Bielak's change in approach helps him stymie Twins

HOUSTON -- In the third inning of the Astros’ loss to the Twins on Monday, pitcher Brandon Bielak sat down in the dugout with catcher César Salazar to review the scouting report for the following day’s game. They made eye contact a few times throughout the remainder of the game, taking mental notes about pitch selection and swing tendencies.

A game plan was born, and Salazar used it to guide Bielak and the Astros to a 5-1 win over the Twins on Tuesday at Minute Maid Park, relying on Bielak’s sinker-changeup effectiveness, with the occasional slider mixed in. Bielak held the Twins to one run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings and benefitted from a pair of second-inning home runs by Alex Bregman and Chas McCormick.

“He executed it enough to get by this lineup, and he did a great job executing his pitches,” Salazar said. “He was getting ahead a lot and that was definitely a big part of it.”

Bielak threw his changeup a season-high 37 times, which accounted for 41 percent of the season-high 91 pitches he threw. He got 11 of his 14 whiffs on the changeup and used it to get Byron Buxton to ground into a key double play in the sixth inning.

“Salazar called a very good game, too,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “He called an excellent game. He did what I asked him. He paid attention last night with their hitters and followed the game plan well. We were hoping [Bielak] could get to the sixth because the bullpen was a little bit upside down, but our guys came through and they did the job.”

Baker said veteran catcher Martín Maldonado, who caught three of Bielak’s first four starts this year, also helped change the right-hander’s pitch usage. Thus, the changeup has been an emerging weapon. Bielak threw it only 12 times in 87 pitches (14 percent) in his first start of the season May 7, but threw it 32 percent of the time in his third start May 19 and 25 percent of his pitches in his previous start May 24.

“That combo, sinker-changeup, even to lefties, throwing sinker-changeups, makes that pitch much better and the command he has with it,” Salazar said. “He has very good feel, he can throw it for strikes, he can throw it expanding the zone.”

Perhaps the biggest changeup of the day came in the sixth. The Twins put runners at first and second base with no outs and were trying to claw their way back from a 5-1 deficit, so Salazar went to the mound to talk to Bielak prior to the at-bat with Buxton.

“He came out there and said, ‘Hey we’re going first-pitch changeup and we’re going to get a double play here,’” Bielak said. “It got me fired up.”

Buxton hit the first pitch to shortstop Jeremy Peña, who started a 6-4-3 double play that all but ended the rally.

“I was really feeling that pitch in that situation and I knew how good the changeup was working,” Salazar said. “We all agreed, and it happened. It was pretty good.”

Baker was hoping Bielak could finish the sixth inning considering he was trying to stay away from four of his eight relief pitchers. The manager pulled Bielak after his two-out walk in the sixth, but Phil Maton (1 1/3 innings), Ryne Stanek (one inning) and Rafael Montero (one inning) finished it off.

Since Bielak and rookie J.P. France were thrust into the Astros' rotation a month ago following significant injuries to José Urquidy and Luis Garcia, the unproven duo has each made five starts. Bielak has a 3.00 ERA in his five starts (the Astros are 2-3 in those starts), while France has a 4.00 ERA in his five starts (the Astros are 2-3). They’ve combined for only one quality start, but they’ve done enough to help keep the rotation afloat.

“I’m impressed, but this is what we need and what you expect,” Baker said. “You don’t want guys here that are happy to be here. You want guys that are trying to help us win and believing they can help us win.”