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Twins, Beware: Astros’ Yordan Alvarez Finding Power Stroke
The Houston Astros’ assigned hitter Yordan Alvarez has been very nearly an in-season circle back, and it seems like his power is at long last back. Known for his slugging ability, Alvarez had been hitting great yet come up short on regular homer power as of late. That changed decisively in the second round of a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday in the MLB.
Alvarez’s Resurgence
Before Saturday’s down, Alvarez had hit securely in 12 of his past 13 games, posting a .340 normal. Notwithstanding this great batting normal, he had just hit one homer and driven in two runs during that range. Notwithstanding, in the Astros’ 5-2 triumph on Saturday, Alvarez went 3-for-3, hitting his eighteenth profession multi-homer game and his third this season.
Alvarez’s last multi-homer game was on April 27 against the Colorado Rockies in Mexico City. In May, his power seemed to disappear as he only managed to hit two home runs, resulting in a .415 slugging percentage. Despite this, Alvarez remained a key player, with the only player having more multi-homer games this season being Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker, who has four.
Astros manager Joe Espada had been optimistic about Alvarez’s return to form, saying, “Like I said earlier, those ground balls, those line drives will turn into fly balls and they’ll turn into home runs. He’s been on the cusp of starting to get hot. Really good at-bats from Yordan.”
Pitching Matchup: Hunter Brown vs. Simeon Woods Richardson
The series finale on Sunday will see right-hander Hunter Brown (1-5, 6.39 ERA) starting for the Astros. Brown struck out a season-high nine batters against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday, allowing one run on four hits over six innings. Despite his strong performance, he did not factor into the decision of the 4-2 loss. Brown finished May with a 1-1 record and a 3.42 ERA over five starts. Against the Twins, he has a 1-1 record with a 3.86 ERA over two career starts in the MLB.
The Twins will counter with rookie right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson (2-0, 2.70 ERA). In his last start against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, Woods Richardson allowed two runs on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts, earning a 4-2 victory. This marked his first decision since his season debut against the Detroit Tigers on April 13. Between his first and second victories, Woods Richardson posted a 2.79 ERA. A Houston-area native, Woods Richardson will make his first career start against the Astros.
Twins’ Recent Struggles
Twins right-hander Joe Ryan had a rough outing on Saturday, allowing a season-high five runs and four home runs. This performance was uncharacteristic, as Ryan had only given up one run over his previous two starts, totaling 14 innings. Despite the setback, Ryan remained unconcerned about the home run barrage, saying, “Nothing I would look into. I don’t know how many I’ve given up this year. It seemed like a lot [Saturday].”
Conclusion
Yordan Alvarez’s re-visitation of force hitting is a huge improvement for the Houston Astros as they look to take the series finale against the Minnesota Twins in the MLB. With Tracker Brown on the hill and a recharged hostile flash from Alvarez, the Astros are in areas of strength for a to get the success. In the mean time, the Twins will depend on new kid on the block Simeon Woods Richardson to convey areas of strength for an in his most memorable profession start against his old neighborhood group. Sunday’s down vows to be a thrilling and vital matchup as the two groups hope to declare their predominance in the MLB.
