HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610)- Trailing the Rangers 6-0, the Astros had the bases loaded with nobody out in the seventh inning and Martin Maldonado at the plate. It would've been an automatic pinch-hitter situation in the past, but Astros manager Dusty Baker had no such inclination.
"I didn't like the matchups with the young guys," Baker said after Maldonado struck out on four pitches and the Astros lost 9-1. "(Yainer) Diaz has been chasing, (Corey) Julks had never seen (Rangers pitcher Jonathan Hernandez), and Salazar, who ended up getting his first hit (in the ninth inning), he hadn't had many at bats at all."
Baker had a three-man bench at his disposal on Sunday due to Chas McCormick's unavailability, and those three players had combined for 16 hits in 75 Major League plate appearances before Salazar's single in the ninth inning without reaching base in three high-leverage pinch hit opportunities, including two strikeouts in two at bats by Diaz earlier this season, so Baker stuck with the seasoned veteran.
"I think the toughest job in baseball is (hitting) off the bench, especially for young players," Baker said Monday. "The best benches that I've had are the benches are guys that were former everyday players that learned how to hit off the bench, learned how to stay ready.
"Learned when they might be in the game, and also not to take that 0-for-1 from two days ago and be fearful that you're going to be sent to the minors, or let it weigh on you."
Last season's Astros had several reliable veterans Baker could turn to in a big spot. Jason Castro, Christian Vázquez, Trey Mancini, and Aledmys Diaz had been in the big leagues since at least 2016 with lots of experience coming off the bench.
"They've had enough success not to let 1, 2, 3, 4, 15 at bats weigh on them."
Castro retired after knee surgery, while the other three were allowed to leave in free agency, so Baker's bench is filled with rookies who weren't asked to pinch hit while coming up through the Astros system, and he said it's probably the least experience group of reserves he's ever managed.
"You would like to have an experienced bench, but we don't. We're teaching them how to stay ready, how to be ready. We're talking to them about paying attention to a pitcher's sequence."
"We're urging them to pay attention, not just be on the bench, but to learn and ask questions."
At least for now, Baker doesn't seem apt to the idea of asking rookies to do something they've never done before
