Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Houston Astros catcher Carlos Corporan must make the most of his limited opportunities this season if he wants to continue making starts when starter Lucas Harrell is on the mound. It is critical that Corporan swing better at the plate, and work better with Harrell when he is suited up defensively.
The Astros like having Corporan catch for Harrell because the two players have built up an on-field bond in Spring Training.
“They’ve developed a real good rapport, and with today being a day game after a night game, I probably would have given Castro a day off, anyway,” Astros manager Bo Porter told Astros.com. “It just so happens that it aligns up to where Corporan can catch Harrell.”
Unfortunately, Corporan was not able to help Harrell Sunday afternoon. The starting pitcher gave up eight earned runs on seven hits and walked five batters in the 9-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics. Obviously, most of this blame falls on the hands of Harrell considering he is the one tossing the pitches. However, Corporan must take some of the heat for the loss as well because he is the one calling the game.
Corporan must be effective on offense as well. Going 1-for-4 with two strikeouts is most definitely not going to cut it. Even though the 29-year-old has already recorded one RBI, he must improve on going 1-for-7 at the plate in two starts this season.
The good news is Corporan and Harrell have already proven they can have success working together. Harrell allowed only one earned run in six innings in his first start of the season on April 2.
