Bogusevic: Bat awakening?
(c) Houston Astros
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One squad of Astros these days isn't too intimidating so two watered-down sets of Astros proved little trouble for the Pirates and Braves, respectively, in spring action on Sunday. In Kissimmee, Pittsburgh responded to Saturday's extra-inning loss by returning the favor in a 9-7 10-inning decision. Up the road in Lake Buena Vista, Atlanta dismantled Zach Duke early and coasted to an 11-1 verdict.
Perhaps the most newsworthy event was prospect Jarred Cosart's debut with the big club. A key piece of the Hunter Pence trade, the righthander showed promise with five strikeouts in 3-1/3rd innings of relief against the Pirates. He also showed he wasn't ready for the spotlight yet, allowing four runs and seven hits with one walk. According to Astros.com, the Houston area product popped the gun at 98 MPH at least once during his outing.
J.A. Happ continued a rough spring with five innings and three runs allowed on nine hits and three walks. Jed Lowrie and Chris Snyder powered Houston to an early 3-0 lead on home runs then J.B. Shuck drilled a three-run triple to tie the game at six apiece after seven innings. After the Astros grabbed a 7-6 lead, Cosart gave up the tying run in the ninth before Enerio Del Rosario gave up the winning runs in the tenth.
Brian Bogusevic had two of Houston's ten hits, making a late surge to keep his starting right field job.
Against the Braves, Duke was pounded for ten earned runs, including three home runs, over four innings while Jair Jurrjens allowed just three hits and struck out seven over six innings. Matt Downs singled home Travis Buck in the sixth for Houston's only run.
Jordan Lyles will get the start Monday for the 11-11 Astros at Viera when he faces the Washington Nationals in a 12:05 Central encounter.
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