Astros' Jeremy Peña heats up as he moves to No. 2 spot in lineup
Houston Astros' Jeremy Pena celebrates after hitting a run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the third inning of a baseball game Monday, April 24, 2023, in St. Petersburg, Fla. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jeremy Peña got off to a bit of a slow start, seeing his average dip to .200 three weeks into the season, but he’s been stinging the ball on this six-game road trip through Atlanta and Florida.
Entering Wednesday’s finale of the trip, Peña is 6-for-20 with a double and a home run in the past five games. He also singled in his first at-bat Wednesday. His recent exit velocities, even on outs, also show he’s hitting the ball better than he has all month. He had a ground out against the Braves’ Max Fried on Sunday that left his bat at 103.7 mph. Then, he blasted a 432-foot home run Monday that sizzled over the fence at 107.6 mph. Three of the four hardest-hit balls inwere all smoked by Peña — a 107.6 mph double, a 104.8 mph lineout and a 103 mph single.
“He's not missing pitches he's supposed to hit,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “He hit the ball very hard . It's great to see because he puts in the time and the work. It's great to see him get some rewards. He didn't get them all, but that's a great sign for things to come.”, the Astros had to shake up the lineup, which meant Peña moved up to the No. 2 hole, a spot in which he’s said he’s most comfortable.
On Tuesday night, Baker said he though Peña's resurgence might have something to do with the lineup change. He was a bit more hesitant to nail that down as a reason before Wednesday's game, but he did say there can be something to it.
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