Tuesday, July 01

HOUSTON -- The Astros’ bullpen has been among the best in baseball for the first month of the season, and veteran closer Josh Hader is a big reason why. Hader has allowed one earned run, given up five hits, walked two and struck out 15 batters in his first 12 innings, which covers 10 outings.

Hader, in the second year of a five-year, $95 million contract, said he’s more comfortable in his delivery and is able to control his pitches better, which is allowing him to get ahead in counts and make the pitch he wants when he wants. With that, his confidence in his pitches has improved. He’s 6-for-6 in save chances.

“He’s really confident,” manager Joe Espada said. “I think he figured some things out this offseason, and I think we’re seeing the best version of him right now.”

Hader posted a 3.80 ERA in 71 innings with the Astros last year, striking out 105 batters -- tied for the sixth-most in a single season by an Astros reliever -- but was susceptible to the long ball with 12 homers allowed. He was 34 of 38 in save chances.

“I felt like last year, I was trying to be that guy that probably was feeling like you had to be worth what you are, instead of just going out and doing what you’re doing,” he said. “Coming into this year, you know you’re here for a reason, and just do what you do, and don’t try and make it harder than you have to, and don’t try to do more than you have to, and just play the game and have fun.”

Hader began working in November on simplifying his mechanics and tweaked his arsenal. In his first nine outings, he threw his sinker 55 percent of the time, his slider 41 percent and the changeup four percent. The slider usage has increased from 27 percent last year, while his sinker usage has dropped from 71 percent last year.

Hader said throwing the slider more has kept hitters off his sinker, giving him more opportunity to expand the strike zone both ways.

“I just needed to believe in it,” he said. “I knew I had it, but [I] feel like I’m in a spot right now where I feel like I’m pitching more than I’m just throwing. Last year, I felt like I was throwing a lot. I really wasn’t thinking through at-bats, I wasn’t diving too deep into the hitters’ swings as many times in game time. Now, I’m able to process what I’m seeing and being able to then execute a plan that I already had through scouting to figure out [where] I’m going to go with the hitter.”

Hader spent lots of time in the spring and into the regular season talking pitching with some of his teammates, namely fellow lefties Bennett Sousa, Steven Okert and Bryan King. He said picking the brains of other pitchers is one of the most underrated aspects of the game.

“I know there’s a lot of guys that do it, but to be able to just dive into other dude’s minds is cool,” he said. “We’re all here, we have the same talent level. The reason why guys stay here longer is they’re able to maintain that. If there’s a guy that’s younger than me, maybe I can help him in the long run somewhere.

“I don’t want to leave any stones unturned. Obviously, I have four more years left here, but I don’t know how much longer I have playing this game. For me, I don’t want to regret anything of ‘What if I would have done this?’ or whatever. It’s nice to be able to just get all the information you can.”

Tayler Scott’s locker was draped in red, white and blue decorations Tuesday afternoon, including a pair of American flags. A native of South Africa, the Astros reliever took the oath as a U.S. citizen on Monday, completing a seven-year process.

“I walked in, and I had my whole outfit, too, this morning,” he said. “It came with a [red, white and blue cowboy] hat and Coors shirt. It was funny.”

Scott started the citizenship process when he got married in 2018. He was helped along the way by Astros coach Michael Collins, an Australian who became a U.S. citizen last year. Scott will continue to wear the South African flag on his glove as a reminder of where he came from, but his life will be easier as an American.

“It was always a headache my whole career having to get work visas and worry about immigration and having the right papers,” he said. “Finally, to be able to be done with it all and don’t have to worry about it ever again, is a huge relief.”

Reliever Forrest Whitley’s return to the Astros came with a change in jersey numbers. Whitley, who’s worn No. 60 in Spring Training and during his Major League debut last year, has switched to No. 55, which had been worn by reliever Ryan Pressly since 2018. Pressly was traded to the Cubs in the winter.

Whitley has always wanted to wear No. 55 because he grew up idolizing Tim Lincecum, a two-time Cy Young Award winner with the Giants in the 2008 and ‘09. 

“I loved his delivery,” Whitley said. “I tell the story all the time. I remember I was watching a Pac 12 game in 2005 and ‘06 [as Lincecum pitched at the University of Washington], and I saw the delivery, and I just kind of fell in love with it. I’ve been following him every day since, and obviously, he had a great career and won a couple of Cy Youngs and is a big part of the reason I play baseball today.”

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