HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610)- Jake Meyers finished the Astros game one win over the Mariners as a pinch runner, but expect him to be Dusty Baker's starting center fielder for game two against Seattle ace Luis Castillo.
"I think that Meyers has probably the best chance of hitting Castillo," Baker said before Wednesday's off day workout."
Meyers spent the first 69 games of the season recovering from the shoulder injury he suffered in last year's ALDS, but swung the bat well in his initial return only fall into a deep slump after the All-Star break. Meyers started to find his stroke after he was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land in late August, batting .337/.451/.544 in 24 games and then collected four hits in at bats after he was recalled the last week of the regular season.
I think we called him up too soon earlier in the season because he wasn't ready," Baker said. "Sometimes you got to go backwards to go forwards, so hopefully he can do something."
Chas McCormick went 1-for-2 as the Astros starting center fielder in game one before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh inning. Baker used Mauricio Dubón in center for a couple of innings and said he could take a similar approach on Thursday.
"I put the best lineup offensively and defensively that I can on a daily basis, and it changes without having an everyday center fielder, similar to what I've been doing all year. "
After finishing the regular season with a 2.99 ERA and 27.2 percent strikeout rate, Castillo allowed six hits in 7.1 shutout innings in the Wild Card Series against the Blue Jays.
