With Game 5 of the American League Division Series between the Houston Astros and Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium fast approaching, it’s time to take a look at the latest news surrounding the win-or-go-home matchup.
Johnny Cueto’s Dependability Questioned
Perhaps the biggest bit of news on Wednesday is the Royals being ready to pull starter Johnny Cueto if he gets into any trouble whatsoever, according to Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star.
Cueto will be watched closely by Royals pitching coach Dave Eiland, given the fact that he has been one of the Royals’ most inconsistent starters since being acquired in a July 26 trade with the Cincinnati Reds.
“If we’re not comfortable with his stuff and he’s not getting outs, he’s coming out of the game,” Eiland told McCullough. “It’s that simple. There’s no such thing as ‘rope.’ There’s no such thing as ‘feelings.’ We’re trying to win a baseball game. And we’re going to do whatever we have to do.”
The right-hander started Game 2 and gave up four earned runs in six innings pitched.
He has a 5.52 ERA in his postseason career, dating back to 2010. Since joining the Royals’ rotation, Cueto has been a shadow of his former self in terms of his strikeout rate and WHIP.
During the first half of 2015, Cueto struck out 113 batters compared to only 63 in latter part of the year. His WHIP was an impressive 0.902 but then jumped to 1.425 with the Royals.
During a preview of Wednesday night’s game, Kansas City Star columnist Vahe Gregorian expressed his concern over Cueto.
“They tried to get an ace, and what the guy is, is a total wild card,” Gregorian said. “We have no idea what we are getting [tonight].”
If Cueto isn’t consistent early in the game, look for fellow starters Chris Young or Kris Medlen to come in from the bullpen for two or three innings.
The Astros Will Be Aggressive
Perhaps the most revealing thing Astros manager A.J. Hinch said at Tuesday’s press conference was that his club will be swinging early in the count in the hopes of impacting the game with the long ball.
While he was quick to point out that his team looks to score runs in other ways as well, Hinch did refer to the fact that solo home runs have played a major factor in this series:
Well, I’m not going to tip our hand on our approach, but I’ll tell you I did like the way that we came out aggressive against them. ... Being ready to hit on pitch one is important. ... We’re probably the most aggressive team in baseball, so that’s not going to surprise anybody that we are going to be ready to hit on the first pitch.
As is the case in any elimination game, the first two or three innings will be pivotal. Look for the Astros to try to get to Cueto both early in the game and early in the count.
The Royals will be attempting the same against righty Collin McHugh. If McHugh happens to falter, Houston may call on veteran Scott Kazmir while having “all hands on deck,” according to Hinch. Could that include the likes of Dallas Keuchel? So far, Hinch has been noncommittal on the subject.
McHugh remains upbeat about his team’s bullpen situation in Game 5:
Another question is, how will 21-year-old Carlos Correa bounce back from his defensive miscue late in Game 4?
Given the track record of his maturity and how poised he’s been throughout what’s been a historic postseason for the youngster, my guess is that he will be just fine and that he can’t wait for the game to begin.
Houston’s shortstop has a knack for rising to the occasion, is hitting .412 this postseason and could be a major star on Wednesday night.
Look for the young Astros lineup to give the struggling Cueto problems early in this one. While the depth of Young and Medlen is formidable, it doesn’t match up with the possibility of a strong McHugh together with a focused Kazmir.
Houston’s pitching gives the team a slight edge, and that will help the Astros take Game 5.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
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