The Sports Xchange
MLB Team Report – Houston Astros – INSIDE PITCH
An opposite field-hitting Chris Carter is a dangerous Carter and the Astros’ first baseman was trouble at the plate Sunday during his club’s 14-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Carter collected four hits during his initial four at-bats, finishing 4-for-5 with three doubles, two runs and two RBIs. The 26-year-old, acquired from Oakland in the Jed Lowrie trade, was 7-for-13 during the three-game series, raising his batting average to .233 for the first time since April 19.
While the Astros were being blown out by Chicago, manager Bo Porter turned to John Mallee in the dugout and praised the club’s first-year hitting coach for helping Carter gradually transform his swing from all-or-nothing to a three-field attack.
“(Mallee) said, ‘Chris is really buying in. He’s down in the cage. He’s on the video,'” Porter said. “He’s really putting a lot of effort into it. And now he’s starting to see the results and the things from a staff standpoint we know that’s in there. But when you start to get the results in a live game situation, it kind of makes the player buy in a little bit more.
“It was good to see him drive the ball the other way. He’s been doing it this last week or so and it’s coming together.”
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MLB Team Report – Houston Astros – NOTES, QUOTES
RECORD: 28-47
STREAK: Lost one
PAST 10 GAMES: 6-4
NEXT: Cardinals (Jake Westbrook, 3-2, 1.76) at Astros (Erik Bedard, 2-3, 4.43)
PLAYER NOTES:
–LHP Wade LeBlanc was designated for assignment Monday. LeBlanc is 1-5 with a 5.50 ERA in 16 major league appearances this season.
–SS Marwin Gonzalez was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday. He went 2-for-4 to snap an 0-for-15 skid Sunday with a fourth-inning infield single and recorded his first multi-hit game since June 6 against the Orioles.
–1B Chris Carter (4-for-5) collected a career-high-tying four hits. His also had a career-high three doubles and has seven in his last 10 games. He’s the eighth Astro in team history to record four hits and three doubles in the same game. Carter has now hit safely in 15 of his last 18 road games with a .339 average (20-for-59).
–RHP Jordan Lyles (4-2) allowed a season-high-tying eight runs. The five innings pitched were his shortest outing since going five innings on May 17 at Pittsburgh. He’s now 1-1 with a 3.91 ERA in four career starts against the Cubs.
–C Jason Castro went 3-for-5 with pair of doubles for his major league-leading sixth multi-double game of the season. He also leads American League catchers with 22 two-base hits.
–LHP Erik Bedard makes his 14th start of the season and ninth start since returning to the starting rotation after a brief stop in the bullpen. He worked 7 1/3 innings and allowed just one run on four hits in his last appearance on June 19 against Milwaukee. Bedard has held opponents to two runs or fewer in seven of eight recent starts. He surpassed the 1,100 strikeout mark for his career in his last start and now has more strikeouts than any Canadian-born left-hander in major league history.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “Sometimes you don’t catch breaks. (But) I’ve got to do a better job of pitching out of jams and making quality pitches.” — RHP Jordan Lyles, allowed a season-high-tying eight runs in Sunday’s 14-6 loss to the Cubs.
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MLB Team Report – Houston Astros – ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
–OF Trevor Crowe (right shoulder sprain) went on the 15-day disabled list June 21. There is no timetable for his return.
–RHP Edgar Gonzalez (right shoulder strain) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 26. As of June 16, he was no longer feeling pain, and he could soon begin a rehab assignment in Kissimmee, Fla.
–RHP Alex White (Tommy John surgery in April 2013) went on the 60-day disabled list March 30. He is out for the season.
ROTATION:
RHP Bud Norris
RHP Lucas Harrell
LHP Erik Bedard
RHP Jordan Lyles
LHP Dallas Keuchel
BULLPEN:
RHP Jose Veras (closer)
LHP Wesley Wright
RHP Hector Ambriz
RHP Paul Clemens
LHP Travis Blackley
RHP Jose Cisnero
RHP Josh Fields
CATCHERS:
Jason Castro
Carlos Corporan
INFIELDERS:
1B Chris Carter
2B Jose Altuve
SS Ronny Cedeno
3B Matt Dominguez
DH Carlos Pena
OUTFIELDERS:
LF J.D. Martinez
CF Brandon Barnes
RF Justin Maxwell
OF Marc Krauss
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