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New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Isaac Paredes' fit, Cam Smith's defensive future and Yordan Alvarez's progress: Astros takeaways
HOUSTON — Isaac Paredes prepared for an imperfect transition. He'd already been traded twice during his five-year major-league career, creating some preconceived notions about assimilating into a new environment. Before entering the Houston Astros' clubhouse, he manufactured another. 'At first in spring training, I thought it was going to be harder because you have all these superstars, so I thought it was going to be more strict,' Paredes said Sunday through an interpreter. Advertisement 'But it's the complete opposite. It's very relaxing. They've been very open. And that gives (me) the confidence to go out there and play ball.' Nothing better explains how the Astros function. Rosters and roles change, but their ethos remains entrenched. Becoming the third major-league team to reach 50 wins only reinforces the notion. Doing so with a deluge of injuries is a testament to something so many presume is trite. Houston's clubhouse culture can't be quantified and is almost impossible for outsiders to explain. Closer Josh Hader called it 'dudes just doing it.' 'We don't have many rules,' utilityman Mauricio Dubón said earlier this week. 'If you perform, if you're ready to go at 7 p.m., OK, good. Get between the lines. We try to make everybody feel comfortable.' Paredes is the perfect example. He is perhaps the quietest member of Houston's clubhouse, someone who stayed away from all of the attention around this weekend's three-game series against the Chicago Cubs. Kyle Tucker, Ryan Pressly and Cam Smith received most of it instead. Paredes may prefer it that way and, now, resides in a place that allows it. He is understated but not undervalued. In a lineup craving consistency, Paredes has provided plenty, pounding a team-leading 17 home runs while bringing the sort of patient, pesky approach the Astros lacked for so much of last season. No American League hitter sees more pitches per plate appearance than Paredes. On Sunday, he saw 37 across the four at-bats he took. No Astro since 2000 had ever seen more in one game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Paredes saw 31 of the 107 pitches thrown by Cubs starter Jameson Taillon. He only totaled one hit — a bloop single in the first — but the energy Taillon expended against him shortened his outing. Manager Joe Espada said it 'really set the tone' for a lineup that is struggling to find its footing while Yordan Alvarez and Jeremy Peña nurse injuries. Advertisement Paredes' .826 OPS trails only Peña for the team lead. He's worked a team-high 42 walks and is one of four players with an on-base percentage above .350. Paredes' pull-happy approach is ideal for the Crawford Boxes at Daikin Park, but even his empty at-bats bring value. Take Sunday's fifth inning, when he fouled off four full-count pitches from Taillon. Paredes flew out on the 10th pitch of the at-bat, but pushed Taillon into uncharted water. He had not thrown more than 100 pitches in a start all season. Paredes got him to 101. Taillon's 107th pitch arrived two batters later. Jose Altuve deposited it into the left field seats, an outcome not possible without Paredes' persistence. 'It seems like he fits perfect here,' Altuve said. Dana Brown can't abandon his scouting background, so during his first three summers as a general manager, he has made it a mission to see every amateur player the Astros are considering with their first-round draft pick Last year, the journey brought Brown to Charlotte, N.C., where he saw a player Houston had no prayer of selecting at No. 28. Brown still scouted Cam Smith for two games of Florida State's run to a runner-up finish in the ACC Tournament. Brown believed in the player, but not at his primary position. Smith starred at third base for the Seminoles before the Cubs selected him with the 14th overall pick in the 2024 draft. Smith made all 24 of his defensive starts at third base during his brief time in the Cubs' system. Brown believed Smith's legs were too big to remain at third base for his entire career. Smith is just 22 and stands 6-3, meaning he may fill out more as he matures. Brown did not think that would be conducive to a career at third base. 'I didn't feel like, as a scout evaluating him, that he was going to be this piece at third base,' Brown told the Astros' pregame radio show on Sunday. 'I like my third basemen to be a little more agile on the dirt and I just thought this guy was more fast and strong, so it's probably more of an outfield piece.' Advertisement Acquiring Smith in December allowed Brown to test his theory. Team officials publicly maintained that Smith would play third base during spring training, but according to Brown, he advised his staff that 'I don't feel we took this guy for him to play third base, my vision for him is right field.' Early returns paint Brown as prophetic. According to Sports Info Solutions, Smith entered Sunday worth nine defensive runs saved in right field. Only Adolis García and Fernando Tatis Jr. have been worth more. 'One of the things you do as a scout, you go out and you make your evaluation and you always try to place the guy where you think he's going to play in the future,' Brown said. It is clear, then, where Smith's future will be. Fierce swings from an absent slugger pierced the silence of a sleepy Sunday morning at Daikin Park. Yordan Alvarez took a few rounds of batting practice on the field, peppering both gaps with line drives while delivering the most meaningful signs of progress in his recovery from a hand fracture. — Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) June 29, 2025 Alvarez exited the batting cages and boarded a flight bound for West Palm Beach, Fla., where he will spend the next few days at the Astros' spring training complex. Alvarez is scheduled to face some of the team's rehabbing pitchers in live batting practice sessions. Espada would not divulge what may follow. Scars may still linger from what occurred on May 30, when Alvarez reached this same juncture in his buildup, felt discomfort and then discovered the fracture in his right hand. At the time, the Astros intended to activate Alvarez without sending him on a minor-league rehab assignment. That he's missed another month since would seem to heighten the need for one. Still, during his interview on the team's pregame radio show, Brown brought up the possibility of Alvarez joining the team at Dodger Stadium this weekend. The general manager couched his comments — 'It's not the most likely scenario, but we're not putting that aside,' he said. — But that it is even being considered is noteworthy. After the Dodgers series, Houston has just six more games until the All-Star break. Peña's decision to hire Scott Boras as his agent will complicate what the Astros spent the last month or so trying to do — lock up the resurgent shortstop on a long-term deal. 'What it will not change is it will not change us making an effort to get Jeremy signed long-term here,' Brown told the team's pregame radio show on Sunday Advertisement Brown acknowledged it can 'sometimes' be difficult to sign Boras' clients to an extension because 'oftentimes they go to free agency.' Jose Altuve and Lance McCullers Jr. are two exceptions currently on Houston's roster. Boras negotiated two extensions for Altuve and another for McCullers, but bear in mind, both players preferred to stay in Houston instead of becoming free agents. Perhaps Peña feels the same way and will express that to Boras. If Peña does not, Boras' preference is almost always for his clients to test the open market. (Top photo of Isaac Paredes and Jose Altuve: Tim Warner / Getty Images)
CBS News
2 days ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Cubs get shut out by Astros in Houston
Jose Altuve hit a two-run homer and Framber Valdez tossed six shutout innings, and the Houston Astros beat the Chicago Cubs 2-0 on Sunday. Altuve's 13th home run of the season broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning. It was his first extra base hit in 34 at bats and the Astros' only extra base hit of the game. Valdez (9-4) struck out six while allowing five hits and two walks. Only one man reached third base against him. He exited with two on and nobody out in the seventh, but Bryan Abreu replaced him and retired Michael Busch, Vidal Bruján and Ian Happ to work out of trouble. Abreu pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning. He struck out four of the six men he faced. Josh Hader retired the side in order in the ninth inning to convert on his franchise record 23rd straight save opportunity to start the season. Jameson Taillon (7-6) matched zeroes with Valdez until Altuve's home run on his 107th and final pitch of his outing. He struck out four while giving up five hits and one walk over 4 2/3 innings. The bullpen trio of Ryan Brasier, Ryan Pressly and Brad Keller held the Astros to two hits over 3 1/3 innings. Key Moment Altuve's fifth inning, two-run homer to break the scoreless tie. Key Stat The Astros are unbeaten in their last 11 series, dating back to May 22, going 9-0-2 in that span. Up Next The Cubs open a three-game series against the Guardians on Tuesday with LHP Matthew Boyd (7-3 2.65 ERA) against RHP Gavin Williams (5-3 3.68 ERA). The Astros open a three-game series at the Rockies on Tuesday with LHP Colton Gordon (3-1 3.98 ERA) against RHP Chase Dollander (2-8 6.06 EA).
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Jose Altuve homers and Framber Valdez tosses six shutout innings in Astros' 2-0 win over Cubs
Jose Altuve hit a two-run homer, and Framber Valdez tossed six shutout innings as the Houston Astros beat the Chicago Cubs 2–0 on Sunday. Altuve's 13th home run of the season broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning. It was his first extra-base hit in 34 at-bats and the Astros' only extra-base hit of the game. Valdez (9–4) struck out six while allowing five hits and two walks. Only one man reached third base against him. He exited with two on and nobody out in the seventh, but Bryan Abreu replaced him and retired Michael Busch, Vidal Bruján, and Ian Happ to work out of trouble. Abreu pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning. He struck out four of the six men he faced. Josh Hader retired the side in order in the ninth inning to convert on his franchise-record 23rd straight save opportunity to start the season. Jameson Taillon (7–6) matched zeroes with Valdez until Altuve's home run on his 107th and final pitch of his outing. He struck out four while giving up five hits and one walk over 4 2/3 innings. The bullpen trio of Ryan Brasier, Ryan Pressly, and Brad Keller held the Astros to two hits over 3 1/3 innings. Key Moment: Altuve's fifth-inning, two-run homer to break the scoreless tie. Key Stat: The Astros are unbeaten in their last 11 series dating back to May 22, going 9–0–2 in that span. Up Next: The Cubs open a three-game series against the Guardians on Tuesday with LHP Matthew Boyd (7–3, 2.65 ERA) against RHP Gavin Williams (5–3, 3.68 ERA). The Astros open a three-game series at the Rockies on Tuesday with LHP Colton Gordon (3–1, 3.98 ERA) against RHP Chase Dollander (2–8, 6.06 EA).
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Astros' Josh Hader continues perfect 2025 after shutting door on White Sox
The post Astros' Josh Hader continues perfect 2025 after shutting door on White Sox appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Houston Astros continue to rely on one of baseball's most dependable arms in Josh Hader, who came through again in Thursday night's 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox. The veteran closer notched his 18th save in 18 chances, preserving his perfect record and further proving his place among MLB's elite closers. Advertisement Houston took control early behind a solo home run from Isaac Paredes and two RBI doubles by Jose Altuve, jumping out to a 4-2 lead. But things got tight in the ninth when Mike Tauchman homered off the southpaw to pull Chicago within one. Moments later, Miguel Vargas doubled off the wall, nearly giving the White Sox the lead. Still, Hader struck out Austin Slater to slam the door, maintaining his flawless save streak this season. Former longtime KRIV-TV Houston broadcaster Mark Berman highlighted Hader's dominance on X, formerly known as Twitter, sharing a post that captured just how unstoppable the closer has been. 'Josh Hader's perfect season continues. He's 18 for 18 in save opportunities and is also 2-0.' The 31-year-old left-hander is proving that his five-year, $95 million contract signed before the 2024 season is already paying off for Houston. Now in his second year with the club, Hader has made noticeable strides across the board. He's limiting hard contact, reducing walks, and refining his pitch mix by leaning more on sliders and curveballs to keep hitters off balance. Advertisement In 2025, the Astros closer has posted a 1.55 ERA across 27 outings, showing improved command and a noticeable drop in home runs allowed compared to his 2024 season. His ability to shut down opposing lineups late in games has become a defining strength of Houston's bullpen. Thursday's win also moved Houston to 38-30, maintaining their lead atop the AL West standings. With Hader anchoring the back end, the Astros are emerging as a playoff-caliber team once again—built on elite closing, timely hitting, and veteran poise. Related: Astros' Isaac Paredes leaves White Sox game amid injury scare Related: Astros' Framber Valdez makes franchise history not even Nolan Ryan achieved
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Astros' Josh Hader matches franchise history in dominant win over Phillies
The post Astros' Josh Hader matches franchise history in dominant win over Phillies appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Houston Astros continued their red-hot stretch with a 2-0 shutout over the Philadelphia Phillies, but all eyes were on closer Josh Hader, who made franchise history in the win. The Houston Astros flame-throwing lefty matched a club record with his 21st consecutive save to start the season, tying a mark set by Dave Smith back in 1989. Advertisement The Astros bullpen has been one of the most reliable units in baseball this year, and Hader's flawless run has been a key reason why. On Wednesday, the lefty came in and shut the door against Philly, locking in the team's sixth straight win at home and cementing himself even further as one of the game's elite closers. Marc Berman, formerly of Fox 26, highlighted the moment on X (formerly Twitter), sharing Hader's impressive streak and historical context. 'Josh Hader 21-21 in save opportunities to start the season which matches a franchise record set by Dave Smith in 1989 per @SpaceCityHN' Hader has thrown 36.1 innings this season, posting a 1.73 ERA with 56 strikeouts and 21 saves. He's walked just seven batters while giving up 19 hits and eight earned runs across that span. His success isn't just about power, he's made a sharp adjustment to his pitch mix. The lefty has increased his slider usage from 27% in 2024 to 41% in 2025. Meanwhile, he's reduced his sinker usage, boosting both command and deception. Advertisement Wednesday's win wasn't just about one player. The Astros bullpen used five left-handed pitchers—a first in franchise history—to shut out a high-powered Phillies lineup. With starters like Lance McCullers not available and Framber Valdez missing time due to injury, the bullpen's dominance has kept Houston in contention atop the AL West. The MLB saves record may still be a long shot, but Hader is firmly establishing himself as the most dominant closer in Astros history. He also notched his 200th career save earlier this season and is making the five-year, $95 million deal he signed in 2024 with Houston look like a bargain. Now 21-for-21 in save opportunities, Hader's perfect streak has not only matched franchise history—it's anchoring a playoff-caliber team. The Astros are now 47-33, tied for the third-best record in MLB, and showing no signs of slowing down. For Houston, the lefty isn't just another bullpen arm. He's a statement of intent, a weapon late in games, and the heartbeat of a team with championship aspirations. Related: Astros rumors: $100 million contract 'on hold' for star in Aaron Judge territory Related: 3 Astros who must be on trade block ahead of 2025 deadline
