Like us on Facebook here

Sunday May.26,  2013

Jose Veras has thrown okay for the Astros – despite blowing 3 Save Opportunities in 11 Chances this season. Friday’s Blown Save has put a wrench on a nice May he was authoring from the Bullpen prior to the game.  Over his previous 14 outings tot he 6 – 5 loss, Veras has pitched 14.2 innings and allowed two runs while recording eight saves. Opponents are only 4 for 44 (.091) against Veras in those outings.

By Lee White (Astros Correspondent via www.strosbros.mlblogs.com)

The Houston Astros have been a very tough team to watch. They’ve had good moments, but for the most part, they’ve been terrible. There is bad defense, and terrible pitching.

But as of late, the pitching seems to be turning a corner, whether it is the starters or the closer, those two things are getting better. However, they still need to work on a few pieces in the bullpen, and they need to teach Jimmy Paredes not to run everyone over.

One key piece in a bad bullpen is the closer, and after two early blown saves, the closer, Jose Veras, had really settled into his role (prior to Friday nights Blown Save Loss), and is beginning to become a lock down closer.

Jose Veras first surfaced into the Major Leagues with the New York Yankees. He was caught up in a numbers game when Phil Hughes turned from a Starter to a Closer in their World Series Year – and was purchased by the Indians. He was 8 -4 , with a 4.43 ERA in 106 Appearances for New York.  He has since played for CLE/MIA/PIT and MIL.

In addition to Friday night’s tough luck loss to the Athletics, Veras has had other shaky outings, like the one in Detroit where he would have allowed a walk off if it weren’t for some great defense from Brandon Barnes, but most inexperienced closers will have those.

Veras brings an intensity like no other. He goes out there and just attacks the hitters, and he is a real leader, on the field, and in the clubhouse. When Veras was signed, there wasn’t an exact feel of what he would bring to this young ball club, but he has certainly settled into the first closers role he has ever been given, and has become a really reliable late inning option for the Astros and Bo Porter to turn to.

While the Astros are rebuilding, and ultimately improving as the season has gone on, Veras has been a pleasant surprise for this Astros fan. If the game is headed into the ninth with the Astros leading, there is probably a good chance the Astros ride out of that game with a win due to Veras locking it down.

Friday night’s Blown Save will happen from time to time to the best of them.  Look at Fernando Rodney from Tampa.  The guy had one of the best years ever last year (and now has 5 Blown Saves in the last few weeks alone).  Stick with Veras for now.

Jose Veras had his best statistical season last year for the Milwaukee Brewers. In 72 Games Appeared in, he fanned 79 batters in 67 frames – despite having a 3.63 ERA. When looking at his numbers from 2012, you must be aware that he carried a 4.63 ERA at hitter friendly Miller Park in 36 Appearances, compared to a 2.53 ERA in 36 Appearances on the road. With 107 Games Finished to his Career thus far, he provides the Astros with the kind of late game experience they need for the franchise right now.  The 32 Year Old is 6 FT 6 and 240 LBS.  Veras does make a $2 MIL salary this year – with a $3.25 MIL Team Option for 2013 (150K Buyout).  He may be a great trade piece later in the season for a contender looking for Bullpen help.

***The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com or their partners.***

A big thank-you goes out to Our ‘Astros Correspondent’ Lee White for preparing today’s featured article. Lee is currently a writer at strosbros.wordpress.com. He has been an Astros fan his whole life and has a deep knowledge about the team as a whole. Lee currently goes to college about an hour away from Houston. 

Lee has attended countless games at Minute Maid Park.  Feel Free to follow Lee on Twitter and chat about the game of baseball.  Follow @Lee_White73

Please e-mail us at: mlbeports@gmail.com with any questions and feedback.  To subscribe to our website and have the daily Reports sent directly to your inbox, click here and follow the link at the top of our homepage.

Like us on Facebook here