a day without precipitation helped.
“Like I said when we first went to Atlanta (where it rained for much of Thursday, Friday and Saturday), it was tough to hit those first couple days because we hadn’t been on the field,” he said. “We didn’t know the sight lines. We didn’t know the backdrop. It was like coming out with no practice. When’s the last time you’ve seeen a football game where they don’t come out in the elements and practice? And when’s the last time you’ve seen a basketball game where they don’t have the morning shootaround? They have that for a reason — not only to learn the court and the vision but also to get your blood circulating.”
Hoping to keeping Braves long balls in check, the Astros will have Luis Garcia on the mound for Game 6. Garcia didn’t allow a home run in his 32⁄3-inning stint in Game 3, but he did allow 19 during the regular season, second on the team only to Zack Greinke’s 30.