Astros Spring Notes: Baseball in Houston is a Sight to Behold

Astros baseball is back in Houston after a long, long winter away.

Yes, the 8-6 win over the Chicago Cubs last night was meaningless for the Astros. Minus the Jandel Gustave-James Hoyt competition of course.

But it did feel nice to see the Astros back in an improved Minute Maid Park. And like I said, the win means nothing. In a way though, the Astros win against the Cubs is a boost for the morale. If not for the players, then definitely for the fan base. It was a nice win in terms of emotions.

This game from the get-go was about the offense. By the sixth inning all of the runs that we would see have taken place. For the Astros, Josh Reddick and Jose Altuve both had home runs. Reddick, in particular, had a solid at the plate with three hits and two RBI courtesy of his home run.

Evan Gattis and Alex Bregman each had two-hit games. Gattis’ two-run double in the sixth tied the game at six runs apiece. Carlos Correa also collected a RBI. But the batters were making contact and hitting the ball hard for both teams.

On the pitching side, Lance McCullers started off well as he struck out the side to begin the game. However, he would surrender five runs in four innings. He did strike out six hitters total though.

The bullpen did a solid job as they limited the Cubs to three hits and one run in the remaining six innings. James Hoyt did pick up the win if that matters to you.

Next: Astros Lineup News: Alex Bregman to Hit Second in Batting Order

The Astros play the Cubs again one more time later today before the season starts for them on Monday. So that means we get to relive one of our favorite NL Central rivalries for one more day. That’s a win in my book.

**Statistics courtesy of MLB.com**