Astros Skipper Reveals Plan for Ryan Pressly After Tough Outing in New Role
It was a disappointing Opening Day for the Houston Astros, blowing a four-run lead against the New York Yankees. The Astros lost 5-4 after jumping out to an early 4-0 lead through two innings.
Framber Valdez didn’t have his best stuff, allowing three earned runs and walking six in 4 2/3 innings pitched. If Valdez is going to have command issues similar to how he did on Thursday, Houston’s going to be in for a tougher season than they imagined.
While it was just Opening Day and he could need a few starts to get back into his groove, it’s something to look out for moving forward.
Heading into the season, the bullpen was a huge question mark for the Astros. Seth Martinez relieved Valdez and Rafael Montero got the ball in the 6th inning. Martinez walked one and got the one out he needed, while Montero allowed a massive run in the 6th.
Ryan Pressly came in during the 7th, putting him in a new role after serving as the team's closer for the past few seasons. The struggles were clear for Pressly, allowing two hits and a walk with one earned run given up in his one inning of work. It was a concerning sign and something Houston has to figure out moving forward.
Manager Joe Espada wasn’t worried about how Pressly looked after the game, saying it’s an adjustment and that Pressly understood the situation, according to Michael Shapiro of Chron.
"I think an adjustment will probably need to be made because he's coming into the game earlier than normal," Espada said. "But he's equipped. He understands the situation."
If Pressly doesn’t perform the way he has in the past, that messes up plenty for the team as he’s expected to be a lockdown arm in the 7th inning. It was his first appearance, so it’s nothing to worry about yet, but if this continues, the Astors will have an issue on their hands.
KADE KISTNER
Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.