Roberto Hernandez, Dan Straily battle for final spot in Astros’ rotation

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — For two Astros righthanders, this weekend’s outing was something of a warm up to the big showdown next weekend.

For Roberto Hernandez, who is the most experienced candidate the Astros have for the final spot in the rotation, and Dan Straily, who might have the highest upside of any candidates and also has prior big league success, Sunday’s 14-2 home win over the Pirates will factor into the Astros’ decisions.

The pitcher’s lines were similar: four innings of one-run ball with two strikeouts for Hernandez, and 3 2/3 innings of one-run ball plus four strikeouts for Straily. Both pitchers walked one batter.

But it’s the duo’s upcoming road appearances Saturday against the Marlins that may end up tipping the scales one way or another.

“They’re both battling, and there’s also other guys involved that didn’t pitch today,” manager A.J. Hinch said Sunday. “Roberto continues to be the veteran that he is. He knows what his strengths are, he dials it up when he needs to and very trustworthy when it comes to what you’re going to get from him.

“Straily I thought threw the ball pretty well. I think the ball was coming out of his hand a little bit better than his last outing against Pittsburgh. He continues to utilize all of his pitches. I think falling behind a couple of those hitters (is an area) where it frustrates him a little bit.”

Righties Asher Wojciechowski and Sam Deduno are also battling for the fifth spot in the rotation. Briefly, it appeared as though expected No. 4 starter Brett Oberholtzer may not be ready for the start of the season — potentially opening two spots — but those concerns have been dampened.

Hernandez walks if he doesn’t make it

Sunday was Hernandez’s fourth outing and it proved an improvement from his last two, during which he allowed a combined five runs in six innings.

“A little bit different,” Hernandez said of how he felt compared to last time. “A little bit more down, more ground balls.”
“Whenever I get on the mound, I don’t think about that,” Hernandez said of winning a job. “I think about throw a strike, get the ball down.”

The 34-year-old Hernandez was a late signing for the Astros just before spring training started, and was also a late arrival to camp because of visa issues, but that hasn’t interfered much with his spring because he had been throwing in the Dominican Republic. In nine big league seasons, Hernandez is 67-93 with a 4.60 ERA and an average of 5.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

Five days before opening day, the Astros would have to put Hernandez on the 25-man roster, release him or pay him a $100,000 retention bonus to keep him around.

Straily’s in the mix, either now or later

Straily’s only damaging moment was a solo home run hit by the Pirates’ Jordy Mercer in the sixth. The 26-year-old went 10-8 with a 3.96 ERA in a great 2013 season for the A’s and is trying to bounce back from a down 2014 after coming over from the Cubs in the Dexter Fowler trade.

With a nasty slider, he’s shown tremendous strikeout ability in the past, and flashed it again Sunday.

“We went to a backdoor slider to one lefty for a strikeout,” Straily said. “It was a little more up than I guess you would want. It got the results, so can’t complain about that.

“In the last inning there (in the eighth against righthanded batter Gorkys Hernandez) I went slider down in the dirt, but he didn’t go. Threw my slider up a little bit and more away, and he swung at the second one (for the out). It’s good to see. The pitch will tell you how it’s progressing and to get a swing and miss on a second one in the same spot, it means that he saw it good and the second one was a little tighter, so that’s what we want to see.”

Straily’s still working to add a curveball but almost threw one to the backstop in the first inning.

Optional input

While a pitcher like Deduno, who is out of options, conceivably could be put in the bullpen, Hernandez said Sunday he wants to be a starter. Likewise, the Astros wouldn’t try to put him in the bullpen at the end of spring just to keep him in the organization.

Straily, like Wojciechowski, is in good position to contribute to the rotation some time this season. But they have minor league options remaining, and the Astros would have to be comfortable letting Hernandez go to another team to put either on the club.

Deduno is out of options.

Carter homers again

Chris Carter homered for a second straight day, this time to left center against Charlie Morton. Carter also doubled off Morton. The Astros had a huge fifth inning, plating eight runs and finishing the day with 17 hits.

Catcher Hank Conger, who’s had a quiet spring overall offensively, drove in three runs and finished 2-for-2 — including a double that saw him come all the way around to score on a Pirates error in that fifth inning.

As though a catcher’s job isn’t hard enough: Conger had to sprint 360 feet on a hot day in the middle of the game.

Odds and ends

Hinch wants all of his relievers to throw on back-to-back days before camp ends, and hopes to get everyone multiple innings at some point as well. … Righty Brad Peacock is to pitch against Astros minor leaguers in a morning game Monday.

Evan Drellich