<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-mets-star-juan-soto-tips-cap-astros-josh-hader-game-ending-strikeout');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mets star Juan Soto tips cap to Astros’ Josh Hader after game-ending strikeout');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Mets-news-Juan-Soto-tips-cap-to-Astros-Josh-Hader-after-game-ending-strikeout-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Mets star Juan Soto tips cap to Astros’ Josh Hader after game-ending strikeout</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-28T01:25:23-07:00">March 28th, 1:25am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-28T01:25:23-07:00">March 28th, 1:25am</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Juan Soto’s first game in a New York Mets uniform <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mets-news-juan-soto-100-real-debut">didn’t end with the heroic moment many fans had envisioned</a>—but the superstar still showed grace in defeat.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/astros-news-cam-smiths-heartfelt-reaction-after-awesome-mlb-debut">Mets fell 3–2 to the Houston Astros on Opening Day</a>, and the final out came with Soto at the plate, representing the go-ahead run. With runners on the corners, two outs, and a full count in the top of the ninth, Soto faced off against his former Padres teammate and Astros closer Josh Hader.</p><p>Soto jumped ahead in the count 3–0 but watched a strike and fouled off a sinker to bring it to 3–2. Then came Hader’s signature slider—down and away, biting out of the zone. Soto <a href="https://x.com/andrew_tred/status/1905404240601677824?t=oVYnSUYZHdiJJaHnArB-0w&amp;s=19" rel="noopener">swung and missed. Game over.</a></p><p>Afterward, Soto offered a candid assessment: “He let the ball go on that last pitch and he got me on it,” Soto said via X, formerly Twitter. “It was a pretty good pitch, the slider down and away. I wasn’t expecting it and it just happened.”</p><h2><b>Juan Soto had an OK debut for the Mets</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Juan-Soto-in-his-Mets-debut.jpg"><figcaption>Thomas Shea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It was a humbling moment for the 26-year-old, who signed a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets this offseason. While he went 1-for-3 with two walks in his team debut, Soto knows expectations are sky-high—not just for him, but for the franchise he’s now leading.</p><p>The game-ending strikeout was a reminder that even the best can be bested. Soto, widely regarded as one of the most disciplined hitters in baseball, was outdueled by a closer with whom he once shared a dugout.</p><p>Still, Mets fans have reason for optimism. Soto’s presence alone electrifies a lineup already stacked with talent like Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, and Brandon Nimmo. His ability to get on base and grind out at-bats—like he did twice earlier in the game with walks—already offers a glimpse of what he’ll bring to Queens over the next decade and a half.</p><p>Opening Day also marked a new chapter in Soto’s career. After stints with the Nationals, Padres, and Yankees, he’s finally settled into what he hopes will be his long-term home. Mets owner Steve Cohen’s vision of building a new identity around Soto—a winning, star-studded brand that can rival the Yankees—is already taking shape.</p><p>While Thursday’s result wasn’t ideal, Soto’s willingness to own the moment and tip his cap to a fellow elite talent like Hader showed the maturity and poise that’s made him a leader at just 26.</p><p>And with 161 games left, there will be plenty more moments—likely many triumphant ones—for Soto to deliver in a Mets uniform.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mets star Juan Soto tips cap to Astros’ Josh Hader after game-ending strikeout

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/astros-news-astros-closer-josh-hader-secret-weapon-frighten-opponents');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros closer Josh Hader reveals secret weapon that will frighten opponents');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Astros-news-Josh-Haders-potential-secret-weapon-will-frighten-opponents.jpg"></figure><h1>Astros closer Josh Hader reveals secret weapon that will frighten opponents</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T09:22:46-08:00">December 20th, 9:22am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T09:22:46-08:00">December 20th, 9:22am</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. A die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic, Brayden further channels his baseball enthusiasm through his podcast, where he delves into the latest in sports with engaging commentary. He also serves as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School. His commitment to sports journalism is evident in his diverse experiences with ContraCosta.news and his dedication to delivering compelling and insightful content.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Houston <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-josh-hader-situation-highlights-bonkers-broken-system">Astros closer Josh Hader is determined to elevate his game in 2025</a>, and he’s taking a new approach to do so. After a rollercoaster first season with the Astros, the 30-year-old southpaw is focused on refining his delivery and adding a changeup to his arsenal—a development that could make one of baseball’s <a href="https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/josh-hader-looking-forward-to-second-season-with-astros" rel="noopener">most electrifying pitchers even more dangerous.</a></p><p>“I’ve been trying to figure out a changeup for a long time now,” Hader said. “I’ve had a decent one but haven’t thrown it [much]. Being able to get that right to have three pitches instead of just a fastball and slider and be able to have something that goes the other way [away from right-handers].”</p><p>Hader’s 2024 season had its ups and downs. While he finished the year with 34 saves in 38 opportunities and struck out 105 batters in 71 innings, his <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/haderjo01.shtml" rel="noopener">3.80 ERA</a> and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/tigers-news-aj-hinch-perfect-response-beating-astros-playoffs">a critical blown save in the AL Wild Card Series against the Detroit Tigers</a> left him unsatisfied. “I wouldn’t say it was a great year for me,” Hader admitted. “There’s definitely a lot of room to be better, which I always think there is.”</p><h2><b>Josh Hader looks to bounce back for Astros in 2025</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Josh-Hader.jpg"><figcaption>Thomas Shea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Now entering the second season of his five-year, $95 million deal, Hader is using the offseason to reflect and rebuild. He has identified two key areas of improvement: simplifying his mechanics to avoid tipping pitches and refining his rarely used changeup.</p><p>“Trying to be more simple in my delivery and be able to be more consistent,” Hader said. “When you’re coming set, you tend to do certain things on certain pitches. Just trying to limit any tell that I could.”</p><p>Hader’s changeup usage in 2024 was minimal—just 12 times out of 1,166 pitches. However, its potential could be game-changing, particularly against right-handed hitters who have traditionally been more successful against him. “For me, just trying to piece together the bad parts to where I can better myself and also look at the high moments of what I did really well,” Hader said.</p><p>Despite the challenges of last season, Hader is optimistic about what lies ahead. “I think this is time now to gather the thoughts, write up the plan, and attack it,” he said. “Right now, I feel really good. I feel stronger.”</p><p>If Hader succeeds in developing a reliable changeup and perfecting his delivery, he could emerge as an even more formidable force at the back end of Houston’s bullpen. His determination to evolve and improve speaks volumes about his commitment to helping the Astros contend in 2025 and beyond.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros closer Josh Hader reveals secret weapon that will frighten opponents

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/astros-news-josh-hader-striking-admission-about-getting-booed-by-padres-fans');   ga('set', 'title', 'Josh Hader’s striking admission about getting booed by Padres fans in Astros win');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Astros-Josh-Hader.jpg"></figure><h1>Josh Hader’s striking admission about getting booed by Padres fans in Astros win</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-18T05:59:58-07:00">September 18th, 5:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-18T05:59:58-07:00">September 18th, 5:59am</time><address><a>Sam DiGiovanni</a>Sam DiGiovanni started at ClutchPoints as an associate editor in 2021 and became the site's Philadelphia 76ers beat reporter ahead of the 2022-23 season. He graduated from Marist College in May of 2022 and has written for TheKnicksWall.com and CenterFieldMarist.com in the past.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Astros secured a crucial win over the San Diego Padres, defeating them 4-3 in 10 innings. Josh Hader picked up the win despite blowing the save and received plenty of boos from the San Diego crowd in the process. Although he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/padres-news-josh-hader-matches-goose-gossages-1984-feat-in-nlds-tying-win-vs-dodgers">played a big part</a> in one of the best seasons in Padres history, fans aren’t fond of him anymore.</p><p>After entering the game with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Hader allowed the Padres to tie the game on a wild pitch, immediately allowing his inherited runner to score <a href="https://x.com/TalkingFriars/status/1836257084096286903" rel="noopener">on his first offering</a>. He then sat down the next four batters he faced, striking out two of them. The Astros played some small ball to get the ghost runner home in the top of the 10th inning and Hector Neris closed it out.</p><p>After the game, Hader expressed love for San Diego but admitted that he loves hearing the boos.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Josh Hader: “:I love this ballpark. I love pitching here. Obviously, I love the boos. Living rent-free is always a good time.” <a href="https://t.co/biQbcMzVmG">pic.twitter.com/biQbcMzVmG</a></p><p>— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) <a href="https://twitter.com/brianmctaggart/status/1836281106334912975?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“I love this ballpark. I love pitching here,” the Astros closer said. “Obviously, I love the boos. Living rent-free is always a good time.”</p><h2><b>Josh Hader sounds off on getting booed by Padres fans</b></h2><p>During his days with the Padres, Hader was reluctant to enter situations where he would be asked to get more than three outs. He stressed the importance of <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/josh-hader-discusses-reluctance-to-pitch-four-outs" rel="noopener">maintaining health over a long season</a> but was often unavailable for some spots where the Padres really could have used him due to injuries to teammates.</p><p>Now that he has a $95 million deal as insurance for a potential injury he could suffer in a longer appearance, Hader is more comfortable pitching more than a full inning. It may also be helpful that the Astros have been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-josh-hader-houston-inevitability">one of the most successful teams</a> in MLB in recent memory, though the Padres do have a better record than them right now. Houston is closing in on its seventh AL West title in eight years, which makes their playoff spot more secure.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Josh Hader’s striking admission about getting booed by Padres fans in Astros win

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/astros-news-josh-hader-houston-inevitability');   ga('set', 'title', 'Josh Hader gets 100% real on Astros’ inevitability');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Astros-news-Josh-Hader-gets-100-real-on-Houstons-inevitability.jpg"></figure><h1>Josh Hader gets 100% real on Astros’ inevitability</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-04T12:29:57-07:00">September 4th, 12:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-04T12:29:57-07:00">September 4th, 12:29pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Astros struggled to begin the 2024 season. Some people around the MLB world immediately began to wonder if this was the year Houston would start to lose momentum and struggle after their recent success. However, the Astros bounced back and now hold a comfortable 6.5-game lead in the American League West. Astros closer Josh Hader <a href="https://x.com/FoulTerritoryTV/status/1831396357145555082" rel="noopener">never doubted the team</a>.</p><p>“I mean, we’ve had meetings… We obviously knew that we weren’t playing good baseball early on,” Hader said on Foul Territory. “We knew what we had in that room. We knew, we continued to play good baseball, put the pieces together, it’s gonna follow through. One of the sayings, the cream always rises to the top, right? At the end of the day, that’s going to happen.”</p><p>Astros stars such as Alex Bregman and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-kyle-tucker-real-injury-more-serious-revealing">Kyle Tucker are battling injuries</a>. Still, Houston has momentum heading into the final stretch of the 2024 campaign. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/3-astros-breakout-september-playoffs">Astros have work to do in September</a> but they are trending in a promising direction overall.</p><p>Hader, who is in his first season with the Astros, is finding success for the most part with his new ball club.</p><h2><b>Josh Hader playing pivotal role in Astros success</b></h2><p>The former Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres star joined the Astros ahead of the ’24 campaign. He pitched to a sparkling 2.18 ERA in 2023 with San Diego while recording 33 saves. Overall, he has been selected to five All-Star games in his career.</p><p>However, Hader did not make the All-Star team in 2024. He hasn’t been quite as dominant, although he is still pitching well overall. Hader currently has a 3.28 ERA in 60 appearances. He’s also added 29 saves. There is no question that Hader’s presence has been impactful for Houston throughout the 2024 season.</p><p>Hader and the Astros will look to strengthen their AL West division lead on Wednesday night against the Cincinnati Reds.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Josh Hader gets 100% real on Astros’ inevitability

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/astros-news-josh-hader-situation-highlights-bonkers-broken-system');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros closer Josh Hader’s unprecedented situation highlights ‘bonkers, broken system’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Josh-Haders-unprecedented-situation-highlights-bonkers-broken-system.jpg"></figure><h1>Astros closer Josh Hader’s unprecedented situation highlights ‘bonkers, broken system’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-05-21T17:57:36-07:00">May 21st, 5:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-05-21T17:57:36-07:00">May 21st, 5:57pm</time><address><a>Peter Sampson</a>Peter Sampson is ClutchPoints' Portland Trail Blazers reporter and also serves as an Associate Editor. He has been covering all things sports (with a focus on the Blazers) for more than a decade, most recently hosting "The Pulse with Peter Sampson" in Afternoon Drive for 750 The Game. Prior to that, he hosted an NBA wrap-up show that aired immediately at the conclusion of every Trail Blazers game. Peter had previous stops at Blazer's Edge and XRAY.FM - where his show "Blazer's Edge Radio" was named "Portland's Best Sports Radio" in the 2017 Willamette Week reader's poll. When he's not telling the stories of your favorite sports team, Peter can be found recording the next garage rock classic in his basement studio, whipping up an authentic Italian meal in the kitchen, or trying to figure out the appeal of Minecraft with his 9-year-old son in the living room.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Late last month, Houston Astros closer Josh Hader pitched his first two-inning stint since 2019.</p><p>That gap was no accident. Hader, one of the most dominant relief pitchers in recent memory, had spent the previous four years working under self-imposed rules limiting himself to a single inning in order to keep himself healthy.</p><p>That remained Hader’s position until the Astros <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-josh-hader-agree-contract-free-agency">signed Hader</a> to a five-year, $95 million deal. It is the first multiyear deal of Hader’s career.</p><p>Now that his professional future is secured, Hader and his agent wanted to tell Buster Olney of ESPN <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/40186833/mlb-2024-josh-hader-usage-rules-contract-brewers-astros" rel="noopener">the story about MLB’s system</a> and why an arbitration hearing with the Milwaukee Brewers encouraged the Astros reliever to set the innings limitations in the first place:</p><p>“And yet Hader lost his arbitration hearing in 2019 and went unsigned for months this winter, in what Berry said he believes is a lack of acknowledgment of his importance to a roster. It’s a well-known pressure point for relievers and even starters. Last year, Tampa Bay Rays reliever Ryan Thompson posted about his issues with the arbitration process; he made $1 million in 2023 after asking for $1.2 million. Now-Baltimore Orioles ace Corbin Burnes lost his hearing and earned $10 million rather than $10.75 million and said his hearing “definitely hurt” his relationship with the Brewers.</p><p>According to multiple agents interviewed for this story, the industry’s view of relievers has made them more and more disposable: Teams believe relievers’ volatility means it makes more sense to cycle through a high volume of bullpen arms with one-year obligations rather than committing to multiyear contracts. One agent pointed to a parallel to how NFL teams view running backs.</p><p>“This efficiency model has taken over a lot of the industry,” Berry said, “and it’s bonkers.”</p><p>In 2013, the 30 teams across MLB used 513 relievers. Last season, 651 pitched in major league games — an increase of more than 25% over a decade, with many at or close to minimum wage. That this all comes at a time when arm injuries are ever more prevalent only exacerbates the problem.</p><p>Through the course of reporting this story, players, agents and members of multiple front offices agreed with Hader and Berry’s larger point.</p><p>“The system is broken,” one team staffer said. “We need to find a way to make it better.”‘</p><p>While saves are an important metric for evaluating relievers, it has become less and less accurate as a measurement of a successful relief pitcher as more advanced metrics have developed over the years. As long as Major League Baseball continues to overvalue the save in arbitration, it’s possible that more pitchers will look to emulate the Astros star’s self-imposed innings limitations.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	HOLDS	SAVES
20	4.05	5	1.5	0	0

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	HOLDS	SAVES
20	4.05	5	1.5	0	0

Josh Hader

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Astros closer Josh Hader’s unprecedented situation highlights ‘bonkers, broken system’

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