Monday, September 28

ARLINGTON -- After a disastrous start to the season, which was due in large part to so many starting pitchers landing on the injured list in the first two weeks of the season, the Astros’ pitching staff has righted the ship in May.

Astros pitchers had a 6.08 ERA and 5.66 walks per nine innings ratio in the team’s first 32 games (278 1/3 innings), but they continued their pitching turnaround Monday when Tatsuya Imai, Steven Okert and Alimber Santa combined to no-hit the Rangers in a 9-0 win at Globe Life Field. Astros pitchers have a 3.71 ERA and 4.15 walks per nine innings in 23 games in May (204 innings).

Astros pitching coach Josh Miller took some time Monday for a Q&A with MLB.com:

What’s been the key to the pitching staff being able to stabilize itself?

Miller: Stabilize is the right term. We've got starts where the starters are giving us five or six quality innings, we're not putting too much burden on the bullpen to cover games, we're not in coverage mode … and that's better for everybody. We still have some things to clean up, still have some high walk totals, and those things need to get better, but we've been better in that regard the last month or so, but last couple weeks, for sure.

What’s been the biggest adjustment for the pitching staff when it comes to ABS?

Miller: It's changed hitter swing behavior. They're more passive overall. They're not chasing near as much. The umpires’ strike zones are smaller. We've had an adjustment period, and I think that's where some of our walk totals have come from that and our lack of adjustment, but we're getting better. … It’s the old adage -- get strike one, get them on or out in three pitches or less -- are thoughts that we have for our guys, and we're going to continue with that mode, and hopefully it'll get better.

How have you guys been able to get Peter Lambert and Kai-Wei Teng to take big steps forward?

Miller: We identified both of those guys as good acquisitions in the offseason. We really liked Peter's stuff. He had a really good spring, working on a few things to tighten up the curveball and throw the change up a little bit more, and he's taken to it and he's done really well. [Sunday’s] outing was a bit of a slog for him, but he covered five innings and left with the lead. Teng’s been great in whatever role that we've had for him. Another guy who had a great spring and has taken to the information we had, and they’re using their pitches in a really thought-out manner.

You wanted Spencer Arrighetti to work on some things in Triple-A to start the year. How has that benefited him in his good start?

Miller: He probably took it as a normal competitor would -- he was kind of pissed that he didn't make the team. He felt like he deserved it, and I think he has some arguments in that regard. The roster we had coming into the season, we didn't really have a spot for him at the start. He went down and had a grudge, and [he] went and got confident, attacked the zone, working on the pitch types that we wanted him to be working on. He came up here and he was ready to go.

Bryan Abreu has pitched better, but where does he still need to improve?

Miller: It’s strike-throwing. It's consistency. He'll line up a couple pitches every outing for the last few weeks and we’re like, "He’s back," but then also have three to five pitches in a row where it’s lower velo, it’s not close to the zone. He's got some delivery things he's working on. He's working his tail off every day. We need to get him back to be the force he's been in our bullpen for the last three or four years.

What were the reports you heard about Hunter Brown and Josh Hader during their rehab outings at Double-A Corpus Christi on Sunday?

Miller: Obviously, the stat lines were really good. I spoke to both of them today. They were pleased with the outings. The velocity was good, the pitches were moving as they should. They got the results that they were looking for, and they're feeling good today. We'll keep them going. I think Josh is getting pretty close, and Hunter will probably have just a couple more buildup outings. We'll get them both back here soon, and we’re really looking forward to their addition to the staff.

This weekend’s series against the Brewers at Daikin Park will feature giveaways for the first two games of the series. On Friday, the first 10,000 fans get a City Connect Hawaiian shirt, and on Saturday, the first 10,000 fans get a City Connect gym bag.  

Few hitters can break down hitting as well as veteran first baseman Christian Walker, who is on a torrid stretch. Walker clubbed his 15th homer of the season Monday -- his fourth in three games -- and has nine RBIs in his last three games, giving him 40 in 55 games, which is tied for the American League lead.
 
Walker, who is making a case for his first All-Star Game, said hitting can be elusive and said being successful comes down to how well you are feeling and if you can repeat those good feelings. For him, that means trying to have the same routine.

“The best way I could say is, like, when the feel is not there, when your body's not moving, maybe you get a stiff day or tough travel, how do you get the same swing to show up?” he said. “How do you get the same moves to show up when your body's not the same, when the headspace is different? That’s where the routine comes in. It's like not really working on different things. Just trying to find different ways to get there.”

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