Zack Greinke and the Houston Astros were able to keep their season alive on Wednesday with a thrilling win over Tampa Bay.
When the Houston Astros needed Zack Greinke to deliver most, the veteran starting pitcher had no problem stepping up and getting the job done for his team. With Houston on the brink of elimination in the ALCS against Tampa Bay, Greinke was in a bit of a jam in the sixth inning.
Manager Dusty Baker came out to talk to him, with many out there thinking Greinke was about to be pulled from the game. Instead, Baker showed confidence in his hard-throwing righty, leaving him in the game. Greinke rewarded that decision by escaping the inning unscathed, keeping Houston’s 4-2 lead in tact.
After the win, you could tell just how much Baker’s decision meant to Greinke, with him showing plenty of love to his skipper.
Dusty Baker having faith in Zack Greinke proved to be the right decision for the Astros
As most Astros fans haven’t forgotten, Greinke was pitching a gem in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series against the Washington Nationals. However, he gave up a solo homer in the seventh inning to Anthony Rondon and followed that up by walking Juan Soto. Former manager AJ Hinch wasted no time in going to his bullpen after that.
At the time, Greinke had thrown only 80 pitches. Soon after getting yanked, Greinke watched teammate Will Harris give up a two-run homer to Howie Hendricks. The lead was gone for Houston and Washington went on to win the World Series.
Instead of pulling him quickly, Baker stood by his starter on Wednesday night and let him finish the job. It turned out to be a great decision, with Houston capturing a 4-3 win. Thanks to Greinke and Baker, they still have a fighting chance in this series despite being down 3-1.