HOUSTON ASTROS NOTES:
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros, the reigning World Series champions, will open a three-game series tonight in Pittsburgh behind their Opening Day starter LHP Framber Valdez, who’s making his third start of the young season…this is the Astros first visit to Pittsburgh since the 2016 season, meaning since their last visit, the Astros have won two World Series championships (2017, 2022) and have played in the ALCS on six occasions (2017-22).
THE FRAMCHISE: LHP Framber Valdez, a 2022 All-Star, has been one of the best pitchers in the Majors the last three-plus seasons (2020-23) as he leads the AL over that timespan in ERA (3.01), while ranking tied for second in wins (33). AL Wins Leaders (2020-23) AL ERA Leaders (2020-23) Gerrit Cole: 38 Framber Valdez: 3.01 Framber Valdez: 33 Dylan Cease: 3.11 Dylan Cease: 33 Gerrit Cole: 3.22
AT THE HELM: Astros skipper Dusty Baker is in his 26th season as a manager and his fourth at the helm in Houston…Baker, who ranks ninth all-time in managerial wins with 2,097 wins, has an outside shot of moving up to sixth all time by seasons end…en route, he’d have to surpass Joe McCarthy (8th, 2,125), Bucky Harris (7th, 2,158) and Sparky Anderson (6th 2,194). IN THE BOX: This season is the first for the Astros under General Manager Dana Brown, who was named the 14th GM in club history in January…this season is also the 12th for the Astros under Owner & Chairman Jim Crane, who purchased the club in November of 2011.
RIVALRY RENEWED: The Astros and Pirates are renewing their former NL Central rivalry this week with a three-game series… it’s been a minute since these two teams saw each other, with that last series falling from June 25-27, 2019, a three-game series in Houston (PIT won two of three)…only three players that played in that series are currently active for the Astros: LF Yordan Alvarez, 3B Alex Bregman and LHP Framber Valdez.
SUNDAY, FUNDAY: The Astros won the finale of their three-game series in Minnesota yesterday by a score of 5-1…rookie RHP Hunter Brown pitched like a man possessed in what was his fourth Major League start, tossing 7.0 innings of two-hit ball, while recording seven strikeouts en route to the win…he was backed by a huge game from leadoff man CF Chas McCormick (2×5, HR, 4RBI) and a strong bottom of the order that combined to go 7×16 (.438) from the 6th-9th place hitters.
CLEAN GETAWAYS: Going back to last season, the Astros have won 13 straight regular season games on ‘getaway days’ (travel days), including two this season…the last time they did not win on a getaway day was on Aug. 7, 2022, at CLE…looking at the 2022 postseason, the Astros also won all six of those getaway days, two in each round.
LEADOFF SPICE: CF Chas McCormick drove in four RBI yesterday in what was his 12th career start batting leadoff… that leadoff position for the Astros has been primarily manned by 2B Jose Altuve and CF George Springer over the years, making McCormick the Astros first leadoff hitter, other than those two, to record four RBI in a single game since LF Robbie Grossman had a four-RBI game as the Astros leadoff hitter on
Aug. 23, 2013 vs. TOR.
EARLY LEAGUE LEADERS:LF Yordan Alvarez ranks tied for first in the Majors in RBI (14), along with three others…Alvarez and RF Kyle Tucker both rank tied for sixth in the AL in homers (3), while Tucker ranks tied for seventh in walks (7).
EARLY RETURNS: Per Elias, 1B José Abreu is the first player in club history to begin his Astros career with a 10-game hitting streak, which is still active entering tonight…Abreu’s streak ties as the longest streak in the Majors this season and is the longest start of season streak in Abreu’s 10-year career.
RACKIN’ UP RBI: LF Yordan Alvarez (14 RBI) is just the fifth player in club history to post 14 RBI within the team’s first 10 games…he joins Glenn Davis (15 in 1988), Derek Bell (15 in 1998), Lance Berkman (14 in 2006) and Richard Hidalgo (14 in 2004) on that list.
SEÑOR CIEN:LF Yordan Alvarez connected for his 101st career homer on Saturday at MIN, which was also his third career grand slam…Alvarez became the quickest player to reach 100 homers in Astros history, doing so in his 372nd game, topping 1B Lance Berkman, who hit his 100th career homer in his 452nd game.
BOMBS AWAY: RF Kyle Tucker owns a share for the club lead with three home runs on the young season, which ranks tied for sixth in the AL…Tucker is looking to improve upon his career high of 30 homers, which he reached in 2021 and 2022.
MISSING PIECE: The Astros are playing without their leadoff man, 2B Jose Altuve, who suffered a right thumb fracture while playing in the World Baseball Classic…Altuve is expected to be sidelined from baseball activity for approximately two months… in his stead, the Astros have started IF Mauricio Dubón (6g) and IF David Hensley (4g) at the keystone, while SS Jeremy Peña (8g) and OF Chas McCormick (2g) have shared leadoff duties. FILLING IN NICELY: 2B Mauricio Dubón is off to a strong start to the season, as he’s hitting .304 (7×23) in six games,
which includes an active five-game hitting streak…Dubón, who started most of his games at shortstop and center field in 2022, has made all six of his starts at second base this season while filling in for the injured 2B Jose Altuve.
TONIGHT’S ASTROS STARTER: LHP FRAMBER VALDEZ
LAST START – 4/4 vs. DET: produced one of the best starts from an Astros pitcher this season, tossing 7.0 innings and striking out 9 batters while allowing 1 run but received the losing decision in a 6-3 loss to the Tigers…were the most strikeouts from an Astros pitcher this season and matches RHP Hunter Brown for the longest start from the Astros this year.
AGAINST THE PIRATES: will face the Tigers for just the 2nd time in his career and the 1st time since 2019…will also be his 1st career start at PNC Park
• tossed 3.0 IP and allowed 6 runs on 8 hits and took the loss on 6/26/19 vs. PIT…is one of just 5 times out of his 100 career appearances he allowed 6+ runs.
ON THE ROAD: will be making his 1st road start of the season and has been productive on the road throughout his 6-year career, recording a 3.28 ERA (99 ER/271.2 IP) through 50 career road appearances.
• went 10-2 with a 2.27 ERA (29 ER/115.0IP) in 17 road starts in ‘22…were the most road wins of AL pitchers and was the 4th-lowest road ERA in MLB amongst qualifying starters.
• his career 3.28 ERA on the road is the 4th-lowest of AL pitchers since 2018 (min. 250 IP).
OPENING DAY STARTER: made his 2nd consecutive (and career) Opening Day start…is the first Astros pitcher to make back-to-back Opening Day starts since Justin Verlander (2018-21) • was the second Dominican-born pitcher to start Opening Day for the Astros, joining Wandy Rodriguez in 2012…was one of three Dominican-born pitchers to get Opening Day nod in ‘23, joining Marlins RHP Sandy Alcantara and Mariners RHP Luis Castillo.
• was the third LHP in Astros history to make back-to-back Opening Days, joining Dallas Keuchel (2015-17) and Dave Roberts (1973-74)
• became the first Dominican-born pitcher in Astros history to pick up a winning decision on Opening Day in ‘22…tossed 6.2 scoreless innings, allowing just 2 hits and striking out 6 batters to 1 walk, in a 3-1 win at LAA.
THE 2022 CAMPAIGN: tossed 25 straight quality starts from 4/25 to 9/18, setting the MLB record for the most consecutive quality starts in a single-season…streak also was the longest streak in MLB this year and tied for the 2nd-longest streak in MLB history when including multiple seasons…also extended the Astros franchise record (previously held by RHP Mike Scott (20g) in 1986).
• led the Majors with 26 quality starts and was 1st pitcher in MLB to record 23 consecutive quality starts since RHP Jacob deGrom made 26 consecutive quality starts from 5/18/18-4/3/19… among AL starters, was 1st in IP (201.1), 1st in home runs per 9 IP (0.52), 1st in GB percentage (67.3), 2nd in wins (17), 6th in opponent OPS (.600) and 6th in ERA (2.82).
• finished 5th in AL Cy Young voting, with teammate Justin Verlander winning the award.
• Made his first career All-Star game roster in ‘22 after being selected through the player vote to Midsummer Classic at Dodger Stadium…picked up the winning decision in a 3-2 victory for the American League, after tossing a perfect 3rd inning in relief…was the 1st Astros pitcher and 5th Dominican-born pitcher to collect ASG winning decision and 1st since Pedro Martinez in ‘99.
WITH THE ‘STROS: signed by the Astros as a 21-year-old international free agent from the Dominican Republic on March 18, 2015.
• the left-hander has gone 41-24 with a 3.33 ERA (195ER/526.1IP) and 510 strikeouts in 100 games (78 starts) in the Majors with Houston from 2018-23.
• has been one of the AL’s most prolific starters since 2020, ranks 1st in the AL in opponent OPS (.621), T-2nd in wins (33), 4th in opponent’s batting avg (.227), 6th in innings (418.2), 7th in pitcher’s WAR (4.8) and 8th in strikeouts (408).
• has been a groundball machine in his Major League career…owns a career 66.0% groundball percentage, which ranks as the lowest percentage in the Majors from 2018-22 (min. 300 IP)… the next closest player is LHP Brett Anderson (56.9 %) …since ground ball percentage started being tracked in 1987, Valdez career ground ball percentage is the highest ever posted by a starting pitcher (min. 250 IP).
• has held left-handed hitters to a .209 average (81×388) and a .601 OPS in the Majors…has allowed just five homers to left-handed hitters in his career.
• for his career in the postseason, he’s recorded a 3.41 ERA (26 ER/68.2 IP) in 12 career games (12 GS)…since ‘20 leads all MLB pitchers in postseason wins (7), strikeouts (75), IP (68.2) and quality starts (7).
PITTSBURGH PIRATES NOTES:
THE PIRATES:…Have won each of their last two series since dropping two of three games against the Reds at Great American Ball Park to begin the season…Won a season-high four straight games from 4/3-7…Swept a three-game series against the Red Sox at Fenway Park from 4/3-5…Are off to their best start after nine games since winning seven of the first nine games of the 2018 season.
ROSTER MOVE: The Pittsburgh Pirates today placed infielder Oneil Cruz on the 10-day injured list with a left ankle fracture…Infielder Mark Mathias (pronounced muh-THIGH-us) has been recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis…Mathias will wear uniform No. 6.
ON THE MARK: The Pirates acquired Mark Mathias from Texas on March 8 for a player to be named (minor league pitcher Ricky DeVito)…Mathias was hitting .333 (10-for-30) with a double, home run and two RBI in nine games with Indianapolis at the time of his promotion today…Mathias has played six different positions in his big league career, making 10 appearances in right field, seven at second base, six in left field, four at first base, two at third base and one in center field.
REYNOLDS’ WEEK IN REVIEW: Bryan Reynolds was named the National League Player-of-the-Week today for the week of April 3-9..Reynolds went 12-for-25 (.480) with two doubles, a triple, four home runs, 12 RBI and a 1.584 OPS in six games last week…He is the first Pirate to take home National League Player-of-the-Week accolades since Adam Frazier from July 1-7, 2019.
ON THE BUMP TONIGHT: Roansy Contreras will make his 2023 PNC Park debut tonight in the opener of this three-game series against the Astros…Contreras won his season debut Tuesday night against the Red Sox after allowing one run in 5.2 innings.
ABOUT RO: Roansy Contreras ranked fifth among all National League rookies in ERA (3.89) and strikeouts (86) and third in batting average against (.225) in 2022…He also posted the seventh-lowest ERA (3.53) among all rookies in MLB with at least 50.0 innings pitched beginning with his start on July 7 through the end of the season while his .202 batting average against in that time ranked third among MLB rookies with at least 50.0 innings of work.
ALL-RIGHTY THEN: Tonight will be just the second time this season the Pirates are opposed by a starting lefthander… Cincinnati’s Nick Lodolo is the only starting southpaw the Pirates have faced this year, which came on April 1 at Great American Ball Park…The Pirates went 22-33 in games started by lefthanders in 2022.
BUCCO BLANKINGS: Pittsburgh blanked the White Sox 1-0 yesterday afternoon for its fourth 1-0 win since the beginning of last season…In addition to yesterday, the Pirates also recorded 1-0 shutouts last year against the Reds on May 15 (were no-hit but won the game), July 23 vs. Miami and September 13 at Cincinnati.
PIRATING: The Pirates enter today second in the National League and tied for fifth in all of MLB with 11 stolen bases..The only National League team with more stolen bases coming into today are the Diamondbacks (17).
HOMETOWN HELLO: Tomball, Texas, native Ke’Bryan Hayes will play against him hometown team for the first time in his career tonight…Hayes is a 2015 graduate of Concordia Lutheran High School in Tomball, Texas, where he helped lead his team to the 2015 TAPPS state championship.
THE RENEGADE: David Bednar enters today tied for the Major League lead in saves with four along with Toronto’s Jordan Romano…He is one of six different Pirates (accomplished seven times total) to record four saves within the team’s first nine games of the season (the last to do it was Joel Hanrahan in 2011).
MAKE THAT A DOUBLE: Andrew McCutchen enters today with 294 career doubles as a member of the Pirates, which is tied with Bill Mazeroski for the eighth-most in club history…Dave Parker ranks seventh (296).
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Saturday night Andrew McCutchen’s ninth inning home run was his first as a member of the Pirates since going deep twice on September 26, 2017, against the Orioles here at PNC Park…McCutchen’s 94 career home runs at PNC Park are the most in the ballpark’s history…McCutchen ranks fourth in Pirates history with 204 home runs, trailing only Willie Stargell (475), Ralph Kiner (301) and Roberto Clemente (240).
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER – #59 – RHP ROANSY CONTRERAS
ROANSY CONTRERAS: The 23-year-old righthander is making his second start of the season tonight…Won a 4-1 (5.2ip/1er) decision at Fenway Park in his season debut on 4/4.
vs. HOUSTON: Has never faced the Astros…Has gone 1-2 with a 4.28 ERA (27.1ip/13er) in five career starts during interleague play.
