Welcome to the very best group in baseball: Greinke rocked however Astros roll
The Houston Astros’ scariest new weapon delivered some injury on Tuesday. Oh, and Zack Greinke pitched too. Some observations on Houston’s 11-6 win over the Colorado Rockies and the debut of its third ace after he came to visit in that last-second deadline lifeless that shocked the baseball world. …
1. As Greinke warmed up, the Astros’ tv crew talked about how Greinke mentioned he was excited to hitch such a gifted group and that he was desirous to study from his fellow pitchers and the whole lot the Astros analytics employees brings to the desk. Supervisor A.J. Hinch mentioned he had an extended dialog with Greinke throughout which the pitcher “requested a ton of questions.”
After all, Greinke is already a future Corridor of Famer and it is extra possible his teammates will study one thing from him than vice versa, however the curious factor on everybody’s thoughts: Can the Astros truly make Greinke higher, like they seemingly can do with each pitcher they convey in? Simply the opposite day, Aaron Sanchez made his season debut for Houston, throwing the next proportion of curveballs than he ever had earlier than and tossing six no-hit innings. Is it actually that easy?
2. Greinke took the mound to a pleasant ovation, though a late-arriving crowd at Minute Maid Discipline meant a good variety of empty seats initially of the sport. Last attendance: 43,243. That is about Four,000 greater than they drew within the earlier Tuesday house recreation.
Zack Greinke taking the mound to “Seminole Wind.” Strong begin to Astros profession.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) August 7, 2019
Seeing him in an Astros uniform simply reinforces that they’re now the World Collection favourite. Greinke is already having certainly one of his greatest seasons, coming into the sport at 10-Four with a 2.90 ERA, 135 strikeouts in 146 innings and the very best strikeout-to-walk ratio of his profession. His 154 ERA+ is third-best of his profession, behind solely his 2009 Cy Younger season with the Royals and his almost-Cy Younger season with the Dodgers in 2015, when he posted a 1.66 ERA.
Jeff Passan breaks down the 24 hours that jolted baseball’s commerce deadline and made the Astros the group to beat in October. Story
three. Greinke, after all, is a distinct pitcher than Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, Ryan Pressley or Sanchez, all guys capable of crank it up on the radar gun whom the Astros have acquired since 2017. Greinke was once that man, however now averages 90 mph together with his fastball. He began Charlie Blackmon out with an 87-mph fastball on the nook and his second pitch was that large looping 69-mph curveball that Blackmon fouled off. He then painted the skin nook with a 90-mph four-seamer that despatched Blackmon strolling again to the bench. I like Greinke.
Four. Certainly, for all the need of pitchers to mild up the radar gun and the emphasis on spin charge and different analytical instruments, everybody can study the artwork of pitching from a grasp like Greinke: shifting the ball round, altering speeds, throwing X when the batters expects Y. Simply have a look at the 2 fastballs to Blackmon, taking slightly bit off the primary one after which including three mph on the second. You do not have to blow the ball previous hitters to strike them out.
5. The Astros strike first within the second inning when Yordan Alvarez launches an extended two-run house run to proper area off German Marquez:
Zero:41
Yordan Alvarez sends a 436-foot two-run house run into the higher deck in proper area to place the Astros up 2-Zero over the Rockies.
Expensive lord, how good is that this child? He is hitting .338/.418/.701 with 14 house runs and 14 doubles in 42 video games. He takes a giant hack, however his strikeout charge is hardly extreme — 24.three p.c, in regards to the MLB common. He has executed a fairly good job of controlling the strike zone, though there’s some room for enchancment there. Which is a scary thought for pitchers.
I get it. It is simply 177 plate appearances. Perhaps it is a sizzling streaks. However he is so sturdy and makes a lot onerous contact whereas hitting the ball within the air, you need to consider he’ll be one of many recreation’s premier energy hitters the subsequent decade. What a expertise.
Certainly, I posted this ballot query on Twitter:
Severe query: Yordan Alvarez or Vlad Jr.?
— David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield) August 7, 2019
OK, I am not shocked Alvarez is profitable the ballot given the begin to his profession, however I am shocked it is by such a big margin. However Astros Twitter > Blue Jays Twitter. Anyway, the purpose: It is not inconceivable Alvarez would be the higher hitter. Now, Guerrero is 2 years youthful and that is a giant deal. Guerrero, at the very least for now, is a 3rd baseman, and even when he isn’t an excellent one, that helps his worth in comparison with the DH-only Alvarez. I might nonetheless take Guerrero over the lengthy haul and it is price noting he has been tearing it up because the All-Star, however this could possibly be a type of enjoyable debates, similar to Juan Soto versus Ronald Acuna Jr.
6. The Rockies received to Greinke with two runs within the fourth, stringing collectively an infield single, a stroll, a wild pitch and a 76.5-mph double. Within the sixth, Raimel Tapia tied the sport with a three-run homer off a type of gradual curves — 371 ft into the primary row in right-center. Greinke ended up getting the win when the Astros scored twice within the backside of the inning. Nonetheless, it was not his greatest line of the season: 6 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 1 HR.
After the sport, Greinke mentioned he had “actually, actually unhealthy fastball command. Moreover that the majority issues had been all proper.” However this is the cash quote:
Zack Greinke: “It was a giant crowd. My household had fun. Plenty of prepare motion right now.”
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) August 7, 2019
That is a reference to the 4 house runs the Astros hit, together with two from Yuli Gurriel. Greinke additionally mentioned all the massive innings had been boring. For a man who likes to hit, he’ll miss that a part of the sport. Hinch could need to pinch-hit Greinke now and again simply to maintain him completely satisfied.
7. Try this enjoyable learn from Zach Buchanan of The Athletic on why Greinke’s former Diamondbacks teammates will miss him. (And presumably why his Astros teammates will study to like him … even when he tells them they threw an terrible pitch.)
eight. So, did Greinke change something in his pitch choice? He threw his changeup slightly extra usually, however I would not learn something into that off one recreation:
In his Houston debut, Zack Greinke relied closely on his changeup and was efficient towards the Rockies.
Rockies batters hit lower than .115 towards the pitch tonight. pic.twitter.com/RKLgAq2Xi5
— ESPN Stats & Data (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 7, 2019
He threw solely two two-seamers out of his 99 pitches, which seems like a Houston strategy, however he would not throw many anyway (common of 5.eight per recreation with Arizona).
All in all, it was not the very best we’ll see from Greinke as an Astro. In spite of everything, he had seven scoreless begins with Arizona and 4 extra throughout which he allowed one run. I do not suppose he is the form of pitcher the Astros will essentially make higher — however they do not need to. He is already among the best within the recreation and provides a distinct dimension behind Verlander and Cole and lefty Wade Miley. The Rockies received him for 5 runs on this evening, however I do not suppose Astros followers will agree with Greinke’s evaluation: It was hardly boring.
Zack Greinke delivers certainly one of his first pitches as an Astro on Tuesday evening. Bob Levey/Getty Photographs