Daily dose of Yordan (Game 123)

Today's statline: 1-4, HR, 3 RBIs, 2 R, 2 K

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At bat 1 (Bottom of first): 6 pitch strikeout looking

The at bat started with a strike looking on a fastball right down the middle for Yordan. He then watched a curve way out of the zone low and outside to even the count. Then, he watched consecutive changeups, one catching the outer part of the zone he watched for a strike and one nowhere close to work him into a 2-2 count. He then tapped out a foul ball on an inside slider to keep himself alive, before getting a fastball low in the zone that caught the bottom inch of the plate for the strikeout looking. A disappointing way to end the inning, but nevertheless a good at bat overall.

At bat 2 (Bottom of third): 1 pitch home run to left, 3 RBIs, R

Gilbert started the at bat off with a lazy changeup high in the zone but very well hittable, similar to the pitch he hit for a home run yesterday. He got a good swing off this pitch as well, lofting a fly ball deep to left field that barely cleared the crawford boxes for a 3 run home run that scored both Altuve and Correa and blew the game open. The replay shows he was kind of jammed on the pitch, but still managed to muscle it deep enough to clear the first couple rows. Yordan is great at simply making hard contact by muscling mis-hit pitches to the opposite field, and as a result he's a perfect fit for Minute Maid park.

At bat 3 (Bottom of fifth): 6 pitch strikeout swinging

This time, Yordan started the at bat with a swing and miss on a pitch high in the zone to put him down in the count, He then watched a curve also high and out of the zone to even the count, before a rare swing and miss on a slider in the zone. He then adjusted and fouled off the same slider in the zone to stay ahead, and then watched an uncompetitive slider way outside for a ball. Finally after 5 pitches Gilbert threw him a slider low in the zone that Yordan swung and whiffed on, a rare sight for him. Again a good at bat here overall, but would definitely like him to show more hesitance to swing at a pitch like that.

At bat 4 (Bottom of sixth): 5 pitch walk, R

After a bad swing and miss in the previous at bat, Yordan seemingly adjusted and decided not to swing at any pitch that he couldn't capitalize on. He took two curves high for balls, and then a curve low and out of the zone to make it a 3-0 count. Then he took a strike on a fastball high in the zone, a questionable take but I guess he decided he couldn't capitalize on it. He then took yet another inside fastball out of the zone, the third of the at bat, to draw the walk. Good job here to not swing at any pitch he couldn't do damage on, and instead help his team in other ways. He would later score on a Taylor Jones triple as part of a huge inning.

At bat 5 (Bottom of eighth): 2 pitch lineout to right

Yordan started by watching a very, very questionable strike on a curve that appeared low in the zone but was called a strike because of the good catcher framing. He then got a great swing off on a very hittable fastball inside the zone that he crushed to right field, but unfortunately right to the right fielder for the tough to swallow lineout.