Feb. 24 winners and losers – the Astros take it to the road
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.
Winner: Cubs catchers.
Josh Phegley, who is trying to make the Cubs roster as a third catcher, got the start Monday vs. the Seattle Mariners. A non-roster invitee, Phegley needs a big spring, perhaps even more so given the spring start Cubs catchers have gotten off to. The team’s two primary catchers, Willson Contreras and Victor Caratini, were a combined 3-for-4 with two home runs in the first two spring games.
That’s a tough pace to keep up with, but Phegley gave it a shot. Against the Mariners, he went 2-for-3 with a first inning home run of his own and three RBIs. The Cubs won 16-12
Winner: Nicky Delmonico, Chicago White Sox outfielder.
To this point in his three-season big league career, Delmonico is most closely remembered for Steve Stone’s description of his name as “the girl your mother warned you about.” On Monday, Delmonico gave Sox fans reason to hope Delmonico might threaten the welfare of opposing teams.
In camp this year as a non-roster invitee, Delmonico delivered a three-hit performance that included a single off Dodger starter Ross Stripling as well as a double. Coming off a 2019 season in which he batted .206, it was the kind of performance Delmonico needed to restore his reputation.
Winners: Cole, Gallen
Two guys being looked on to lead their rotations debuted with strong performances Monday.
In Tampa, Gerrit Cole made a modest one-inning debut for the Yankees against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He kept it uneventful, fanning Bryan Reynolds and Josh Bell while issuing one base on balls.
Meanwhile at Scottsdale Stadium, Zac Gallen – the wunderkind who Arizona envisions as having ace potential – delivered a remarkable two hitless innings. Giants batters approached hitting against Gallen like they all had to go to the bathroom. Of the six batters the D-Backs starter faced, five went down on the first pitch and the sixth fanned on three pitches. That’s six batters retired on eight pitches, all of them strikes.
Winner: Jose Ramirez, Cleveland third baseman.
Many eyes are focused on Jose Ramirez this spring, wondering whether he will bounce back from an indifferent couple of recent seasons. He’s coming off a 2019 season in which he fell to .255 with 23 home runs, his low since becoming a regular in 2016. His .806 OPS was a personal low.
In Colorado’s 12-8 victory Monday, Ramirez delivered two hits, one a double, and drove in a pair of runs.
Losers: Rotation stalwarts
Cole and Gallen notwithstanding, most of the front-line arms who took to the mound Monday regretted doing so.
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The Brewers roughed up Oakland left-hander Sean Manaea for a six-run second inning. Coming back from arm surgery, Manaea stood in there for 11 batters, the damage including home runs by Lucas Erceg and Orlando Arcia.
If anything, Atlanta’s Max Fried fared worse. Fried got the start against Toronto, and here’s how it went. Bo Bichette singled. Cavan Biggio doubled him home Lourdes Gurriel whiffed. Vlad Guerrero Jr. walked. Biggio and Guerrero executed a double steal. Randal Grichuk doubled them both home. Teoscar Hernandez walked. Fried exited for the shower.
Luis Castillo, Cincinnati’s hard-throwing young ace, had it a bit better than Fried… maybe. In two-thirds of an inning against the Rangers, Castillo surrendered three runs on two walks and three hits. The Reds did come back to win 9-6.
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Loser: Pete Alonso, first base, New York Mets
Face it, coming off a 53-home run, Rookie-of-the-Year season Pete Alonso needs to be taken down a peg. That’s what Nationals pitcher did in New York’s 3-2 victory. With a runner in scoring position, Wil Crowe fanned Alonso in the first inning. Alonso flied out in the third, and in the fifth he grounded into an inning-ending double play.