MINNEAPOLIS -- The education of Joey Loperfido as a Major League hitter is happening before our eyes each night. As usual, there are ups and downs, but Loperfido, the Astros' No. 5 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, remains committed to the process as much as Houston remains committed to the rookie outfielder as a big part of their future. Loperfido, starting in right field on Friday in place of the injured Kyle Tucker, broke an 0-for-10 slump with a huge hit in the Astros' 13-12 win over the Twins. His two-run double to right field in the sixth inning broke a 4-4 tie, and it appeared as though it might be the game-winning hit. The Twins wound up scoring seven runs in the bottom of the ninth before the Astros shut the door. "Everybody's been putting together tough at-bats and stringing it together," said Loperfido, who also made a circus catch in right field in the eighth inning. "That's kind of been our M.O. for the last week or so, and it feels good." Loperfido has played in 10 of the Astros' 13 games since he was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on June 21. Friday's game marked his ninth start over that stretch, with five coming in left field and four in right. Loperfido went 3-for-4 with two doubles in one inning in his first game back, but he went 2-for-24 in his next eight games heading into Friday. |
"He's working really hard," Astros manager Joe Espada said. "When you get to the big leagues, you have adjustments to make. Pitchers are making adjustments to him. He has to make adjustments with the pitching that he's facing, and he's making those." Loperfido has a 32.4 swing-and-miss rate and is striking out once every 2.7 plate appearances, so cutting down on strikes and making more consistent contact has been a focus. He has 29 strikeouts and only four walks in his first 78 plate appearances in the Major Leagues. "I think just trying to control the zone a little bit better," he said. "I felt like I got deeper into counts in Toronto and things didn't go my way. Just continuing to control the strike zone a little bit better. I have a better idea of how guys are going to attack me right now at the plate, so just trusting my plan and executing my plan every time at the plate. It felt good to come through today." Loperfido said opposing pitchers are starting to pitch him on the corners more than they were earlier in the year, when there wasn't much of a book on him. Loperfido was leading the Minor Leagues in homers with 13 when he was called up on April 30 for his Major League debut. |
"I felt like I was getting challenged more in the heart of the zone in my first stint up here this year," he said. "I feel like if I can continue to control the zone better, swing at better pitches, I know I'll drive the pitches in the heart of the zone when I do get them." Loperfido was slashing .333/.381/.436 when he was optioned back to Sugar Land on May 27, when Jose Abreu was recalled from his Minor League stint. Loperfido was called back up on June 8 when Tucker went on the 10-day injured list (right shin contusion) and sent back down three days later. He had to stay in the Minors for the minimum of 10 days before he returned to Houston on June 21. With Tucker out until at least after the All-Star break, Loperfido is going to continue getting chances to show the adjustments he's made. He hopes Friday's clutch hit helps put him back on track. "It always feel good," he said. "A couple of spots in Toronto, I would have liked to have come through for the guys, but to come through tonight, it definitely feels good and [it's] something I'll build on." |
MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
Right-hander A.J. Blubaugh, the Astros' No. 7 prospect, is Houston's lone representative at the All-Star Futures Game, which is set for 3 p.m. CT on July 13 at Globe Life Field in Arlington. Blubaugh is 6-2 with a 3.46 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP in 75 1/3 innings over 16 appearances this season, 15 of which have come with Sugar Land after he opened the season with Double-A Corpus Christi. Selected by Houston in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he was a reliever, Blubaugh has turned into a viable starter with a running 92-95 mph fastball and an 82-85 mph sweeping slider since turning pro. |
|
|
Who was the Astros' lone representative at last year's Futures Game? A. Joey Loperfido B. Drew Gilbert C. Spencer Arrighetti D. Jake Bloss |
|
|
WITH THE 28TH OVERALL PICK… |
|
|
MLB Pipeline reporter Jonathan Mayo's latest mock draft has the Astros selecting middle infielder Theo Gillen from Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, with the 28th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. Colleague Jim Callis will release his final mock draft next week, before Mayo and Callis do a final projection of the top 39 picks next Saturday. The first round of the Draft begins at 6 p.m. CT on July 14. Here's the skinny on Gillen from the Pipeline crew: "Gillen may have the best bat of any high schooler in this Draft. He has a disciplined approach, quick hands and a sweet left-handed swing that combine to produce line drives to all fields. His hitting ability will allow him to get to most of his plus raw power, giving him a 20-homer floor, and he should develop more pop as he adds more strength to his physical 6-foot-2 frame." |
|
|
B. Gilbert Gilbert went 1-for-2 in last year's Futures Game before being traded to the Mets on Aug. 1 in the Justin Verlander deal. |
|
|
FORWARDED FROM A FRIEND? SUBSCRIBE NOW |
To subscribe to Astros Beat, visit this page and mark "Astros Beat" from our newsletter list. Make sure you're following the Astros or that they're checked as your favorite team. |
|
|
© 2024 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. MLB trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball. Visit MLB.com. Any other marks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners.
Please review our Privacy Policy.
You (gahleexholly.hdhask@blogger.com) received this message because you registered to receive commercial email messages or purchased a ticket from MLB.
Please add info@marketing.mlbemail.com to your address book to ensure our messages reach your inbox. If you no longer wish to receive commercial email messages from MLB.com, please unsubscribe or log in and manage your email subscriptions.
Postal Address: MLB.com, c/o MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
|
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment