Call to the pen
Fansided

Feb. 24 winners and losers – the Astros take it to the road

By Bill Felber

AMPA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 24: Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees delivers a pitch in the first inning during the spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Steinbrenner Field on February 24, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
AMPA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 24: Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees delivers a pitch in the first inning during the spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Steinbrenner Field on February 24, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

The Houston Astros took to the road, and a pair of pitchers impressed in this edition of Spring Training winners and losers.

The most important developments from Monday’s spring training games include a variety of debuts of high-profile starting pitchers. Several of them are expected to play key roles this season. Not all of those debuts went well.

Long-term, however, the most important development may have involved a bus trip a certain much-villified team took to Lakeland.

Winners: The Houston Astros.

Having spent the winter in public relations hell, Astros regulars finally showed up for a true road game Monday against the Detroit Tigers. Reaction of the 5,000 fans was generally muted, just a few catcalls aimed largely at Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman.

To the extent there was a negative reaction, the Astros shrugged it off.  Altuve doubled home a run in the third inning, Bregman doubled in the first inning, and the Astros rolled to an 11-1 victory.

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