MLB Network | Mark Derosa reacts Jason Heyward drills a 2-run double in debut, Astros top Royals 6-3

thanks a lot with Jason the newest Astro here you said you wanted to play in me meaningful games did this one feel like it meant something 100% uh what an opportunity you know to come out here and be a part of a group that's been grinding fighting and you know in first place obviously want to hold on to that but just playing some tough teams down the stretch and that's that's layoff baseball yeah their pitcher starting pitcher very tough today singer so when you go up you've got Runners and scoring position there what do you think of I just want to do my do the best I could to be early enough be on time all of us were talking about how he's quick to the play he makes good pictures and sometimes he has a lot of room for error that way so after seeing him from the wind up from the stretch I knew I had to be even quicker and was able to get a mistake he made a pit middle in and hit it down the line nobody was there eighth inning was wild for you guys you were able to have a front row seat to your new teammates grinding out some at bats too what did you notice from the guys what did you take away from all that oh exactly that I think guys weren't overthinking it you know grinding out their bats want to do the best they could for the team obviously and and keep simple and honestly I saw a lot of trust there and in the guy behind them if the pitch wasn't there they said okay I'm going to take it I'll take my base and give the next guy a shot and obviously it's awesome to have some guys come through and it's nice to see some things go our way tonight finally for the fans who haven't heard from you yet or getting to know you now what makes you excited to be a part of this group play off baseball play off baseball and just games like tonight just finding a way out of out of no way and um hanging in there saw absolutely no Panic from the guys and just having fun and it's nice to see everybody come together right there and rides up so what a win and it's awesome to be here first game tonight in in front of the Houston fans there you go we're glad you're here thanks for the time thank you so much I appreciate with your new teammates well I didn't forget and those at home should definitely not forget how good Hunter Brown really was tonight speaking of tonight's win may have not have been the most prettiest win yeah but like I've said before they don't ask how they ask how many in the end game so that's what's important is these guys got the win but hunter was superb as he's been for the last three months amazing it was action-packed we're going to show you Hunter's performance for sure let's start though with that action-packed eighth inning and it begins with Jose altu no outs yet uh he's going to get a walk and then we have V Victor kartini at the plate yeah just another guy off the bench the last guy off the bench in Victor caratini has been so good Off the Bench in pitchit situations him and dubon seem to be those guys when you need that big pinch hit they step up for you not trying to do too much obviously everybody wants to hit a big Homer right there single back up there here's where it got really crazy EG trying to bear hand the ball as a pitcher never really a good idea wild throw we see pastino go down hard rer running hard out of the box thinking he has a chance for this but this is where it really all turned around for the Astros in the eighth inning ended up scoring the tying run on this but kind of just a little bit of a panic here for EG and just trying to rush a little too much look like it hurts I mean it came off the bat at 97 anything anybody trying to catch 97 with their bare hands got to be pretty brave but that's just a reaction from a pitcher right there yeah so Zach Den zenzo is now at the plate and you know you might it's tempting to take a huge swing but it ended up being his patience what made this a great at bat and then of course able to get a walk here yeah this will be an bat that kind of goes unnoticed so to speak by a lot of people because this is a rookie at bat in a big situation and he knows it you see the excitement right there a lot of guys get a little too crazy in these bats and try to do a little too much but he stayed within his zone right there duban right here just doing what he can do Off the Bench you know his second at bat of the night so not necessarily a pinch hit but he was still in there to make a big moment happened for him and give the Astros a little bit of a cushion and give Josh hater a little bit more breathing room to go out there and relax and do what he do he does best yep duban singles to left the score paa scores on that error How Sweet It Is a 6-3 win and for a while we were questioning whether it would happen uh but just fantastic for the Astros to get this win we talked about this pregame the Astros and the Royals they're in that playoff hunt it's almost September so every game matters absolutely and not only are the two teams in the playoffs but as we were talking about the pregame Royals had the Astros number for the last six plus games haven't beat them in six games until tonight so it's good to see them in that streak and start off this series with a W it was not a good game for Hunter Brown last time he faced the Royals but that was all the way back on April 11th and he has become a completely different pitcher since then and man did we see it today he went six and two3 allowed two hits two runs none earned two walks and then four strikeouts yeah the only the only downfall for Hunter today is he didn't get the W on on the game you know like like you said unearned runs ended up costing couldn't get that you know those big pitch it wasn't even like he got beat he got a little bloop double against him to kind of you know against the BR excuse me to get him out of there but you know he he kept his composure all night and you know the guys like this could have easily just you know these guys have my number I'm not going to be the same guy but what we saw tonight out of Hunter Brown was just the same old guy we've seen for the last couple of months and just settles in and just does his thing his secondary pitches tonight the change UPS the Cur like what did you see from him as far as pitch selection I think that's what's made him such a better pitcher since since the beginning of this year is he relied a little too much on that for seamer early on this season and you saw how well it got hit against he's really Incorporated his his curveball that two seamer that he has that kind of runs in there and we saw quite a bit of change UPS tonight for him which is something we haven't seen from him in a whole lot of starts I think I saw two three2 change UPS from him so not his top two pitches by any means but having the confidence to throw those in big situations shows you how good Hunter is really feeling up there let's take a look at the month of August for the Astros starting pitchers of course minus the start from Justin Verlander the new acquisition you say Kikuchi of course we could not have asked for more from Kikuchi what an acquisition that was by Dana Brown Hunter Brown has been consistent as usual fantastic game from Spencer arag Getti we saw in Philadelphia and then of course fber and ryell what have you seen from these guys Josh I mean I'm looking at the opponent averages down at the bottom everybody's in the one outside of ronell Blanco uh and that right there just speaks volume not only just because your starters are doing that but you're getting that production out of two guys who are still you know rookies don't have that veteran experience or the leadership that you see uh what you're seeing from Kikuchi is pretty pretty expected fber being fber enough said but to see Hunter Brown spencec erti really take you know the front they could easily be the number one and two guys of the of the second half for this rotation and that's something you just don't see out of rookie pitchers and rookie players in general everybody has had to step up too with all the injuries that the Astros had they had five starting pitchers on the I at one point that's major it's it's it's it's a big blow coming out of spring training when you have that many guys that you're not expecting to have in your rotation and just to have them there to eat up Innings but to do that and be successful it just shows you how good this organization has been at getting those guys ready and keeping them prepped and as soon as they get up here they just jump right in line and we're seeing this six-man rotation now it could be very beneficial for those young guys give you that extra day rest give Justin Verlander Optimus Prime an extra day rest coming off an injury so it just gives those guys a little bit extra time to kind of recover recuperate and just maybe give them a little bit more than they need in the game yeah Hunter Brown even said that in his interview with Julia that we saw in the pregame show about that extra day all right and not really where you see a first baseman playing when the nfield in his second at bat as an astro cool calm collected and I do want to point out for those watching that don't know the last Astros player to wear number 22 right here you're looking at him what does it feel like it's cuz Omar Lopez had it for the last couple of years and you know when when the co season hit around he says red if you don't resign with this team the day we enter the off season I'm taking it and I'm get it reprinted so he said it was his number but it's good to see that number out there a little different but you know I'm retired so good for him he got his number and that's what's important it's good to always see guys when come to a new team and get the number they're comfortable with because you know we're baseball players we're super Sous well now you get to talk about it on TV absolutely it's perfect all right let's go out to the clubhouse and here the Joe is spot a press conference presented by Nissan well always starts with Altuve right lead off walk um he sets the tone and then ton of good at bats um kartini um you know the senso that basis load of walk staying in the zone and not chasing that's huge uh for a young player to have the presence and the capabilities just to stay calm and understand the magnitude of that a bat and get that walk that was um that was that was big um doy with another big knock you know I don't know how many times he's gotten big knocks for us this year but you know these guys they they they like big moments like that so that's a huge win there um yeah um and having having pieces that you can go to and you trust um allow me to make those moves and and and guys being prepared and embracing the the you know their roles right I'm be ready because I'm going to use you and I'm not afraid to use anyone you know deso playing Third Base there he has hasn't played an inning in the big leag third base and he makes a diving play you know cartini stretches and all that kind of stuff it's it's it's good stuff man I so proud of these guys you know because they never they never quit how tough it that is for the just spot B loaded falling behind not to chase yeah huge man because of you know young young players want to step up and they want to help the team contribute the team by you know doing something big in that moment right so you got to you got to deal with that element of you know stay calm stay within yourself get a good pitch you hit he knows what the guy's trying to do you know he to him like three really good sliders and he lay off all you know all of them and you know that's that's how you mature that's how you grow that's how you learn that's how you develop into a good Major League player probably should have got out of that seven but just what you just think of the way he battled through the entire game yeah he did he did um you know he makes some big pitches um um a few a few you know a few plays that we didn't make behind some of our guys um probably contribute to some guys making some extra pitches but uh our guys are resilient you know our Bullpen did a really good job press Le his first outing back from I that was that was really good he looked really really sharp you don't see bregman get too upset like that what happened that that well you saw it you know he missed two pitches and when Alex argues ballson strikes 99% of the time he's right surprised he just he did it that early and he didn't really give him much of unleash there no it's you know we playing big games emotional games I wanted to go out there too and proba you know probably would have said something too it's big games and I like it I get it trying to win games so you know it's fine should give Alex much time well you know probably Alex say something that he shouldn't have said so I don't so thanks guys for is no