Keys to the game ( 5/19)

Keys to the game-

1.) Don’t change your approach against the Astros. I have gotten to the point where I do not pretend to understand the inner workings of Trevor Bauer. How his mind is wired, what approach he takes, what makes him tick… it is a mystery to me. When I look at his record (3-4, 6.92 ERA, 1.51 WHIP in 39 innings pitched), and then look at the recent surge of dominance the Astros have found (winning 6 of their last 7 games, 29-12 record- which is the best in baseball)… it would be fair to assume that Bauer is the unfortunate underdog in this match up. For whatever reason, Bauer has always pitched well against the Houston Astros. He is 6-0, with a 2.61 ERA in 6 career starts against them. If only he was that good against every team he faces. Whatever he has done to have such success against them in the past, he needs to do again tonight.

2.) Don’t let them run on you. The Houston Astros can be lethal on the bases. Make no mistake; they will try and put pressure on Bauer and our defense by attempting to steal bases. You know it is coming, I know it is coming; they know they will be doing it. So be ready. Set the tone that we are a team that you don’t want to try to run on. Now, Yan Gomes has that reputation as a catcher. But Roberto Perez (who is starting tonight because he is able to handle our lovable weirdo) has also been known to throw some runners out. So be aware! In the same way as stealing bases, some Astros players will try and be overly aggressive. They will try to stretch singles into doubles and doubles into triples. So our defense needs to be ready to make the best plays possible.

3.) Keep scoring runs. Our offense has been doing better. They are still not to the level we know they are capable of, but they have been better. Tonight we face right-hander, Charlie Morton. He comes into tonight with a 5-2 record and a 3.97 ERA. He typically gets pretty good run support when he is on the mound, and has the ability to strike a lot of batters out (he has 54 strike outs in 45 1/3 innings of work). We have only faced him once before, and we were able to beat him (handing him a 4.50 ERA). Small ball is key!!! We have to make sure that we are not trying to do too much! Base hits! Advance the runners! Pass the baton! Homeruns will come. But the way to consistently win ballgames is to carry out the fundamentals of small ball. So have meaningful at bats and trust the guy that is coming up after you to do the same.