[Music] [Applause] [Music] we welcome you to Cincinnati Ohio it is a beautiful Labor Day Monday afternoon at the Great American Ballpark getting ready for the first of three between two old rivals the Houston Astros and the Cincinnati Reds from their NL Central days Great American Ballpark today hosting Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros who come in 13 games over 500 that's the best the Astros have been all season long and the six-game lead in the ALS also their high water mark of the Season hi everybody and welcome I'm Todd Callis look who joins us here the Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell bagy great to have you coming off one of the AST best series of the Season sweeping the Royals yeah I plan to come here right after we won four straight uh yeah obviously a great series against Kansas City and uh hopefully keep it going here in Cincinnati so four against Kansas City five wins overall all goes back to the starting pitching beginning with Spencer arag Getti against the Phillies yeah they really have not only has our starting pitcher came in there and they've given us a chance to win but they've dominated Spencer arti obviously got us off to a great start and they just went from there just keep dominating teams and with our offense in our home ballpark we play great baseball and that Royals teams is a really good Royal team that we beat yeah the Royals did not have a run in the first six Innings until the game yesterday when they scored one after ryel Blanco left the game now today they turned the ball over to the veteran Justin Verlander the first ballot Hall of Famer makes a third start back from the I yeah not a bad guy so we just keep running them out there every day and so we're going to bring a future Hall of Famer out there for the first game so looking forward to this watch Justin do his thing get back in his Groove which he does and always pitches well in September yeah Justin Verlander against the Reds he has pitched against them four times now including today all four have been here at this Stadium this is what we're going to talk about during today's broadcast Spencer arti coming off a dominant month of August he's going to get the start here in game two of the series on Wednesday Lance Burk has been a long time Red's Nemesis more on that later on and yon Alvarez has been red hot during the Astros winning streak we'll come back and talk about your da as we get ready for the first pitch of this game coming up Low's Show's baseball Space City home network is presented by Budweiser zero you can't drive drunk if you don't drive there a reminder from your friends at Silver Eagle Distributors Houston by Rooms To Go don't miss the Labor Day sale going on now and by your local Toyota dealers Toyota Let's Go Places during this five game winning streak yordon Alvarez has put up ridiculous numbers yeah he's incredible I mean the superlatives for him just go on and on I mean he's one of the best hitters I've ever seen can hit the ball all over the place not only for average but for for power and what he means to our lineup it's just a pleasure to be able to watch him every day finally got a couple of home runs in his home stadium and on the other side the guy you have to stop is the Speedster Ellie Del Cruz yeah 22 homers with 61 steals uh he's quite what they call a dynamic player he can do it all Play Short Stop for them uh we want to try and keep him off Bas as much as possible and he had some strikeouts so hopefully JB and our pitching stuff can hold him at B Justin Verlander will face Ellie Dela Cruz and the Cincinnati Reds as they'll take on Julian agard today as the Astros get ready for the first of three from Great American Ballpark and we come back we'll check in with Lauren Kender she'll say that that 18 te game stretch without an off day is almost over the Astros have come through it [Music] [Music] well what if Lauren calender here with you as the Astros kick off a three game set in the Queen City to wrap up a big 18 game stretch the Astros 10 and seven so far in that stretch and they it wasn't really an easy task was it they faced a number of big postseason contenders beginning with Baltimore Philadelphia Kansas City and following that sweep over the Royals the Astros now sit six games up in the AL West it's crazy to look back at the season and remember this team was 10 games back on June 18th it took just 64 games for Houston to make this big jump in the division the quickest a team has gone from 10 back to six up since the 69 Mets Joe spotted told me this morning the overarching message this season has been be prepared to play every single day he went on to tell me it's a long journey but this team knows how to run that race and we've definitely seen them do so guys especially over the last 64 games yeah it's been a fun run to watch the Astros playing their best baseball of the season right now the perfect time you want to get hot as you get towards the month of September and that's what the Astros have done here's how they will line things up today Joe spider has Jose Altuve back at second base in the leading off yordon Alvarez will dection bat second Yer Diaz will hit third he'll be behind the plate Jeremy pñ has been in that four spot lately John Singleton gets the start at first base he'll bat fifth Ben gamma will play Left Field gamma will bat sixth Mauricio duon gets the start at third base Alex bregman missing his fourth consecutive game Jason Hayward in right field and Chaz McCormack is back Jake Meyers on the paternity list so Chaz is back from the minor leagues after a couple of games with Sugarland today they will face Julian agar yeah he's a sinker slider curve guy uh 6.43 ER with one0 record uh kind of a flyball pitcher which could help out the Astros here in this ballpark this a good ballpark to hit for our guys so we got to get him just to throw strikes and do what we do in the tail of the tap between the two starting pitchers you got one guy who has made over 500 starts and it's threatening to become in the top 10 in all times in strikeouts and you got the other guy making his fourth career start yeah the good thing for agular is he doesn't have to face Verlander because he's done pretty well in his career as you said as a first ballot Hall of Famer but yeah tough task for him to come out here with this lineup and the way the Astros are playing right now to go against our team which is coming off four straight wins against Kansas City had a great Series against that and with our pitching uh I like I like our chances tonight Jeff Bagwell filling in for Jeff Blum over this three- game series and also Lauren cender filling in for Julia Morales over these three games as well we have a little issue with first base Ty France and Dave Clark looking at the bag and something is wrong with first base we have the first baseman with us here Jeff Bagwell well I guess probably it's either crooked or something like that it's actually they just showed it so I'm not really sure what's the problem with it but apparently there is something time France we've seen him plenty over the years with Seattle now with the Cincinnati Reds and they're going to replace first base so your first broadcast here at Cincinnati you you had some pretty good days as a hitter I've done okay in this city in this city you liked hitting here yeah I liked hitting here this is uh I played in the old Riverfront Stadium which was a good ballpark to to hit in but this is a whole another animal right here this is as good as it gets in Hollow of baseball to hit in the ball flies uh it's a good seeing background when you get a black background back there so good place for our guys to hit if yordon hits some of these fly balls that he thinks keep getting caught that he hits real good to Right Center those balls will be out here couldn't be a nicer day 79 degrees not a cloud in the sky just a little bit of Breeze and what Breeze there is is blowing out from Left Field to right field as Jose altu will lead off against the young 23-year-old out of Long Beach California the first pitch is a little bit low for a ball Chris Conroy calling balls and Strikes as that apparently is low yeah that's a good thing Altuve usually likes to offer the first pitches as he all these Astros facing agar for the first time that one's wide two and0 agar pitching on three days of rest really it's kind of surprising you would think with a young team they would have some more people up here to pitch uh only pitching on three days with an off day tomorrow was limited to 78 pitches his last time so we could see him limited again today with that short rest as he delivers a strike toout two a two and one now Jose didn't swing at the first pitch so he's very cognizant of the fact that his numbers on swinging at the first pitch what they are so he's being more selective tries to bun and buns it foul that was not selected on the bunt play right there that was an automatic ball right there but thought process is right he's just trying to get on base so he's not as aggressive as he's has been but I'd really do like when he does take the first pitch I think he's at bats get better throughout the game because of it so now the count even at two as Altuve pops the fou out of play I feel like we're in danger here I feel like I might have to catch a ball up here you might be in range yeah but I I might bail I don't know I'm not sure really I don't know we'll see what happens I think you're you've got a much better shot than anybody else in the booth of making the play no I'm not as young as I used to be can't see we'll see what happens the reflexes yeah last time Agar was out there he faced the Oakland A's a game the Reds won 10 to nine in fact the Reds have won all three of his starts so far debuted against the Blue Jays on the road and he P pitched in Pittsburgh and then at home against Oakland in his last start Altuve punches one on the infield second basem John then India puts it away one away here in the first how about the difference between minute made Park and Great American Ballpark when we look at the walls overlaid on top of each other in our stat cast 3D presented by Google Cloud well I'm not the smartest guy in the world but if I look at that I'm thinking this is a pretty good ballpark to hit in uh in our ballpark it's really the right center and left Center you really got to hit the ball here you don't have to hit the ball is is hard really and is full yordon goes after the first pitch and he pops it up this is Ellie De La Cruz as it falls in De La Cruz looked like he was going to make the play and then he looked at the last second of Jonathan India and India dropped it they're going to give the error to India as yordon will reach base on a popup yeah that's the different one right there where the Short Stops over there by by the second base B bag and he's thinking that maybe he's going to catch it Indian that's just communication that's all it is I can you know Mumble it around as much as possible but that's just communication by the time India realized that D La Cruz wasn't going after it he had stopped looking at the baseball you know generally when teams make errors like that against us we take advantage and hopefully it's a situation we can do that um but that's India's Ball but that that's what happens when guys are moved around the diamond as far as where they positioned so even when yordon pops it up he ends up on base exactly you expect to see a lot of balls in the air this is a guy as baggy mentioned flyball pitcher he has given up his share home runs five home runs and three starts and if you go back to his four previous minor league starts he's allowed a home run in seven consecutive outings they go to Second for one no chance to turn two on that high Chopper by Jer Diaz Santiago espanol to Jonathan India for the fielders choice there's two away it's an interesting start to this game it seems a little bit slow motion to me that play didn't develop real great um you know and then the popup drop well you know by watching Astros games as much as you do lately when the Astros have gone through their rough stretch yeah of Defense every error seems to yeah well eras if you 27 outs is 27 outs and if you given more than that especially against good teams generally you're going to have a chance to win now we had one one game here where we had four errors in won a gameost red which is amazing that just generally never happen so hopefully we can take advantage of them do make mistakes in that Kansas City series it seemed like every era the Royals made the Astros pay late in the game to take the lead yeah in the last seven eight years that's what's happened with us whenever another team makes a mistake we generally take advantage of it so you know we got two outs here with a runner on first but still an opportunity here pñ down to the count 0 and2 Jeremy on a good run lately had a good series against the Royals but goes down on three pitches here as agar picks up his first strike out so he works around the air here in the first Justin Verlander to the mound in the bottom half is Justin Verlander for the Astros yeah JV obviously you've been around here for seven years you probably understand what he's got fast ball curveball change up and slider a little bit of yeah he might have been out there a few times 500 plus starts uh just a dominant pitcher throughout his entire career so great guy to have a mound for us Bulldog out there that obviously takes every pitch like it like it's his last here's the Red's lineup today Jonathan India will lead things off followed by Ellie de Cruz Tyler Stevenson's had a good month or so he's the catcher in batting third in that cleanup spot is TJ Fredo Spencer steer gets the start in left High France the old nemeses coming over from Seattle he bats six Jake fry is in right field Santiago espanol is the third baseman and their DH is Ahmed Rosario Rosario batting night today yeah let's hope that that Ty France since he changed uh uniforms is going to be a little different cuz you're right he was a nemesis against us in Seattle Justin gets that extended Zone from Conroy on the first pitch to Jonathan India that's what happens when your name is Verlin and on the other side agard didn't get that first pitch on Al four starts compared to 500 plus India had a three for four game yesterday playing in his 500th major league game and the bottom of the Zone not there for Verlander either as he misses on that pitch at to two and one yeah that'll be interesting to see that throughout the game uh obviously pitchers want that pitch they don't want so much you know the corner as much but they need the ball down to be a strike Verlander facing the Reds for the fourth time in his career all four times he has faced them has been here in this Stadium really yeah being in Detroit he's not going to face them Lees to have the national league and American League as far as you're not playing against each other started out in 2012 for the first time and pitched against them as an astro in 19 and last year pitched against Cincinnati as a met and won his only game ever against Cincinnati last season I don't know if the fans noticed this but if you see JV looking to the side before he starts he's looking at the he's looking at the pitch clock to see how how far he can take it down empty Strike Zone shows that's a pretty close pitch to take on two and two didn't get the call acted like it was going to hit him kind of an emergency swing there on a 3-2 delivery below the zone berlander now 522 career starts the reds are the only team that he hasn't beaten multiple times in his career wow well he hasn't pitched that much against him only one win against them everybody else he has two or more 3-2 pitch misses wide and India draws walk number 65 on the year leading the team in that category here's the Astro starting defense presented by xinity Chaz McCormack is back he's in center field Jake Meers is on the paternity list for a few days Ben gamma will be in left field and Jason Hayward in right a couple of new Astros in the corners Jose Altuve and John Singleton right side of the infield Mauricio duban gets the start at third and Jeremy next to him Jer Diaz calling pitches for Justin Verlander as he faces Ellie De La Cruz this kid's a special player right here um talked to Barry Lin before before this supposed to be a great kid too so he can do some some things out there he really can long 6'5 long arms can really really run kind of in that new mold O'Neal Cruz Ellie DEA Cruz the big hyper athletic Short Stops yeah they're they're different you don't see I didn't see players like this when I played hobby wh Junior incredible speed and power combination well I think I think with LA and Cruz it's just their size as far as their height you know Bobby's not Bobby Wht junor is not a huge kid but these kids are just big kids kind Carlos Kare is a big kid two one pitch is off the plate so after an initial walk berlander has fallen behind da la Cruz 3 and one JV just probably fighting his mechanics a little bit right off the get-go but he'll he'll tune it in [Applause] [Music] that'll be off the plate if berlander had not walked multiple batters in either start against Boston or Philly and now in his third start off the I he walks the first two hitters of the game yeah he's fighting a little bit you know his velocity is down a little bit which is just means his mechanics are probably a little bit out of whack but nobody in this game knows his mechanics more than JB he'll figure it out hopefully get a pop up and a double play here so now two on with nobody out for Tyler Stevenson Stevenson had a huge month of August hitting 330 with 1,039 [Music] Ops takes the first pitch and Justin wanted that call he's yeah that's the same pitch down again not getting the call from Chris Conroy on those low strikes yeah and all three of them the agalar throw two was down Anway all three have in the same spot that he hasn't home you go out there now two [Music] and0 there's a foul ball Astros and reds noow team in the Astros franchise history have they played more than the Cincinnati Reds yeah we've seen a little bit of these guys always always good matchups when I when I was still playing we had some fun against the Reds that is another pitch off the plate 17 pitches in only six strikes for JV he's already walked two and he's behind in the count here three and one and that's Ball Four he's walked the base is loaded I don't think we can say that very often in his Hall of Fame career got to got to give him some break right here get get out there and talk to him be afraid of him get out there he's kind of rushing right now so he's realized that bottom of the zone is not there and that's a tough way to pitch when you don't have that bottom rail to work with no but this isn't his first rodeo yeah you know he's he's been around long enough where he's got hasn't gotten pitches uh he just got to try and you know minimize damage if any JB walking three to start a game I'm not sure if that's ever happened before here's TJ fredle there is a breaking ball for a strike see a lot of times right there when pitcher struggles with control the best pitch is to throw a curve ball because the curveball slows your body down you have to get on top of it that that will get him back in syn right there Astros with the infield back here in a one-1 count to Fredo see what the Reds have done this year the Bas is loaded they have been pretty good at their best when they had the bases full Fredo very good with runners in scoring position as well ball foul first base side and a nice pick over there by Colin cgill the first base coach now it's one and two on frle you got to make a pitch right [Applause] here this is where the JV intimidation hopefully can you know take over right here the kid maybe swing at a ball that he shouldn't into right field coming on Hayward makes a sliding catch tagging up his India throw into second the Reds will take the lead on a sack fly but a good play by Jason Hayward on the first out of the game yeah we'll take that you know I know we gave up a run but we'll take that we didn't get a GU advaned to Third Base uh so we get a chance to get out of this inning with a little less [Applause] [Music] damage veteran Hayward going down to his knees for that sliding catch Jason's known for his defense uh you know he's got a gold glove out there you see it on the back of his his glove so he knows his way around there good play now Spencer steer the batter leads the team and runs batted in he pops it up right side of the infield Altuve and Singleton are near each other it's Altuve who makes the catch that's a big second out there's not going to be a communication era ever when the ball's up in the air and Jose oh two B's close to it he's going to catch it I promise you I don't care who's playing short or first he's catching he takes over he takes over even on the ball sometimes a right to Pia he'll pretend like he's about to yeah he does that now two outs and Ty France de batter this is a guy the Astros have seen a lot through the years he had 76 hits in his career against the Astros the most against any other team he's ever faced I know I'm tired of him I really am you can see his numbers against verland are pretty good too that one's down two and0 but he was pretty much let go by the Mariners he was last time we saw him he was batting ninth and he was then designated for assignment and the Reds were happy to pick him up I was kind of surprised the Reds picked him up actually they just given a guy a bunch of money to play there that one fouled counts two and one on tha France well JB has not had it easy here in the first inning no he's trying to limit the damage to one run here as he's got two outs and two on through the middle and that'll be another run Tai France with yet another base hit against the Astros he's now 12 for 30 in his career against burland he makes it two to nothing same guy not a not a great pitch for him to hit either just a fast ball ball up in away and just kind of got it up the Middle where nobody was standing it's tough man when you walk the Bas is loaded it's tough it's tough to make pitches and get out of that but hopefully right here we can just with two runs will'll be okay Jake Bry will bad he just came off the iil today was on the 10day iil with a right knee spring Fairley bats against berlander here a lot of guys in this lineup with experience against JB including Frey yeah he's fighting it right now isn't he how many pitches he has right now he's at 29 29 there it is 12 for strikes that is not Justin berlander used to not at all falling behind a lot of hitters in this first inning now he's two and0 on Frey off the plate three and0 you might have to go back to his first year or two in Detroit if he's ever walked four in one inning I don't it's not happened as an astro I know it hasn't happened as Astro no there's a strike consensus frustration oh yeah I mean this is he's this is not normal for him he just got to slow himself down and the right field Hayward moves to his right and puts it away for the final out of the inning but the Reds on the board with a couple of runs on just one hit three walks didn't help to start the game it's two nothing Cincinnati we welcome you back into space City home network it's time to take a look at our Chevy stroll poll this afternoon today's question which Astros starting pitcher will have the best September Spencer arti Hunter Brown from Valdez or Justin Verlander head over to at Space City hen to cast your vote now guys I don't know about you I think it's a trick question cuz the way that this starting rotation has looked as of late uh I think they're all going to look pretty good this month yeah it was kind of a trick question back to back CU we asked for the pitchure of the month Lauren last night or yesterday afternoon in our broadcast and Spencer erti won that but you could pick any of those guys and be fine yeah I mean where's you say yeah I mean just keep adding them you say didn't even make the list I don't know here's John Singleton leading off here in the second inning julan agar worked around an error in the first inning Astros have had a lot of different guys play at first base this season eight different guys have started at first base but Singleton has had the majority of the work making his 80th start of the Season John coming off a two-run home run game and a walk in his outing on Sunday helping the Astros win that game against Kansas City 7-2 to wrap up that four game sweep yeah Joe's you know he's got to try and go out there and piece it together and figure figure out who's who's best match up for each pitcher that we face and that's basically what we do um John gives you some good aats uh he had a good game the other day so all in all I mean I'm not complaining about anything but six games up in first for first place no but I think the one thing we do notice especially with guys trying to learn first base here at the big league level it's is how hard a position it is to play yeah it gets it nothing irritates me more than that I'm trying to figure out who saves more runs in this game besides the catcher in the first basem but apparently other people don't think the same way but uh it is a lot because you got to it's it's a different thing and when you you can practice all you want but nothing prepares you at first base except game speed because you're sitting there where it matters and you don't have a controlled environment and all of a sudden you got guys moving around you're trying to find the baseball getting back to the bag trying to find your right foot that you're supposed to use that's a ball that's off the inside corner but ruled strike by Conroy and that'll be strike out number two for aiar close enough with two strikes yeah that is you you kind of don't want to leave that up to the Umpire but that's the one pitch that's real hard is the ball in like that but going back to first base it's tough when you get you got to get out there and do it in real time and for a team that plays in the penet race you know where you got to be you can't just miss balls uh and our guys have done a good job and gamble takes a pitch off the play for a ball Gamble's done a nice job since joining the Astros he has you know he puts the ball in play sprays the ball around around the field and has done a nice job made some good plays in the Outfield getting a start today in left field camill playing his 12th game with the Astros 12 hits and 36 at bats including his first home run of the Season there's a strike two and one that pitch that was just called a strike for for the right-handers that hasn't been a strike uh and that's because the umpires is setting in on that side and on right-handers he sets up on the other side of the plate that's why he doesn't see it as well he sees it better there most umpires sit up in when lefties are up and on righties they sit up in on the other side of the point ball hit into center field TJ Fredo coming on makes the backhand play for out number two join us for the annual Astros Foundation charity game as this Friday charity game bags include sign memorabilia Astros game tickets exclusive merchandise and more grab your bags in stadium or online on September 6th before they sell out with the proceeds benefiting the Astros Foundation visit astros.com game for more details Macio duban Bunting and puts the ball in play dubon says it's not in play but that was ruled fair and he's going to argue with the home plate ire Chris Conroy he's out two to three for the final out of the inning Joe spoted coming out to protect his player but duan's bunt which had a little backs spin on it he thought it was foul when it was caught by Stevenson but that's the final out of the inning we welcome you back into Astros baseball and Space City home network Lauren cender here with you as the Reds currently lead the Astros 2 nothing at Great American Ballpark this Dugout report is brought to you by Jack In The Box and we're going to reflect on S years ago to the day it was the first two games back at minute made Park following the devastation of hurricane Harvey the Astros went on to win both of those games against the Mets but a moment we will remember forever in those games was game one when Justin Verlander joined his new team in The Dugout for the very first time here we are now many seasons later still celebrating JB day I talked to Spencer arti earlier today about that moment he was still in high school and a fan and thought it was a dream that Justin berlander was in Houston as an astro Spencer told me he was in third grade when Justin made his debut he wore number 35 growing up and said it is so incredible to him now that he gets to learn from JB and he credits JB for a lot of the growth and confidence that he has built this season he's pitching with so much confidence right now now he pitches behind berlander in the rotation he'll make the next start on Wednesday a rare Tuesday day off in the middle of a series yeah I'm not so sure who scheduled that one but that really doesn't make that much sense but I understand Labor Day and all that um but yeah if you get a guy like Justin Verlander and he's in their Clubhouse um the first overall thing is when Spencer saw him he probably passed out uh but then his knowledge and what he has to say I think is is so valuable it's kind of like when guys work with you in spring training I have no idea I'm just trying to get him better and just like berlander does too he says certain things that you know he doesn't probably go into a ton but he says certain things that actually really matter but I was thinking about that last inning when you were talking about working defensively at first because you do work with a lot of guys in spring training defensively at first but I don't even know if a guy like Den zenzo worked with you because he wasn't really your first baseman no I didn't but I worked with him when uh he was in AA I was down there in Corpus this ball into center field and this is going to be played by Chaz mccormic for the second out on then Rosario lines out to center after Santiago espanol fly out to left Justin Verlander as we expected had a little conversation with Chris Conroy on his way out to the mound here for the second inning yeah and that's what veterans do especially a guy of Verlander he can go down there and say where do you have those pitches he because those are pretty good pitches uh and it matters it'll matter this next time he gets that pitch he will think about that um you know any pitcher can do that you know you have you have the right to do that but when it says 35 and Verlin are on the back of the JY a little bit different yeah it's different than if agar came out exactly right and I've seen Roger Clemens do that Brandy Johnson kind of just actually he'll just growl at you um but I've seen the veteran really you know Superstar pitchers do that kind of stuff and it and it works and they want to know too because they want to know where they can throw the ball but in general they're just trying to intimidate the Empire just a little bit and say that's a strike I've heard Roger Clemens with one of the greatest things I ever heard he asked the ire you needed a media guide what oh my God he did it was awesome he did oh yeah he goes you need a media guide to figure out where they I never laughed so hard in my life I thought it was awesome you might want to look at my numbers yeah that's what he say basically what he say two and one to count to Jonathan India now swinging strike two too jv's velocity is starting to get back a little bit um I think you'll see him settle down right here in this inning and start a pit real well for us here India walked a string of three consecutive walks to start the game for Berlin or maybe the first time that's happened in his career and this ball hit in the hole Jeremy pñ tries to back in I'm not sure it would have mattered if he picked that or not as it would have been a hit either way yeah you weren't getting India he runs well too [Applause] that's one of the ones that just hit him to the perfect spot uh ball kind of got in on him a little bit but perfect spot speaking of pitchers who could massage umpires have you seen the documentary on Greg Maddox yet on MLB Network listen I've seen that dude for 15 years I don't need to watch a documentary on him you're good yeah I'm good that's kind of like a horror film for it's not a horror film but you know he he'd say some words I can't say on that and the Umpire would say that's a ball and he goes I wasn't talking to you I was talking to me and I'm like I told the Umpire no he's not he's talking to you so the ire say say something to Greg and he just yell at the Umpire he's like I'm talking to myself yeah and then he'd walk back and I say no he's not he's talking to you don't let him get away with that he got away with it that was back before they had the yeah I don't need I don't need to yeah before the box was there yeah I I and if the box was there they people would have a heart attack they' be like there's no way he called that a strike for nine innings and 92 pitches he he was good enough without yeah I don't need some of those call yeah six Ines outside that starts on the other side of the white line on the Batters box and got a strike cuz he can throw it anywhere he wanted to throw it sounds like there's still some bitterness there really is I'm tired of him mold Ang gling going to pop up in the shadow of left field coming on Ben gamble so we know one guy who's not going to watch the MLB Network documentary Jeff B no I will oh you will I will but I don't need to okay I lived it do nothing red we welcome you back in it's time to take a look at this afternoon Shiner box Spotlight we're going to talk about a guy we know all too well Lance burkman who when looking back at his career had much success in the city of Cincinnati in his 70 games played at Cincy big Puma posted a 355 average while reporting 30 home runs in 86 RBI baggie you had quite the success here in this city as well you touched upon it earlier but is there anything else you can attribute to you and burkman's success here in the city well I don't know about me but I know about him he just needed to show up 17 had to roll into the Batters box and he was going to hit a few homers I know that I'm surprised as slug was only 750 something I would think it'd be more like a th000 I know that sounds crazy but that's how well he hit here and he knew it too and the Red's pitchers knew it oh they everybody knew it favorite Stadium or and your least favorite you had 18 games here in this Stadium did I drove in 17 runs and 17 starts yeah I was just trying to follow burkman I guess but yeah this is a great ballpark to hit in um and so was Riverfront but this this to play 81 games here to play here my whole career would be a heck of a heck of a feat of greatness so a two nothing lead here is a little different than a two nothing lead really is say safe go field no it's a flyball waiting waiting to happen for us T-Mobile Park 22 the count to Jason Hayward one of the new Astros Acquisitions as he hits it hard but foul not only did the Astros pick up a us say Kikuchi at the trade deadline in a Ben gaml and a Jason Hayward here in the last couple of weeks they' picked up some really good Clubhouse presence in these guys too you know and that's something that people don't talk about um you know they they glance through it you know and they'll say oh Jason hayward's a great but it matter Ms it matters what goes on in that Clubhouse the culture culture is what breeds s years of ALCS is four World Series two World Series Championships uh and that's he's a culture guy not to mention a great player 15 years who walks in here great person gambles the same way coming in here a new team fitting in perfectly it matters what the clubhouse is like uh and these guys are good pickups for us and there's not going to be any pressure that Hayward hasn't gone through already in his career when you're no he played with Atlanta played with the with the Dodgers uh he's seen it all uh and been a part of all of that uh of the Cubs what he did with the Cubs obviously I can't take that away too um you know just just great people that just want to win baseball games so it'll be Hayward Chaz McCormick and Jose altu here in the third inning facing Julian agar and agar misses inside and that'll be a good walk drawn by Jason Hayward good at that right there so let's take a look at your numbers against the Cincinnati Reds while we've got you in the booth here baggie career 38 hitter with 49 bombs against the Reds 27 of those 49 in this city yeah I said I liked hitting here I did I did I lik playing it the Jose Rio one is is funny yeah he I used to get a lot of hits off a real and then he hit me one time how about Chaz sending one to left field that's backing off the wall and over the wall Chaz with an automatic double as he hits one on the warning track and over the wall Chaz is first and bat back for the minor leagues and he has himself his first double since June the 19th I told Joe on the plane last night I said Chaz is my guy in this this trip he's going to have a great series I truly believe that and we didn't pick the stick today we were going to pick Chaz yeah I would have cuz that's the guy I thought they was going to have a real real good he you know what Chaz cares and I love that he really and not to say other play players don't but he you know he feels embarrassed about how he's played and all that he had such a great year last year um so good for Chaz 104 bats without a double since his last double June 19th I've been there now here's Jose Altuve you never went over 100 bats without a double I went well I don't know I went over 100 bats without a homer I know that 2003 I stunk so now the infield comes kind of halfway not quite all the way in on the yeah I don't know about this but now two Bay fouls went away because in this ballpark you're not playing for one run you're just not um they already are up two nothing I don't know I I would try and make sure I get it out because any little ground ball hitting the wrong way is two runs that's just my opinion Hayward trying to get off the bag at third as altu takes a breaking ball for a strike it's one and two not so sure the next guy up they're going to play that close you I'm not so sure they pitch to him that's a good point if altu doesn't get the runs home that's fine keep moving Altuve grounds one to short they will not send the runners and that'll be a ground out for out number one that's a read play there by the uh by Jason over there at third base whether not you're going to go home probably you know a ball to the short stops left he probably would have made it without a throw obviously but see what they do for now they are not going to intentionally walk yordon Alvarez infields back now with one out just interesting to me I I'm trying to figure that one out right there why the infield was in previous and not now yeah I would think the contact play has to be on now with the infield oh no he's going now that's not even a contact play really I mean you there's nowhere that he can't as soon as he makes contact it's on the ground if you're going to call that a contact way but generally that's a contact is when the infields in right yeah I I don't understand that one yon having a huge season on the road this year that doesn't shock me um you know he's he's just different this guy he's not they're not going to throw anything close they might as well just go ahead and put them on now yeah even the catchers Looking In The Dugout like what are we doing yeah so there you go those was the old unintentional intentional walk he does get credited for an intentional walk with that fourth one being given so now it's janner Diaz's turn yeah so so if you do that play with with bringing the infield halfway with Altuve you know I understand it if you just walk yordon up straight up right now but why even throw three pitches uh unless you got verland or madox out there where you know they they know where they're throwing baseball now you've got the RBI leader on the Astros at the plate with the base is loaded he has batted more with the Bas is loaded than anybody on the team as he fouls one away it's 0 and one that's a good swing right there he's trying to hit the ball the other way uh you know he's made such an adjustment Yer on on not swinging everything that he sees up there that's why you see the success he's had with runners in scoring position this year coner hitting 358 with runners in scoring position he sends this one over the head of India into right center field being waved around Chaz McCormack here comes a throw from Frey not in time we're tied at two two more RBI for Yer Diaz 77 on the year so I told you about the first swing that he hit the ball hit the ball the other way he was trying to hit the ball that way and so he gets another pitch does the same thing and hits the ball to right field that's how you drive in a lot of runs it's people don't realize that they think it's the home run the Home Run is not what drives in a ton of runs it's the base hits over the second basem head that drives in two that's how you drive in a bunch of runs you know we have a lot of guys in in baseball now that they can drive in 80 90 runs okay but the guys that really Drive in runs the big runs are the guys that get the either the two out hits or the base hits that go over the second baseman's head from a right-hander that drive in two now if that ball was hit a little bit harder you would have had first and third there you know but it's just whatever it's a great outcome for us uh and a great at bat and making a decision to try and hit the ball the other way instead of trying to oh I got the bases loaded I got to do this I got to do that he did what the defense and the Pitcher gave him and got us two two RBI on on a beautiful piece of hitting and we mentioned his wrist numbers he has made teams pay when they have pitched around yordon Alvarez and you have to have that because you're going to pitch around yordon so now Jeremy Peña bats with first and second in a tie game and Peña goes after the first pitch it's 0 and one Jeremy struck out on three pitches his first time up so Jeremy needs to do the same thing he needs to let the ball travel to him and hit the ball the other way and Jeremy's done a great job of that um Jeremy's ceiling is is so high you know he's he's only going to get better he's you know if he just sees that ball a little bit longer it'll be so much better in this situation takes that one it's one of one and when you see him do that where he takes his arm and he weighs he's just trying to tell himself to stay back Jer he had two RBI base hit his final at bat of the game yesterday has a four game hitting streak going starting today and has a 2-1 count here the Astros have the go-ahead run on second base in yordon Alvarez and yer Diaz on first he saw that good so he's probably going to get a slider here got the slider and got a little quick yeah so they threw in that courtesy fast ball there to try and get it to onew missed it at 2-1 but he had swung at a bad breaking ball and so pretty much you guaranteed to get it there there you go that's a pitch that when he's struggling he doesn't necessarily take and now it's three and two yeah that's the change up so now the question is is he going to throw the slaughter if he doesn't shake at all I think he's going to throw a slauter didn't Shake y got the slid one stayed up on the plate a little bit and to be honest with you you got to hit you got to keep that ball Fair like that's the difference you you know that's a pitch that you got to keep fair and drive just enough to stay alive fouling one at the plate see that's you you got to just let you got to see the ball don't be afraid to get jammed here you know because getting jammed is those two out hits or that you know over the second baseman's head Jer Diaz with a two RBI base hit over the head of Jonathan India and now another 3-2 pitch coming to Peña Peña into right field shallow and that is going to be caught by fry yordan was off the bag and he has to hustle in that's a close play that's his ankle there Yan's ankle came off the bag hopefully he's fine he seems to be okay for now he had to slide in in a hurry they're going Reds are going to determine whether they're going to challenge this [Applause] play they are not going to look at it you see how far yordon was [Applause] yeah I didn't think that was close at second did you I thought it was fairly close I guess you're right I'm just worried about yodan getting hurt you know yon's been you know pretty flat you know he's trying to run now stole Bas the other the frisky is the word I'm using yeah or you're using I should have used never mind I'm having a tough time this is my first time back here in a while well we had uh we got interrupted by the Chaz double we're starting to talk about Jose Rio oh yeah Rio couldn't get me out for a little bit and then he hit me and then I looked at him in the Dugout and he had a white towel and he w I'm done so he hit you yeah he did I knew because he couldn't get you out yeah and I knew it and then the next time up I hit a line draft through was right between his legs on the mountain almost hit the rubber that was your payback yeah it was and then the other numbers that we saw that were good were against the the guy just you're right doing JB radio work for the Reds well JB likes to throw fast balls and four seamers and I could hit those and he had a curveball he needed to come up with a [Laughter] slider should have put those numbers up when he was in the booth we mentioned it was going to be a shorter day for Julian agar this might be the end of his [Music] afternoon David Bell out to the mound you see the Lefty Sam Maul warming up yeah and there is a lefty John Singleton two up so we're going to have a pitching change here agar's afternoon is over after two and two3 innings come to minime park to cheer on the Astros scan the QR code or visit astros.com ticks to purchase tickets could you doing a promo how about that two2 game here in Cincinnati Astros will see a new pitcher as John Singleton is Du up in the Lefty Sam Maul is on the mound f ball Sinker sweeper guy I promise he's going to get some sweeper at some point here yeah he throws more sweepers to lefties at any other pitch he starts them off with a f ball in one and0 it's Okay asro saw Maul with the Oakland A's and then moved on to Cincinnati last season of the trade deadline where the Reds were going for a playoff spot that one's wide two and0 time in backs ended up getting that last wild card spot in the National League and the Reds fell just short that final weekend it's a pitch right here where John's got to stay back and think left Center here right two pitch from the Lefty tough pitch right there good not no swing John Skies one to center field pretty well hit but Fredo looks like he has a play and he does on the warning track he puts it away for the final out of the inning Astros get a couple of runs they do so with two hits and a couple of walks we're TI too or and what about the months of August for Spencer erti and Hunter Brown eight quality starts an ER combin of 171 opponent hitting just 164 and their K percentage way up at 31.7% the Astros next two pitchers in this series after the rare mids series off day tomorrow are going to be Spencer erti and Hunter brown but today the Reds have the task facing Justin Verlander who since those three walks to start the game has limited the Reds to just a couple of singles so far as theyve B here in the third inning facing JV for the second time Tyler Stevenson walked his first time up completing that Trifecta of three straight walks to start the game yeah back to even and now jv's got a whole new ball game y here in the bottom half of the third inning but it's not often you go into a series like this one for Cincinnati where the guy of the three started here facing who is not the hottest pitcher yeah true is Justin Berlin true those other two as we just showed the fans Spencer G Hunter Brown what a month of August they had unbelievable the growth that they've made um you know just just talking to them in the clubhouse they're just different animals and if you watch when they pitch they talk about Mom presence they both got Mom presence out there like they're in control of the game uh it's been fun to watch those two guys will pitch Wednesday and Thursday to wrap up this series this ball grounded to the left side off the glove of duban and in the left field Stevenson's going to reach Kan you was also going for that baseball it would have been a tough play had it reached JP so here are the three pitchers that since August first have done some damage how about Farber a couple of no hit bids in the month of August yeah I mean and look at the ER the opponent batting averages I mean they're minuscule I mean just straight domination um like I said if you got pitching you can win and we got pitching and you know we having a piece together some of our lineups our guys have been out um but if you can go out there and throw those numbers out there you got a chance to win every game and our guys they that's what they've done there's really no better examp example of that that when both Spencer and Hunter were struggling early in the year the team was 12 and 24 and as those guys have turned so has the team if older Astro fans can remember we tried that in 2000 where all we're going to do is score runs and not Pitch that didn't work out too good this ball in the shallow left center field Chaz McCormack will make the catch and that's the first out let's welcome in Lauren calendar yeah guys you're talking about Spencer retti and we chatted a lot this morning and he told me from the beginning of the Season till now he feels 100% different he said he feels more confident walking into the yard who he is as a person even who he is as a pitcher and where he stands in the clubhouse he said the Comfort level has gone a really long way he also as we mentioned before getting the help from so many veterans and and future Hall of Famers has helped out a little bit too well it does I mean just little things you know I know JV has talked a lot about conviction on our guys and where you're throwing pitches well I'm going to go in here and I'm going to really get in there and then I'm just going to throw away and he's like well what what do you mean you're just going to throw it away you have to you have to go like you really want to throw the ball away and make convicted pitch to where you want to throw it and little things like that make the difference um you know and this is a ball club that everybody's trying to help everybody get better whether it's guys in the cage trying to help another player get better whether it's a pitching another pitcher talking to another pitcher trying to get better or more importantly a hitter talking to a pitcher to let them know what they see uh and that's what our guys have done great and this is what you know I've tell people all the time since 2015 everybody on this team roots for each other and tries to make each one each other other player better and that's that's some special stuff that you don't see every day in this game you already have the co- pitching coaches Josh Miller Bill Murphy who sits out in the pen then you've got the catchers who are always working with the pitchers and Alex bregman seems to be another guy who really works with the pitchers as much as some of the other guys as much as some of the catchers on the team he's really focused in on what the pitch are doing the opposition well you know and I've told this to our organization internally like pitchers need to talk to hitters cuz we're going to tell you what how we feel in certain situations and that's what Alex is doing for our pitchers and he can see stuff at third base that other people can now tuve puts that one away on the 3-2 popup second out of the inning so that popup right there Jose as the ball's in the air he's watching The Hitter if the hitter does not run he's thinking about dropping that ball you can't just drop it nowadays and hit it in your glove and Let It Drop it has to actually hit the ground and it's kind of tough on dirt a little bit easier on Turf but on dirt you better be very conscious because that ball was up in the air but that's what Jose was doing was checking out the guy to see if he was running hard to First and in today's game there's a lot of guys that don't run hard to first base so you can get that out you can get that you know mistake and get a double play out of it here's Ty France that makes me always go back to an infield fly rule I've never understood why more infielders don't try just just let it go see what happens cuz somebody's going to panic somebody's going to panic you're 100% correct this ball hit pretty well to right back on it goes Hayward and that ball is off the- wall Hayward to try and play it back in quickly they're going to hold the runner at third good job by Jason to get that ball back in in a hurry to prevent that run from scoring yeah nice job by Jason get that ball and hit Altuve perfectly and Altuve is telling him right Jason right now nice job uh Jason knows what to do with the baseball before even it's B all ball is even hit what you're supposed to do is an outfielder and you hit our guy right in the chest it didn't took a great bounce for him either it kind of sat there off the wall and what you don't know is that play right there that third base is watching that to see where he's going to throw that ball and that determines whether or not he's going to send the runner from from second to score uh so now we have a chance here to keep that run from scoring kind of shockingly Ty France has another hit against the Astros two for two I don't want to hear that name any he's just an Astros killer now Jake fry who fed out to right his first time up Justin as he likes to do will work out of the windup here with the runners on second and third misses low with a fast ball one and0 we get out of this inning remember that play that that Jason just did right there those little things little [Music] things there's a good pitch for strike one to [Music] [Applause] [Music] one Red's making JV work today at 6 65 pitches with with this next delivery in the third inning down and in two and [Music] [Applause] one look a pitch one good hook in there it is ball went straight down too as you notice it doesn't go sideways so stayed in the strike zone try to strand Runners at second and third here towards the middle Jeremy p is right there JP makes the throw to first in time to get Frey and Justin does strand two runners in scoring position good play by Hayward to keep the run off the board we're still tied it two we were talking a little earlier about the additions of the veteran Corner outfielders Ben Gamble and Jason Hayward they have done a nice job since putting an Astros uniform on they really have they come in fit right into our clubhouse made some plays got a chance to play and they' they've produced um what more can you ask from our front office to get guys out there that can do that and let me tell you something you got to be able to it's not just that you can be good in the clubhouse and that's okay you got to be able to play uh and defense is is a huge part of what we do you know we pitch great we play great defense and we try not to strike out too much camell trying to bun his way on misses the punn it's own and one the spot of the lineup where the Astros have two lefties and three out of four and it's early in the game so Joe spot is not going to mess with pinch hitting this early no so this is where Maul comes in to this segment of the lineup Lefty on Lefty he's able to retire John Singleton for the final out of the third and now facing Hamill here to start this Hamill here to start this inning the truth of the matter is since the injury to Kyle Tucker on June 3rd the Astros haven't had great production from their Corner spots in the Outfield so these guys come in gaml and Hayward and they're given an opportunity to play right away yeah that's what I was saying earlier that Joe has to put it together you know and look at matchups and how each guy matches up with with the opposing pitcher so you know when you lose Kyle Tucker you're going to lose production no matter what I mean he means so much to our ball club and him being out there and what he can do not only just off offensively but what he can do defensively too and you miss that you're going to suffer a little bit but yet we've gone and now we're six games up in our division biggest lead of the season for the astr crazy yeah unbelievable to be 10 games back especially to increase your lead going through the Red Sox Orioles Phillies and Royals those four teams in succession 18 games worth yeah I mean our guys get grinded it's not the first time we play good teams put it that way excuse me 14 games worth against those four teams but 18 straight games before tomorrow's first off day in a while the injury report is presented by dat we're going to see some video pregame of Kyle Tucker that's a familiar face talking to tuck what is it what's that guy doing out there how about tuck running close spot said 85% he was 85% he was running well uh did a whole bunch of things you just got to get probably back on the you know the bases a little bit see how that looks turning things like that to get him in baseball shape and we'll see how we go from there what about the thought that he might return without a rehab assignment after being out 3 months well he he does face lives you know and that matters um but you know there's there's nothing wrong with him as far as upper his upper body his shoulders his elbows or anything like that and when you can hit as well as Kyle Tucker you don't need many I mean we always used to say that why am I going to waste hits down in the minor leagues if I can get them I'll take him up there I mean I anybody can make outs in the big leagues but or outs down in the minor league but you know don't waste their bats down there when you could be up here and he's Kyle Tucker you know what I mean it's it's like yordon does yordon need you know extra at at bats in the minor leagues to be h no he doesn't these guys know what they're doing uh they'll be fun so the other day facing a guy like an auto local guy who's pitching the big league through the years trying to ramp him up and and act like it was almost like a minor right you just you just want to see pitches out of an arm you know when you get in the cage and stuff like that you know a lot you know you have batting practice pitches but it's controlled environment take the cages away and go out there in the middle of the field and do your thing and he'll be fine o and two the count to Mauricio duban who takes a pitch on the outside corner for a call third strike Deon has not loved the umpiring so far his first two it bats he thought the last it bat he hit one foul that was R Fair yeah that one was a a breaking ball as a right-hander you're not thinking that ball ever gets back to home plate I've seen that pitch a thousand times in my career where it doesn't even look like it's could be a strike and you go back and look at it and it was tough pitch pitcher pitch now Jason Hayward not a whole lot of advat for Hayward against lefties this year but he's paired okay as he takes a strike here it's 0 and one only 14 and bats on the season facing left-hand pitching he's four for 14 with a home run that's not bad it'll work yeah take a homer right here that one in but like you said you're not pinch hitting right now um you know you're you're going to let the guys play eventually they're going to have to replace their pitcher so we're okay yeah Sam mul reliever not probably going to go beyond this inning he might not make it if Jason gets a hit right here out of this in and there's their long guy they were anticipating Carson Spears would be their long guy today or spes would be their long guide today there's Hayward into the corner and right field but it's hooking and it's going to go foul my wife always asked me that game oh he hit a home R I said now watch The Hitter The Hitter will tell you whether it's fair or not yeah if he doesn't if he's not running then it's not that's not a hit it's amazing how quick you guys know oh yeah the sound tells you [Music] too on two pitch he stays alive on a pitch in on him Astros and reds tied it two the red scored two runs in the first after Justin Verlander walked three to start the game Astros answered back with a B a loaded to RBI hit by Jer Diaz in the third little Tapper slowly hits a second charging is India he'll make the play to get Hayward for the final out of the inning Astros down in order here Sam Maul throws a perfect fourth we head to the bottom [Music] half we welcome you back in Justin Verlander the starting pitcher for Houston the this afternoon he's the focus of our what's on tap presented by Art IPA as we enter the final month of the regular season we have to reflect on the success JV has had in the September October months throughout his time with Houston if you look at those numbers 18 and four the sub2 ER crazy stuff Joe es spot told us earlier today JB knows what September looks like and we need to see the Justin that we've seen in the past and guys if history is any indication we can probably anticipate some great outings from the veteran down the stretch yeah he closes he closes out a season he closes out starts he knows his body better than anybody and he figures out a way no matter what age he is to finish strong yeah I think I think that's on point what you just said right there and I also think a lot of pitchers somewhere between the middle of July and the middle of August kind of they call it like a dead arm where they don't feel as great but jv's work ethic is so great and such an awareness of his body like you said that prepares him for the Run um and that's why you see those numbers if we get that JV we'll be in pretty good shape everybody else has been unbelievable yeah I pretty much his whole career has been like that so I look forward to watching he played here plenty of times what about the Shadows right now doesn't matter here no no because of the back all I need to is square it up and I'm good but yeah no I mean I I've never had a problem here there's some ballparks that can be real bad um Pittsburgh's bad uh but I don't think here is as bad that one hook Bou stays one and two on Santiago espanol and the what I say with the generally like in Pittsburgh the sun kind of just shines right on the backdrop and it's shining so you can't see anything for the first two innings uh you see that a lot in that ballp part you can't see swinging a Miss there's the first strikeout of the day for Justin Verlander picking up strikeout number 343 in his career Two away from the top 10 all time [Music] settling in now he hasn't had a ton of swing and miss so far it's all right long as he getting outs get stay away from TY France that pitch is down so do you remember when they moved from Riverfront here to Great americ the first time you took BP here were you thinking oh yeah no because if anybody that knows me and see me take BP it really doesn't matter I'm terrible POS because I don't care I'm not there to try and hit home runs I wait for adrenaline uh and when it matters I just trying to get loose or I'm just talking but did you guys see the stadium and think all right this is yeah this is going to work well you don't know that like you said it's the first time in what 2003 when it opened uh but then when you watch it play out as you're playing you go Wow Pass Jose Altuve into center field ahed Rosario who lined out the center his first time up as a base hit now word from Buick GMC there are trucks and there's the truck the GMC Sierra now when I saw when I saw batting practice uh in minute May which was Enron back there when our pitching staff literally went into the corner with pacifiers and they were crying like babies um that's when I knew it was going to be an interesting year that ball hit well to right field but Hayward has it lined up and he puts it away India retired for the second out so first I mean obviously it was an extreme pitcher park though Astron and now all of a sudden you go up to Enron minimade Park yeah and that first look they're like you got to be kidding me oh yeah it was unbelievable you should have seen them crying um and you know and they pitched like they that too but and then when Oswalt and Miller came and all that they dominated there uh There Are Places to pitch in that ballpark uh it just you know when you got left fielders short but if you just saw it what we did in the beginning of the show this place is smaller than minute may you know by a lot M um so I'm sure their pitchers here had a problem as well good pitch thinking a Roy O he used to dominate the Reds in his career yes he did Ellie D Cruz the batter with a 2-0 count D Cruz walked scored a run in the first inning and also flyed out to left Justin has scattered five hits over four Innings of work one of those hit score to run a tie France two out single there's a strike two and one oh there's the overlay that we showed you earlier if you look at it now it it's really the same ballpark until you get to the to right center and to straightaway Center obviously so you know left-handed hitters they love coming here from our ballpark it's a good hitters ballpark that's all I can say and I've said that enough during this broadcast but uh it's a fun place to hit at you know and you unless you pitch with your fast ball a lot and be able to get guys off pitches you're going to have trouble pitching here three and one the count to De La Cruz and Verlander walks his fourth batter of the game the first walk since he walked three to start [Music] yeah I don't think if you turn onto the broadcast a little bit late and you say walk three in the first inning like he walked three right off the get go uh and to be where we are right now um he's done a great job see the pitch count it's rare for JB to be a this high in pitch count in the fourth inning and B to have more pitches out of the Zone than strikes which is the case today 41 balls 40 strikes Stevenson grounds won foul and one you know and he you know throughout the years if you listen to JV he talks about his mechanics all the time some he battles with that sometimes you know trying to figure it out and find it um you know and that's what he's doing right now he's he's battling through this this is what great pitchers do they figure it out uh and that's what jv's doing we just got worded from our truck and they do great research down there our producer Carl Patterson 522 career start for Justin verland the first time he's ever started a game with three walks yeah um you and I both believe that and now he the man Carl figured it out for us that it was correct he had two starts where he's walked two in a row but he's never had of his 521 previous outings a start like today yeah yeah that was that was strange it was a combination of not getting the low strike yeah and mechanics were off yeah and you knew the mechanics were off when the the V on the fast ball was 91 mph swinging a Miss he gets Stevenson here second strikeout of the inning he's now one behind Matt Scherzer for the top 10 all time in strikeouts and major league history we welcome you back in it's time for our HGB power play yordon Alvarez hit two homers at M made Park yesterday afternoon in the stro 7-2 win over Kansas City those home runs were his 29th and 30th of this 2024 campaign putting him at that 30 home run Mark for the fourth consecutives season pretty impressive stuff considering only one other Astros reached that Mark he went on to have eight consecutive 30 Homer seasons and he's a Hall of Famer baggie of course I'm talking about you what's impressed you most about yordon the last few seasons well in order to do that you just have to consistency and be out there every day and yon's out there with one of the best swings I've ever seen with tremendous power uh no matter where he is and if he stays healthy he's just going to do some amazing things and you know to have four already uh of 30 home runs in the season consecutively he just stays healthy you know the skies are the limit for him and the records are his to be taken so I'm just happy and privileged to have a seat to watch it and to have a relationship with yordon and I love the kid I really do Reds go to a new pitcher here to face Chaz McCormack it'll be Chaz then Jose Altuve and yordan Alvarez facing Carson spes you know his uncle I do my neighbor Billy spers um one of the best utility players that I've ever played with or seen he could really do everything he could play Short play Third second whatever um and he really really is a great teammate great golfer too um you know you don't it's really hard to find guys like Billy spers if he didn't have you know some injuries with his back he would have played every day but uh you know just a great teammate everything about him so I just helped up his his nephew ser gives up a few hits maybe a couple homers when do you call him your neighbor what do you mean in spring training when we had the new facility brought in after we left the one we had in CMI um we had lockers right next to each other so we were neighbors you and Philly yeah we were neighbors great teammate huh oh God he's the best two and two the count to Chaz who doubled his first time up just back from the minor leagues playing today with Jake Meers away for fraternity leave and Chaz will send this one to right for the first out Carson spes from Greenville South Carolina yeah it's where the from it's a guy that can give the Reds multiple Innings and imagine that's what they're expecting from him today David Bell going to spes here in the fifth after a starter work two and two3 and they got an inning and a third out of Sam Maul now Jose Altuve who fed out to right and also grounded out that's here well that one looks like he the Shadows might have been a problem he saw that one [Music] though Jose dhed yesterday fourth time he dhed this season and I guess he I guess he likes he doesn't mind DH DH is a tough tough animal uh it's a little bit easier when you get older but when you're younger just to be able to manage your mind after you're at bats for eight more guys is not that [Music] easy and what I mean by that is you punch out your first step bat you got to think about that that's why I like playing defense I can go out and think about defense and all that kind of stuff but other than that you got to sit there and think about it and what happens is it gets you to where you want to get up there and do something your next step bat so bad you end up swinging at bad pitches then you got to deal with that for another guy so it's really tough you got to be really strong and you got to be really into being a DH it's not very easy to do no 3-2 pitch drops in there for a called third strike spires freezes out tuve that's the second out of the inning and spes picks up his first strike out but you can da should be yordon and just hit homers and do whatever the heck e you do and it becomes real easy but still it's it's when people say it's an off day DH and that doesn't compute to me because hitting is such a mental thing that it's really not an off day yon hitting home runs and backto back at bats yesterday what was the difference for him yesterday Lauren talking about it uh earlier today and if you noticed if you were at the game he changed his walkup music after his first step bat to a Cuban song but he told me his son begged him to have the Astros ballpark entertainment play that as his walkup song uh it's his favorite song and he says every time we're in the car poppy play this song and so he changed it uh and there's actually guys someone just sent me a video on Instagram that the Astros uh account posted his son called his first shot yesterday so I'm going to turn the volume up and listen to it but uh I said hey does that mean you have Dad strength dad power he said yep all my son all because of my son so his son loves this song which is his new walk up that's fair I like that and he's only three so he's got good taste of music I guess Gordon hits it hard but foul where you going clar Dave Clark always down the line when y on bats smart man he is nowhere close to the first base coaches box that's shallow right field exactly I don't blame him no I don't either I love him get late in the game and then they tell the infield to come in yon's up like no I'm good good where I am I'm real good right here yordon has been intentionally walked and reached on an error almost hits his back foot on that breaking ball instead it goes to three and two so Puma was not consecutive season so you had eight in a row and nine total yordon got four in a row and Lance had five straight or five in a row but not consecutive or five total not consecutive yeah that was a long time ago you did all right I did okay uhoh that's a pitch on the plate y on not expecting that at call third strike to Altuve and Alvarez here to end the fifth Houston asro baseball and Space City home network is presented by HB here everything's better by your local Nissan dealers at Nissan we make cars a thrill experience the thrill for yourself today shop nissanusa.com and by Gallery Furniture it made in America is important to you shop Gallery Furniture today Justin Verlander in his fifth inning of work starts off facing TJ Fredo who has lined into a sacrificed fly and flyed out to Center drove in the game's first run after Verlander walked the base is loaded to start the game you know I was telling you TK I don't I don't remember this thing being bad with the Shadows but I'm just watching a lot of guys taking a lot of pitches for strikes right now so maybe maybe there is something to it out there we'll find out after the game so you're starting to think it may have yeah cuz they're taking pitches he didn't see that one very good no no so now we're going to say this is a a good time for pitchers yeah you would think I just you know you don't see yordon and Altuve just taking pitches for called third strikes see if berlander can take advantage he has not had a clean inning to this point in fact he has had two base runners or more on in three of the four Innings but he picks up his third strike out here and that ties him with Max Sherer 10th all time on the Major League Baseball strikeout list [Music] 3,45 a change up right there down not so sure Shadows had anything to do with that that was just a great pitch berlander was in the top 10 from May 24 through July 25th and then he moved out of the top 10 when he was on the ilil and Ma Sherer passed him is there is there anything interesting about this whole thing for you and me like ferlander and sherp who both went to the Mets and I mean this but sh is going to have to pitch for another three or four years CU I don't think jv's going anywhere so are currently on the is now burland are trying to pass him and move back into the top 10 he's currently tied for 10 who's nine just we just showed you oh I wasn't watching I was watching the game my bad oh that's okay they're they're 100 away from being able to 100 okay got it from being able to clear we'll show you again just in case the fans at home missed [Music] [Applause] it see you got the big train oh that guy yeah that guy yeah Walter Johnson yeah big train 100 they can he can get there so once they get there there's a good chance Walter won't regain the lead I don't think so there's a ground ball to the left side of duban pretty good arm from duie from that side as he throws out Spencer steer for the second out join us this Friday for the Astros charity nighted an opportunity to add to your sports collection with an Arctic coolers bag while donating to a great cause all proceeds benefit the Astros Foundation sunshine kids candle lighters Texas Children's Cancer Center and big love see you Friday for the Astros charity night only on Space City home network big train big train he gets past that that's I mean it's something his whole career has been incredible look at this you got to be kidding me what why do you say that oh France yeah it's France against the Astros he's got 12 more hits against the Astros than any team he plays in his career he is a career 319 hitter against the Astros and there you see it he's catching Simeon and trout I don't want to can we take him off the broadcast somehow no he's part of the team he needs to go away he's got three more hits today 79 unev 79 hits against the Astros no other team does he have 68 hits against this ball slicing towards the corner it's a foul ball off the bat of Jake freeley and it's not you know Verlander had trouble with France too it's not no it's the uniform who would you who would I mean Cincinnati obviously one of the teams San Francisco maybe oh yeah those are the two teams used to the uniform when they were in candles stti yeah no matter who was pitching it didn't matter no you were like I'm my friend Mark Portugal hit me hit me because I was getting too many hits off him he he said just take one cuz I can't get you he I said what are you how do your mind I was playing golf with him after the game too and I said por are you out of your mind he goes well I knew you weren't going to charge me so somebody had to hit you I said all right fair enough what yeah so that kind of goes back where I he threw a fast ball into your ribs yeah and then you play golf with him after the game yeah he don't throw hard enough he's all I mean sometimes you got to do that a guy hits you then he knows he's te it up I told youit te it up with you re yeah and yeah and he knew I wasn't going to charge him so he said somebody on the team had toy somebody had to it might as well be me did he what did you do you just stared at him or you just walked in first well I said some things to him I was walking and then I got in the car with him after that's when he told me somebody had to hit you figured might will be me he goes you ain't going to charge me I said no I'm not he hits you in the ribs yeah and then afterwards takes you to go play golf yeah that's crazy that's all right look at my numbers in Candlestick you're reason why oh I I saw the only place you hit better than Cincy yeah Candlestick was there yeah which is crazy cuz that's a terrible hitter part but when it's 365 to the alley I can I can reach that with any kind of wind you loved it there except defense I hated defense because pop-ups pop-ups you had Fair territory was still where you and I are sitting that's true 3-2 pitch it's grounded to the right of Altuve into right center field for a base hit France will get to third so a couple of two out base hits here and the Reds threatening here with a two two game in the fifth Joe a spot is out of the Dugout this might be the end of the day for Justin berlander I don't know burland is looking at him like uhuh J's trying to talk his way into one more batter this is the rookie manager and the veteran no chance future first ballot Hall of Famer having a little discussion here is Joe going to let him stay in yes he is come on guys come on man he said no chance no chance no chance it's coming out no chance that could have been planned by Joe too knowing he was going to yeah I mean just see where he was take his temperature kind of exactly of course it is that's why I go out there but there's no chance he's coming out as soon as he started looking there's no chance you're taking him out again so now he goes after Santiago espanol trying to get through five innings Verlander has gone five innings in each of his two starts since coming off the iil this is the first time he has thrown 100 pitches since coming off the injured list Santiago espanol has sled out and struck out and swings and misses at the fast ball 0 and one whatever he's got in the tank right now is coming out cuz this is it no matter what this is classic JV knows it's his last batter might even touch a five here 95 maybe that was 94 the one beforeand jv's firmest fast ball today today is been 95.1 oh yeah dropped that in for a strike one and two we had no chance of coming out of that game no chance see but it's not that Joe was knew he was maybe he's giving him a break too you know you give him a bre yeah and that is part of it and you got to do that popped into shallow right long run for Hayward still coming on it's going to be a foul ball right near that tarp down the right field side in foul territory and Joe might start to get cold down there he wanted to warm up a little bit get out in the sun although it's kind of shaded out there now but yeah you you know JB is going to get the leash I promise you that this will be the highest pitch count for Verlander this season in his 13th start of the year but JB is all about starters starting and going deep into games that's who he is that's what he wants and he's not going to come out there and say oh come get me there's no way needs one more quality pitch to get through five there's the five got to 95 that matches his firmest fast ball of the day now you going to get as that pitch right there not only he didn't get the strike out but he got the top rail 95 now he can do a little bit of everything right here Runner goes on the pitch so fry takes second base that'll be stolen base number 17 for fry that's a no throw through also interesting no cover no not at all change up a hook into right field shallow back goes Singleton over comes out tuve it drops in for two runs nobody could get there Singleton Hayward Altuve dropped right in between the three of them and that's a frustrating way for Justin Verlander's day to end as the Reds take a 4 to2 lead yeah it's in no man's Lane remember what I talked about earlier about getting jammed that's what happens sometimes when you get jammed Falls in over Lander will walk off the mound after his highest pitch count of the season a frustrating day that started with three walks and ends with a bloop to score two runs he leades down four- two Red's taking a 4-2 lead here with three two out hits to end Justin berlander day JV goes four and two3 innings gives up four runs at this point he is responsible for the runner espanol on first base and Caleb wart takes over for the Astros yeah I mean Joe did the right thing not going to take Verlander out in that situation it took a bloop hit down the first base you know between the out outfielders the infielders everybody's diving for the ball stolen base for espanol as the Astros really haven't been paying too much attention here to the base runners in this inning that's 180 and 181 steals for the Reds this season second in Major League Baseball excuse me 181 steals for the team that's a lot now that's all dancing off second and ort gets a check swing foul ball one1 the count to Ahmed Rosario see with two outs as a hitter you don't want to see anybody dancing around second base especially a right-hander throwing you're looking right in that spot but [Applause] whatever upstairs with a fast ball two and one Caleb ort pitched an inning yesterday needed nine pitches to wrap up that seven to2 game against the Royals pitched the ninth inning in start of the handshake line through the middle that'll be another run charg to berlander around third comes espanol but corm MC throw will be cut off B loose on the infield but nobody else advancing it's now a 5-2 Cincinnati leadlander charged with five runs in this inning or in the start three coming in this inning with two outs and nobody [Music] on yeah Stone base comes back to haunt you right [Applause] there now Jonathan India takes a pitch upstairs for ball one see that was a slide step right there through when the guy stole he wasn't a slide step can't just give up and stolen bases here you go Reds took the final game of a four game series against Milwaukee yesterday winning in 11 Innings four to three now trying to defeat the Astros for a seventh consecutive time Houston hasn't beaten the red since the 2016 season no kidding Cincinnati swept the Astros at Mid Park last year I do remember that and then the last time the Astros were here was in June of 2019 and Cincinnati won three games in a row all by one run little Tapper in front of the plate Yer drops it but now he picks it up the runner's on the grass so if a throw would have hit him he would have been ruled out you would have thought but India thrown out either way that'll do it for the Reds but they score three runs with four two out hits and Lead this game 5 to2 take home a one-of aind bobblehead on Saturday as 10,000 fans will receive a Jeremy Peña Flex bobblehead presented by Dogg it grab your tickets now at astros.com promotions TK baggy I have a trivia question for you down here the last time the Astros beat the Reds was in 2016 who was the starting second baseman in that game can youall remember what year 2016 that was before I started working for the Astros so it's obviously not Altuve cuz that would be too obvious no not Altuve he deach that day I'm being told gner Diaz takes a c strike Carson spires back out there for a second inning of work baggie still tossing around this no I'm not I wasn't in my right mind you guys ready for the answer yes Danny Worth Danny Worth was the starting second base in that oh that works good start off the glove of Tai France and yer Diaz is going to reach a ground ball that France had to move toward second base for and he couldn't come up with a backhand play cleanly and jer's going to reach see that's a play right there where the first baseman's got to understand where the second basement is you got to have communication there you don't think about it you know first basement second basement but it matters why if you do it with third and short why wouldn't you do it at first and second that's a ground ball right to India so we'll take it though they're going to give Yer Diaz a base hit on that ball so that's the first hit for the Astros since Yer drove in two with a single back in the third inning we'll take that you like when hitters get hits yeah I really do there's Jeremy pñ Peña with the foul ball with a 1-1 count 25 games to go in the season the Astros with four weeks to go coming in with a six-game lead in the American League West taking on the Cincinnati Reds in the first of Three Seattle playing in Oakland tonight as they continue their 10 game Road Trip that one's in for a ball two and one Caleb Ferguson beginning to warm in the Astros pen it's Caleb or got the final out of the fifth inning but did allow an inherited run the score the Reds now lead five to2 this one on the ground to third they go to Second for one and Peña hits into a double play Reds go around the horn for double play here to wipe out the initial hit by [Applause] [Music] Diaz yeah that was Taylor Made double play right there even with Jeremy running so now Singleton will bat John is struck out and flly out to Center takes the fast ball for a strike 0 and [Music] one w two tough pitches right there good takes there you see Ferguson he should be the pitcher in the sixth inning that one's down two and one t with that home run yesterday one off his career high TI up getting more playing time than he's ever had since that very first season with the Astros 10 years ago now it's three and one Ben gaml on deck if Singleton reaches getting the heater that'll be ball four so Singleton draws a walk second base runner of the inning Allowed by spers and he'll be there with two outs for gaml now a word from Fred Loya Insurance cers in Texas who switch from these guys to Fred Loya saved an average of $1,700 a year give us a call here's gamble he had a home run in that Series against the Royals out in the Crawford boxes in left field takes one in for a ball here one and0 okay we just got to do one batter at a time here keep getting guys on base keep moving be all right tries to check his swing it's a pitch that gets away from the catcher Stevenson didn't look like it was a wild pitch that might be a pass ball Stevenson couldn't keep it in front of him will be ruled a pass ball on Tyler that was kind of a tweener right there kind of missed his spot now gamble with a two count three and0 all of a sudden seven of the last eight missed by spers maceal duban waits for a return interesting pitch selection there with a slid with a three-run lead there's a strike [Music] cam flipped the bat away but Chris Conroy calls it a strike SP throws that ball away to left-handers he doesn't miss by much he's throwing some real good pitches to John only two two good ones here the gam here so he wants to spike another slauter I'll be okay with it adds down and in there is ball four I slid I told you it's unbelievable I mean with a three-run lead he's been dotting the fast ball away to last two hitters and the only ones he's missing are sliders down and in thank you very much the Victor kartini is going to be called on as a pinch hitter here for Mauricio Duan and with that we'll draw a visit out to the mound Derek Johnson the pitching coach out there having a word with spers as he has walked two here with two outs and now kartini who's been a great pinch hitter for the Astros will get a chance to pinch here yeah two outs in the sixth I'm guessing he's probably our best pinch hit on this year right seven for 15 with a home run in five runs batted in here you see his numbers fourth most hits as a pinch hitter in major league baseball this year so walks to Singleton and gaml and cartini the pinch hitter come on man oh that's too too up in a big situation like that that part of the Zone has not been called No until then it shouldn't be yeah he's shaking his head he knows it too can't make a mistake that's a big pitch in this the first pitch puts him behind in the count with the pitcher who's lost his command a little I don't understand that that one's wide one to one I mean everybody makes mistakes don't give me wrong but not not right there for us we don't need that [Music] swing this guy's been a great addition to the team oh man he's been great um you know I talked about Clubhouse earlier he's great Clubhouse he prepares talks to the you know him and Jer work real well together works real well with the pitchers what he's done offensively for us when he's done defensively for us has been great great sign Ash's picking him up for a couple of Seasons this year in the off season we've been looking at him for a while when he's in Milwaukee too um great addition and then switch hit her off the bench that's the microphone on the broke something that might be our parabolic mic down there hell yeah it's gone the parabolic mic is gone gone with a heart that's a I'm suing look at that somebody's suing he put a heart in the parabolic mic that's that ball hit hard to right field it'll be down for a hit Singleton will be held up and the throw will be cut off kartini another pinch hit for the Astros he's now hitting 500 as a pitch hitter going to fix talk about next next run next guy up awesome yeah he's been amazing he really has he's been [Music] great so now the bases are loaded for Jason Hayward the Astros are going to go to a pinch runner at first base they were going to bring whitcom on to play Third anyhow so he'll run for kartini in Mauricio duan's original spot base is loaded Jason Hayward had a big hit in his first game as an astro at minimade Park with a two RBI double now he's got the tying runs on base that was interesting and what happened well nobody knew Jason asked for time didn't get it and walked out I think catcher's like what are you doing but the Umpire gave it so the Astros trying to answer the Reds rally in the last inning they had two outs nobody on right and had four straight base hits now the Astros trying to answer that with two outs and nobody on walk Walking single now Hayward with the base is loaded nope all of a sudden that dotted up fast ball missing its [Applause] spot two and0 to Jason middle of the way and let it fly look out going after some more microphones yeah the parabolic mic's already down that's in the same area it's two and one Hayward looks like he wants to crush a pitch here he looks like he is just trying to do some damage but he doesn't see a pitch he likes it's three and one now you got to calm down tell yourself all right get a good pitch here get a good pitch here don't get too up in the moment something out over the plate is what you're looking [Music] for so this will be the biggest pitch of the game to this point yeah yes it will be Bases Loaded two outs everybody OB off Singleton from third gaml from second Whit come from first ground ball left side two big hops for espanol his throw in time the Astros will strand the basees loaded little two out rally falls short we are heading to the bottom of the six still 5 to2 League leaders are presented by Houston Methodist when you talk about the combination of extra base hits and stolen bases Ellie DEA Cruz one of the four youngest in fact he's the second youngest all time with 60 extra base hits or and 60 steals ell's at 61 and 61 you have to go all the way back to before the modern era of baseball when Denny Lions did so at age 21 when Denny had 63 extra base hits and 73 steals Jose Reyes pulled the feed off in 2006 Juan Samuell in 198 before but back when Mr Lions was playing they used to give you credit for a stolen base if you went from first to Third on a single or if you scored from second on a single really that was a stolen base back in the premodern day baseball era so you I would have had a bunch more you would have had a lot of steals yeah he used to take second two bases on a base hit a lot I might have been a 400 400 you might have been Ellie Dale and Cruz though in the modern scoring system of stolen bases 61 and 61 I know that's funny how that works he'll face the new pitcher for the Astros Caleb Ferguson also Shay Wickham stays in the game after pinch running he'll be at third base swinging a miss one and two we have his splitz Caleb Ferguson no El Ellie Ellie El versus Lefty righty yeah sure he is down to the count one and two here hitting 225 against lefties as he goes down on strikes there 263 overall that's the side you want him to hit on yeah that's a reason Caleb's in the game part of the reason and is strikeout number 177 for D La Cruz this season leading the major leagues in that category here's Tyler Stevenson well you got two out of three the first three guys are left [Music] stand that one's up for a ball one and0 so the Astros might have some guys in the bullpen not available today we've seen Hector nerys pitch backto back days we also saw Taylor Scott in his one inning throw 33 pitches yesterday that balls through the middle for a base hit Stevenson has his second hit he's on base for the third time today Faith and family night returns to mamade park this Saturday with a postgame concert featuring Christian rapper singer and songwriter Aaron Cole enjoy access to the postgame concert with the purchase of your game ticket get your tickets now at astros.com faai TJ Fredo the batter Fredo takes a fast ball for a strike going one you know a team like this with with Cincinnati they've been you know they run a lot and we know that coming in um that they're going to try and steal bases because they don't have all that much power uh so they have to manufacture runs and that I mean I I love that type of baseball you know I think there are times you know that you got to look at your roster and decide who you are uh not everybody's going to hit the ball out of the ballpark so you're looking for guys that can get on base and guys can move and that's what they do ball in the air to left center field shielding his eyes as Ben gamble but Chaz McCormack has the play Chaz puts it away for out number two at 181 team steals for the Reds only one team in baseball with more that's the Washington Nationals with 187 another team that has to do the same thing you know they got to steal bases you know go first and third second at home you know all those kind of things in order to score runs those don't count as steals anymore no they don't I'm counting nine now I got to figure I got to figure out what it is got to figure out what your new Total is my new Total what was the guy's name Denny Lions yeah we had the graphic right in the beginning of the inning we showed all the hitters in their 21 22 23 year range who had 60 plus Steals and 60 plus extra base hits Ellie Dale Cruz W Sam well Jose Reyes Ron Samuell good dude that's pretty Dynamic you get 60 extra base hits and 60 stol on bases yeah that's a good combo yeah that works one- one pitch is off the plate two and one Denny Lions was the guy's name what year was that 18 887 that right before I came up you're double A 2 one count there's a strike two and two somebody mentioned on X formerly known as Twitter when you said you were terrible in 2003 well I was terrible said I stunk in 2003 well that period of 100 plus at bats that I didn't have a home run okay just want to make sure yeah CU they threw your numbers out there they're pretty good they're okay yeah 100 RBI is good 39 home runs is good that was with one arm one arm so you went 100 bats without a homer and still hit 39 yeah seriously yeah that's hard to do that means like your pace for the rest of the year was like 50ish 60 right I just remember that those are the things I remember when bad that that's what I remember swinging a Miss Caleb Ferguson picks up a strike out to end the inning thought Yer was going after the baseball but he's going after something else so that's a strike out to end it Caleb starts and ends the inning with a k [Music] experience the evolution of the Astros logo this Sunday when 10,000 fans will receive an Astros logo Through Time bucket hat presented by Hela Good Dip visit astros.com promotions to secure your tickets all right Lauren good to have you filling in for Julia Morales for this series is this your first trip into Cincinnati I have never been to Cincinnati before I love I've gotten to see three ballparks that I haven't been to this season while filling in for Julia so this is number 16 for me so uh yeah I'm excited to be here it's beautiful and the weather's great so great to be here with you always good when you can walk from the hotel to the ballpark that makes life easier Chaz McCormack takes a pitch off the plate Chaz getting his third at bet Chaz ended up with a pinch hit two-run home run before he was sent out how about that final game in Philadelphia is Hometown hit one out to right center and he spent a couple of days with the Sugarland Space Cowboys hit a homer down there I think went two for eight didn't hit a homer but had a couple of hits his first game my bad I was just thinking about the one he had before he left and then he came out here and had his first double in a while had been since the middle of June when Chaz last doubled doubled his first time up and his flyed out to right here he's got a three-oh count Carson Spire struggled with the Zone late in that sixth inning and now he's off to a three and0 count here to start this inning and the top of the order do up next yeah you said he was like their long man was going to be here so I'm sure he's trying to get him to this through the seventh here and they taxs their bullpen in that Brewer series including 11 Innings yesterday Jazz fouls back the 3-1 pitch the counts full Milo Pagan warming up in the Reds pen see him to mhm there's ailio beginning to lose up still wearing that familiar number 15 three and two the count to Chaz Chaz Altuve and Alvarez do up Chaz hits It On the Line to Center coming on Fredo and he makes the catch Fredo doesn't always look smooth when he makes the catch but he puts it away for the first down and let me tell you something all that matters is you catch it right and he catches it now Jose Altuve will bat altu looking for his first hit today he's 0 for three Alexis Diaz is normally the Reds closer but he has pitched in four the last five days so he is he's out he is not going to be available today Altuve shows bun and does a good job pulling back the bat taking that down two and0 one at a time Jose let's do it so Spire started out McCormick 3 and0 before he got him to line out to center now he's 2 and0 on Altuve and now it's 3 and0 to the second straight [Applause] batter sp's 56 pitches out of the pen 28 and 28 balls and Strikes you think one of these three 0 counts that he would get he'd walk a guy make it four but he keeps pumping strikes after he does that here we go that's inside Ball Four good start there you go third walk Allowed by spires in the last couple of innings time to play name that Astro powered by Reliant here are today's Clues 1987 first round pick played all over the Field hold that tiger if you know who that asro is go ahead to at Space City A J give your guest we'll give you the answer later on here's yordon Alvarez yordon continued his on base streak now up to 26 games with an intentional walk back in the third still looking for his first H he's 0 for [Music] two you know the answer to that TK I have an idea yeah me too Gordon is the second longest active streak on Bas streak in all of baseball his is now 26 games and the longest active streak is currently 30 Games Francisco Lindor he's been playing well Francisco too see if the big man can find a pitch to his liking here he has 20 home runs on the road this season of his 30 including hitting three in a row out in his last Road game in Philadelphia should see a pitch to his liking here you would think gets it off the end of the bat that had a lot of English on [Music] it as shows have been held to just four hits Yer Diaz has two of those hits the other hits from Victor Kiri and ch McCormick one thing I haven't felt in a long time it's actually feels like it's almost chilly up here little chill how about that plus there's some sort of AC where you walk into in Houston [Applause] temperature was 79 at game time it's now 77 with a little breeze that's it no humidity zero that's down three and two so spers who walked two last inning and almost threw that 3-2 pitch off the plate to Jason Hayward it was tailing and Hayward may have gone after that off off the plate but now he's already walked one this inning and has a 3-2 count on yordon yordon hits one the other way slicing towards the corner that's going to be down for a hit and bounce into the stands for an automatic double Astros will put Runners on second and third with one out yordon doubles the other way that is his 30th double of the Season 3030 how about it yeah I mean I know it's not but it's almost effortless it looks like I mean just like okay I'll flip this one over there there you go oh that's fair okay let me go chess bear inside that line that'll be the last batter for Carson spires to face amilio amilio Pagan will be the new pitcher to face Yer Diaz when we come [Applause] [Music] back five new game Astros down three but they have two Runners on with one out ailio Pagan will be the new pitcher thean will face Yer d as you see righties have hit him well this year he has reverse splits and yer bats with runners in scoring position that has been a specialty for him this year including today as Jers hitting 362 on the year with Runners and scoring position as you look at Pagan's numbers on the year we get strike he's going I feel something good is going to happen for us Diner Skies one into center field that sends Freda all the way back this will easily score Altuve yon's also going going to advance 90 ft it's a 5 to three gain Yer Diaz has driven in all three runs 76 runs batted in on the year one run [Applause] closer now Tu B scoring his team leading 80th run of the season first Astro to 80 runs scored and now Jeremy py will back py looking for his first hit he's got a four game hitting streak [Applause] going Jeremy fouls the fast ball away o and one Peña has seen Pagan three times in his career he has a single a double and a fly out in those three EVS all those came when pan was pitching for the [Applause] [Music] twins yordon Alvarez at third base with two outs Astros down five to three now [Applause] [Music] Jeremy down to the count 0 [Music] [Applause] [Music] and2 thean started his career with the Mariners back in 2017 he's also pitched for Oakland Tampa Bay San Diego Minnesota now the Reds a lot of teams lot of teams seven years two years in San Diego two years in Minnesota up and in to JP it's one and two Astros Bullpen is quiet so Caleb Ferguson will get a second inning of work that's off the plate two and two Astros had an opportunity last inning left the bases loaded they've scored one run here in this inning have a runner at third base with two outs and Peña goes down on strikes to end the inning so the Asos get one run on a hit and a walk and it's now a five to three game seventh inning stretch time here in Cincinnati at the Great American Ballpark we're going to head to Houston and check in with Ash and Bogi in our Rooms To Go [Applause] Lounge stro pole which Astro starting pitcher will have the best September over a, votes came in I hear from our producer fber made a late push in this one that's who y all voted for he passed Spencer but let's be honest guys we want them all to have a great September yeah they all pretty much had a great August at least the top three on that list and we told you about JV finishing strong he normally has good September bramber has been near perfect in two different starts in August he's been really good they all have been it's like you're you know you look at it and you go well really who's going to be it we don't know but if they all pitch like they did in August we're in pretty good shape Astro's pitching staff allowed a 185 opponent's average in August which is the second best month of any team in the history of the game history the other team was Cleveland back in the year of the pitcher 1968 two and one the count to Tai France Astros haven't retired Tai yet today and this ball will be down for a fourth hit Ty France continues to be an Astros killer single double single single today he's knocked in a run he has scored a run he's on base for fourth straight timeing yeah so nauseating certain guys it's just unbelievable certain guys kill the Astros In tha France happens to be that guy no matter what uniform he wears yeah here's fry sending one to short dropped by Peña they're going to call that an out they were going to say he had it and then lost it on the transfer so they're going to get an out either way France was kind of that can't be reviewed I guess not kind of a live ball it was a transfer you were talking about that play earlier I don't think he intentionally dropped that though I don't think so either I think he just took it eye off it when it hit his glove I think it should be not that's that play is not the play you know we were talking about earlier because we're talking about a popup this one was a smoke blind Drive Astros would rather have Tai France on the bases yeah that's a fact Than Jake frees I'd rather have both off now ball to the right side for a base hit espanol who had that flare hit to right field to score two runs Justin Verlander's last batter has his second consecutive hit and now the Reds have Runners on first and second now a word from rant reant official energy provider of the Houston [Music] [Applause] Astros that's a bunch of hits how many they got 12 the reds are up to a dozen hits and one extra base hit 11 singles well adds up to five runs know that does that up to five rounds when you get four straight hits with two outs in the fifth that was the killer yeah it was that was the game you know we talked about that a couple times biggest pitch of the game that one was the two the double down the or the base hit down the right field line and then when we had the Bas is loaded now Rosario the D playing for his third Big League team this year that one gets away from Yer and both Runners will advance Ty France to third Santiago espanol to Second infield in here the infields going to have to come in this two-run game that'll be a wild pitch charge to [Music] Ferguson they're going to get a pinch Runner here for Ty France now that he has reached Third Base so Blake dun who was just activated before the game will be the pinch Runner that's interesting the fact that he waited till he got to third yeah like interesting designated for assignment before the game was Dominic Smith and Blake Dunn recall today from Triple A Louisville so he'll be the runner at third base now one-1 count to Rio Zario slices one the other way that'll be out of play Rosario playing on his third major league team he started the year with Tampa Bay he was traded to the LA Dodgers at the deadline and then after three weeks in La he was put on waivers and claimed by the Reds 90 games with Tampa Bay five with LA and now it's 10th game with Cincinnati swing and a miss Ferguson picks up a strike out that'll be his third strike out and a big out here with Runners on second and [Music] third Astros expanded their roster yesterday adding our positioned player Cesar Salazar third catcher and adding a pitcher Forest Whitley and Whitley is warming up in the Astros pen there you see Forest we saw him once earlier in the season here's Jonathan India top of the order takes one up top for a ball one and0 didn't miss by much it counts two and0 on India India has walked scored a run singled lined out and bounced one in front of the plate officially one for three there's a strike [Music] [Applause] [Applause] got D Cruz on Deck not not a great right-handed hitter that's a strike didn't have to be but it goes the ast's way I just saw his umpire pulling it up so I said oh okay throw a heater in here he's going to be leaning out over that that'll be Ball Four so Dela Cruz will bat with the Bas [Applause] [Music] [Applause] loaded Josh Miller out to talk to Caleb Ferguson couple of hits in a walk here in the seventh Ferguson trying to get through two innings has already thrown 30 [Applause] [Music] pitches we mentioned ell De La Cruz has been better this year as a left-hand hitter than a right-and hitter yeah Kor Cruz 225 with a 673 Ops as a leftand hitter 281 with an 893 Ops as a left-handed hitter there you see the splits [Applause] [Music] yeah struck out against Ferguson the first batter Caleb B [Music] [Applause] top of the Zone strike going one [Music] [Applause] [Music] fuson trying to keep this at a two-run game 0 and two the count on Ellie D La [Applause] Cruz Chopper foul Justin berlander started this game went four and two3 innings he was charged with five runs Kaleb bort allowed an inherited run to score but got through a third of an inning scoreless on his own line and now Ferguson trying to get through two shutout Innings called third strike De La Cruz not happy Ferguson strands the base is loaded strikes out two in this sitting in four in his two innings of work it's still a 5 to3 game welcome back in this week on Astros basis loaded Astros Hall of Famer Renee cardinez tells Julie about his Trail blazing career Jose altu makes more than one fans dream come true and Mauricio duban takes patrolling left field to the next level all that and more on Astros Bases Loaded tonight after final take eighth inning baseball Astros down two alilio Pagan who got two outs last inning back out there for the top half of the eighth inning facing John Singleton Ben gaml Shay witam du up John drew a walk is last time up he's officially 0 for two today Astros being out hit today 12 to5 the Reds have left 12 men on base including the basees loaded in the bottom half of the seventh inning they've had at least one left on in every inning so far today yeah that's tough to comeb back generally but we're still in this ball game only two runs down here mentioned the Reds Bullpen a little bit taxed they're asking for some heavy lifting out of ailio pagan he has only gone more than an inning in a third twice this here so far he's got two-thirds of an inning and reds are hoping he can get through the eighth as well Singleton sends one to Center Fredo back still going back spinning around and making the play DJ Fredo makes that play on the warning track on a deep Fly ball by Singleton get out and play is driven by Toyota we take you back to the 2005 season on this day Brad osmi would hit a game tying home run and then Eric Brunet would walk it off in the 13th the Astros hit game tying home runs in the ninth and the 10th inning including osus in the 10th and then bruntlett walked it off you don't hear that very often osus that's a knock oh ellel Cruz using all of that frame to get up and Rob Ben gamble of a base hit 6' five right there hit it to the wrong guy [Applause] almost came out of his glove in the back a good play tough to get it over his head yeah oh gaml robbed of an attempt at his first hit of the game and now Shay witam bats for the first time witam came on as a pinch Runner after Victor Kini had a pinch hit in place of Mauricio duvon W fouls it away it's one1 Shay batting 258 since he has come up from triaa Sugarland was having a huge year again with the Space Cowboys just like he did last year sure did fouled back to the second deck it's one and two Shay was fourth in home runs and second in RBI in all of minor league baseball at the time of his promotion yeah he was doing it down there bunch of RBI it's that ball the other way foul but so far Shay is not connected in his first 31 at BS on a home run8 for 31 and goes down on strikes here 97 up top picks up a strike out for Pagan Milo Pagan face five batters retired all five we head to the bottom of the eighth 5 to three the Astros Foundation charity game auction is live and runs through this Sunday bid on exclusive experiences and merchandise to help raise money for Childhood Cancer to see the full list of auction items go to astros.com charity game Astros with a five-game winning streak on the line they Trail five to three as we head to the bottom half of the eighth inning it's our second look this Major League season and Forest Whitley who really has closed out his last 11 outings at Sugarland with a bang some of those numbers are really impressive he's got a good fast ball he's got Forest has always had good stuff it's just whether or not he can stay healthy or not Whitley got the call up as the extra pitcher when roster expanded and he delivers a 97 mph fast ball dotted up for a strike remember he used to have a real good change up I don't know if he still does or not but he used to be real good Whitley pitched one game for the Astros earlier this season and pitched 2/3 of an inning that was his big league day debut it came against the Atlanta Braves back on April 16th gave up a hit in a walk didn't allow a run now back for his second time at the big league level formerly the top prospect in the Astro system and he gets a three- pitch strikeout of Tyler Stevenson to start his outing here that's an impressive way yeah to return to the Astros stuff is there no doubt about it bis Now 26 years old turns 27 in a couple of weeks and head Stevenson chasing that pitch in the dirt now TJ Fredo fro goes after the pitch and fouls it away now a word from Jack In The Box I invited Deadpool and Wolverine over to whip up some mini chimmy bang bangs that was a mistake the dock in the Box fredle 0 for three with a sack fly in the first inning and sends this one to the left field for a base hit that is a 13th hit for the Cincinnati Reds 12 of them have been singles time to play and name that Astro powered by Reliant here are today's Clues 1987 first round pick he played all over the Field hold that tiger my neighbor no your neighbor Billy spes you talked about him earlier yes I did that's crazy Tigers they don't change though so you were talking about spes really yeah I don't think they changed those how about that Billy Spire is today's name that Astro we've mentioned Billy a couple times yes Carson his nephew pitching earlier in this game for the Reds Forest now with Spencer SE at the played one on and one out these a lot like our B uh Billy spy is a lot like our duban all over the field mhm hit the ball all over the field 13th overall pick in the 86 seven draft Billy spes out of Clemson tried to hold up Pitch is off the plate no swing two and two 98 yeah looking at some of the numbers that Forest put up we showed you the numbers since July 31st he has had an impressive run with the Space Cowboys he's a guy that can give you multiple Innings too he did go two innings in his last start or his last appearance o up and in at 99 it's three and two that'll get your [Music] attention that Ball's just boring in on his forehead thankful to get out of the way of [Music] those runner on the go and the 3-2 pitch is down for ball four four so that was a no play at second base a single to walk here with one out and fortunately Tai France was lifted for a pinch Runner and we not bad here right grance was four for four in that spot this will be Blake Dunn who came on as a pinch Runner and stayed in the game done 99 games with Louisville this year hundro missing for ball one [Music] yeah there's a strike more pedestrian 96 yeah took a little off it control dun has 18 bats on the season he is one for 18 that one hit a double he's also drawn a walk and struck out seven times Runners are thinking about going they could have stolen third easily but fre all ended up staying at second base well that's when I tell players generally your first instinct in baseball is correct in life it's not take some time to think about it the hell that one back it's two and two [Applause] like D at the plate made his big league debut on June the 4th 25-year-old out of Western Michigan University that one's wide count goes three and two you got to go right after him I would imagine these guys the way they're acting on the bases they're probably going to they might go [Music] no R have had at least two base runners in six of the eight Innings today one base runner in those other two exactly another foul the other way on [Music] 98 Forest Whitley in his second big League appearance both coming this season trying to work around a single and a walk in this inning Runners do go this time the pitches a strike the throw to third not in time that'll be a double steal fredle taking third and steer gets second but that's out number two is that [Music] now Jake fry will bat Frey fouls one back to the screen forest with two strikeouts today his last four games that he pitched for Sugarland he faced 20 batters and struck out 10 of them trying to keep this game at 5 to three good pitch for a called strike 0 and2 fry has an argument but that looked like a pretty good pitch yes Conroy's Strike Zone hasn't been great but that was one of the correct calls it look like that was a strike yeah now fry will use his timeout here [Music] nobody warming in the Reds Bullpen they're going to ask amilio Pagan to go two and two and 2/3 today it seems like yeah mention their Bullpen was [Music] taxed Up and Away with the fast ball one and [Music] two he's setting up the curve ball right here on the ground just foul curveball [Music] [Applause] try to check his swing and does on a pitch down two and two Red's putting some pitches here on Forest Whitley in his return to the big leagues he's thrown 25 in this inning and another Full Count third straight batter with a full count in this inning 26-year-old out of Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio second Major League outing looking for that final out a little Tapper that hits Bry we do it all again few tappers in front of Home Plate yeah got him Whitley strikes out three in the inning and two more Stranded by the red they have left 14 Runners on Base today 53 heading to the ninth Houston Astros baseball and Space City home network is presented by Fred Loya Insurance celebrating 50 years of saving you more money on your car insurance by Houston Methodist the official healthc care provider of the Houston Astros Houston Methodist leading medicine and by St Arnold arar IPA arar IPA is Houston's IPA well the reds are going to ask for some heavy lifting from amilio Pagan he's already gone an inning in two3 and he's back out there for more Jason Hayward the batter takes a first pitch off the plate ball one by gon's longest outing this year has been two innings before today also the most pitches he's thrown at any outing has been 26 before today be Hayward Chaz McCormick and Jose Altuve the first three do up against pagan into center field Fredo coming on fallowing quickly it's going to be down for a hit Jason Hayward on base with a single to lead off the inning and the Astros will bring the tying run to the plate here in the ninth Lauren yeah guys let's check out our T-Mobile coverage camp a bright spot in Houston's lineup in this one Yer Diaz looking back at his afternoon at the plate two base hits sack fly in the seventh Diaz driving in all three of Houston's runs so far in this one he now sits at 78 RBI this season leading his team in that category but baggy he sits so well this season with runners in scoring position for this team is there anything to that how has he been so successful with RIS Lauren I think it's pitch selection Chaz McCormack with a bunt sorry bagging play by Pagan that'll be a sacrifice as it turns out but Chaz trying to bunt his way on go ahead paggy yeah it's it's his pitch selection normally when he's he's earlier in his career he's been very very aggressive when he's had runners in scoring position and with kind of swinging anything the pitcher throws up there he's learned how to control the strike zone calm his nerves a little bit use his strength which is hitting the ball to all Fields uh and that's why I think believe he's he's done so well this year runers and scoring position oh play made to get McCormick for the first out and now Jose Altuve will betat you know that wasn't a terrible play by Chaz right there if he had gotten it a little bit towards Third Base I think he would have beat that out uh unfortunately he didn't but we still had the tying run at home plate Al Tu looking for his first hit 0 for three with a walk and a run scored Jose takes a pitch at the bottom of the zone for a strike going and one last time Pagan has pitched two and two3 innings you have to go back over six years June 13th of 2018 that one's wide one one so now the Lefty beginning to warm up yeah I saw him down there he's waiting for the 44 Reds have three lefties to choose from that's Justin Wilson warming up high Chopper foul one and two bringing in lefties does not go ahead and bring them all in whatever you want not necessarily worked well against yordon [Music] [Applause] no we Jose right here to find a [Applause] [Music] way down and in for a ball two and [Music] [Music] [Applause] two wow perh a tough one Altuve thought he had taken a pitch off the plate called out on strikes wow The Zone has been a little bit generous for both sides today as Altuve goes down for the second out here comes the skipper we may have a pitching change here David Bell out to the mound he's going to grab the ball from alilio Pagan he will go to the Lefty to face yordon Alvarez Lefty on Lefty in a two-run game with a runner on when we come back Red's going to the Lefty Justin Wilson here as Yer Diaz looks over the iPad at The Scouting Report down two runner on second base Wilson facing left-handed hitters this year has allowed a 307 batting average and five home runs 885 Ops hayward's going to run to Third and nobody cares about that so now Wilson will face yordon Alvarez with a runner on third and two outs yordon has done well against lefties this year especially lefties out of the bullpit fast ball up one and0 Wilson has been a reverse split guy this year with better numbers against righties than lefties and it's two and0 here you always throw that hard though Wilson 97 it's pretty stout he's missed on the first three it's three and0 Let it Fly big fella that leg kick up in the [Music] air oh Wilson on the year averaging 95.3 with his fast ball so he's up about 2 miles an hour so far against yordon 44 will do that to you yordon hitting 369 against lefties sends this one into Center on the line it's going to hold up and Fredo makes the play to end the inning yordan lined it out to Center but hit it too close to the center fielder in the have their five game winning streak go away the Reds win the first game of this three- game series 5 to three Cincinnati has won seven in a row over the years against the Astros the Astros last win against ciny coming back in 2016 so the winning streak comes to an end the Astros lead in the AL West now at 5 and a half games we'll have more thoughts and Analysis highlights in the Astros postgame show presented by waterburger Kevin ashenfelder will be joined by Brian bogusevic as the host in this one or in calendar Gathering interviews in the Astros Clubhouse after the game Astros lose 5 to three postgame show next [Applause] [Music] [Music]