Jon Singleton Is Finally Giving The Astros Something At First Base

Stan Norfleet and Chris Gordy of Next Up recap the Houston Astros winning their second straight series following a 8-2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday. The Astros took the three-game series 2-1 at Minute Maid Park. Prior to Tuesday's game, the Astros announced that first baseman Jose Abreu accepted an option to the spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Florida. The Astros have lacked offensive production from the first base position to start the season; however, Jon Singleton recorded a three-run home run Tuesday and a two-run home run and three RBI Thursday, finally giving the Astros some quality at-bats from first base.

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Next up continues on your computer.Listen to a Sports Talk seven ninety on
any device with our free iHeartRadio.Wound three two swing and a foul tip
held on two by Diaz. Naylorstrikes out. That's the first punch out
of the night for Spencer Araghetty wonaway. Good job. He fell behind

(00:22):
the count and still got a goodhitter. The two swinging get a mess,
got a fastball by Florial. Twostrikeouts in the inning for Arraghetty.
Two away were very tardy of thisswing. He was looking for something else
well. One two curveball, strikethree on the outside corner. Down goes
Snailer. Arraghedty strikes out three inthe inning. One two delivery got him

(00:44):
strike three frozen with he excellent pitchby Aarraghetty and it's a one Jude three
to kick in. The one twoswinging and a mess got him on the
big curve ball. That is sixstrikeouts for Araghetty, went away. That
load stuff is very effective for Arraghettyafter all those high fastballs. Welcome back

(01:07):
into the program. Congratulations Spencer Arragheedy. There's that young pitching prospect that had
so much prowess people kept telling usabout doing what it needed to do in
Minime Park last night, five andtwo thirds career corelonga innis, I'm sorry,
I was reading something else. Ninetyfour pitches also a career. Good
for him, and he set thetable which allowed the bats to go do

(01:30):
what they do. And we needto brag on some folks again John Singleton,
and what about the series? Hesaid, Oh, I need to
pull this up, Gordon. Ifyou get to it before I do,
let me know. I bookmarked thisand I said I was going to get
to it. Where's this thing at? Oh? Of course I can't find
it when I want to. Itwas a comment about Singleton. Since Jose

(01:52):
Bray has been sent down, Singletonhas started all three games, four of
eleven, two home runs, threerun scored five RBIs walked twice, has
yet to strike out. The questionis simple, matter of fact, let's
feel good play that Singleton homer forme. Let me say, because this
is when the game really changed.Two won the Singleton and that has hit

(02:15):
high in the air and hit keepthe right field going back on. It
is brinted at the wall, Heleaves and it is gone. John Singleton
puts the Astros on top with atwo run hover three to two. Houston
just did clare the fence, andright now with two out, Singleton lands

(02:36):
the uppercut. Just what the Astrosneeded, the uppercut. We're waiting for
the big one that John provides it. Appreciate Robert Ford and Steve Sparks,
Dan certainly appreciate Singleton home of theright field. I mean, he just
got it over the wall three hundredand forty five feet. He scores himself
and Jeremy Pina I ask you,gentlemen, were with John Singleton into the

(03:00):
Seattle series. He's earned the rightin being the first basement, right,
no doubt he's you know, lookhis first two home runs of the year
in this series against a good Clevelandteam I thought was huge. Uh driving
in some runs was the six ribbieshe had in this series. So yeah,
he absolutely has you know, I'mnot ready. Everybody wants to make
declarative statements. He's your starter firstthe rest of the year. WHOA now,

(03:22):
Like, why does it have tobe all or nothing? Like He's
going to be the first basement nowbecause he's earned it. But this is
pretty interesting. I had a conversationwith him not too long ago about getting
those reps every day and get youknow, like it does help. And
so here here was just a quickSoundBite of my conversation with Singleton and talking
about that how much of it isjust continue to see Biglick pitching day in

(03:46):
and day out, and how muchdoes that help at least being in there
row just about every day. Thatthat definitely, you know, has a
lot of bearing on how well youdo I think consistency. You know,
you have a feel for the waythe game is going, the way they're
pitch staff is pitching you in particularmoments. You know, it's it's very
difficult when you get a few Atvat'sper series. You know, you kind
of kind of go out their blond, so to speak, because you don't

(04:10):
have a rhythm already. But it'sdefinitely nice when you can get that rhythm.
So just's tell you right there,me coming in playing every three days
doesn't help me getting a risk.How I getting a rhythm is playing every
day. And so now here weare three game hitting streak, hitting every
game of this series, Like,let's ride this to the wheels fall.
I think you have to and Ibelieve Joe A Spot has said as much.

(04:32):
If you guys see that one froma spot and let me know,
uh, the Astros were one andnine with men is going in scoring position.
Excuse me just prior to Singleton hittingthat two run dinger, and I
really you know Singleton's story. Wetalked about it a lot less season.
Some people may not know originally withthe Astros, hung around for a little

(04:53):
bit, was out of baseball fora while because of some failed drug tests
for marijuana. Climbed his way backinto the lower level of the game and
wound up who is he with?Was the Milwaukee last year and they released
him and then the Astros pick himup, kind of dealing with this same
Jose Brady situation. And he's hungaround, makes the team coming out of

(05:14):
this year's spring training and right whenthe Astros needed and when they needed the
most, here's John Singleton get somethingdone. Let me hear from Joe Spoder
and celebrate John Singleton what he's donethroughout this Guardian series. You know,
he does things that as an organizationwe value. He's being a guy that
always been able to string his strikes. Obviously we know all hardy hits the

(05:36):
ball, but the zone control fromthe left side, it's something that he's
always done really well. So wealways like that and we have kept him
because we know that if we couldget him some opportunities to play, we
could tap into that talent that hehas. And he started starting to show

(05:58):
Joe Spoder post game on John Singleton. Yeah, the longer John does that,
we don't have to worry about quarantineand yann they are going to first
I know they mentioned they wanted tosprinkle dubon over there. And as long
as John is playing something like this, Now, do I expect him to
drive in six runs and you know, reach base six times in every three

(06:20):
game series they played. Probably not. No, he's gonna have some games
where he goes over with a coupleof strikeouts. But you know, again,
it's it's more him not doing thatlike ten days in a row that
that's what killed you. But likeif he can have the occasional hit again,
Jose Bray, you lowered our standardsso much for expectations of first base
that we're looking at John Singleton going, oh hell yeah, brother, where

(06:43):
it really is like anything you cangive us is a plus. The same
thing with little perfito, Like,give us anything and we're celebres, just
don't suck. The league average inops is just under seven hundred. John
Singleton's at seven eighty seven now,although this three games sample size has been
quite happetized. Singleton steel bat inone eighty slashing, two ninety three,

(07:05):
and three twenty nine, so itain't like he only waits at All Star
Game. But but it gets toyour point, the bar had been so
low. Yeah, that if he'sjust commensurate with his ability, and look,
if it's a home run one onceevery week for you, you'd love
to have, you know, onceevery week and a half whatever, like
giving you something that would be fantastic. But I think it was like Matt

(07:27):
Thomason when the post game last night, you know, we can't lean on
ol Tuo Van Tucker to just bethe guys every night. You have to
get something from somebody else while you'renot sucking right now, and Breckman's sucking
right now. You need the Singletonto lift you up. You need the
low praffito, you need Caya's beengreat, like it has to be other
guys, and that's what's been sofrustrating about this season, Stan is like,

(07:50):
you can't all be off every night, Like we can't lose games two
to one because nobody wants to geta hit and it's on. It's finding
different. Isn't it funny when theydon't have fielding eras and they don't have
base running snam foods, and youdon't have silliness right when you're just playing
adequate astro level baseball. It's funny, how all of it. When you're

(08:11):
pitching well and you're not digging yourselfin a hole, and when multiple people
are part of generating runs and movingWhat was that the fifth inning? Was
it? They ten batters in thefifth inning? That's what it should look
like. That should be the healthyexpectation around here. And they got it
done, winning a very important seriesversus the Cleveland Guardians. Taking your phone

(08:31):
calls on astros, We'll be herefor a while seven one three, two
one two five, seven ninety.Let's go to the phones now, northwest
side of the city. Steve getin here, Good morning, Good morning,
guys. You know, not onlyis Singleton, you know it's bad,
it's red hot, but you knowwhat, the defense that he's played
last night was pretty damn awesome.Did you watch the game? Of course,

(08:56):
ma'am. I mentioned it took playsone of the shots down the front
first baseline. Then he had thescoop from Penya who's throwing off his feet
coming over there off the third baseside. So yeah, the defense was
right in line with what he didwith the bat. Yes, And you
know, I've been a proponent ofof Singleton for a long time, and
you know, if you just givea guy a chance and get him some

(09:16):
bats getting used to seeing some pitches, I mean, the guy is I
honestly think, I mean, whatare you gonna do when Brady says okay,
I'm ready. I mean, that'sgonna be a that's gonna be a
challenge that if if Singleton continues doingwhat he's doing, I don't see how
you can how you can take himoff first base. I know that he's
making us, I know he's makingless money. I understand that. But

(09:39):
still, I mean, we're we'retrying to get wins. We're not trying
to, you know, uh,help a guy in his feelings and everything.
But another thing is is I'll tellyou that that that pitcher last night
was unbelievable. I was very surprised, and it seems like all three games
he's improved on something. Last nightthere was you know, an air between

(10:03):
Myers and Tucker. Yes, itshould have been caught most probably most people
would have been a little upset,and you know, especially being a young
guy. But man, a guycame right back and struct struck the guy
out. So I mean, I'llhang up to listen, but good show.
Guys, have blessed day. Thankyou so much. Appreciate you Steve
on the northwest side of the city. Hope you have a great weekend.

(10:24):
Stay safe. I want to saysomething and I don't have the time to
do it now. Now we're stillgotta get to Bregmant. This is what's
coming up next. I want toget to Bregman and I want to also
add one other component this two threefour hole, which includes Bregman. What
we got going on here? Howare we going to fix this? And

(10:45):
what can we expect Joe Spotted todo, if anything, with the lineup
card tonight as the Seattle Mariners arein town, Astros on deck begins at
six. We'll get you going withfirst pitch shortly after seven. Next up,
Legendary KB and me,