<!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/milwaukee-brewers/brewers-rumors-why-milwaukee-likely-wont-pull-repeat-of-josh-hader-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Brewers rumors: Why Milwaukee likely won’t pull repeat of Josh Hader trade');   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/2025/06/Why-Milwaukee-likely-wont-pull-repeat-of-Josh-Hader-trade.jpg"><figcaption>Credit: Mike De Sisti </figcaption></figure><h1>Brewers rumors: Why Milwaukee likely won’t pull repeat of Josh Hader trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-27T10:53:48-07:00">June 27th, 10:53am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-27T10:53:48-07:00">June 27th, 10:53am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/chris.spiering.3" rel="facebook">Chris Spiering</a>Chris Spiering graduated from the University of San Diego with a Communication Studies Degree. He spent his final year as the Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris manages the betting team at ClutchPoints and contributes about the NFL, MLB, and NBA, but he follows most sports, including NCAA Basketball. Chris also covers San Diego State men's basketball for East Village Times.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Brewers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/milwaukee-brewers/brewers-news-accomplishe-impressive-feat-twins-win">Milwaukee Brewers</a> are one of the more interesting teams in the National League at 45-36. They are a team we must keep an eye on as the MLB Trade Deadline approaches. The Brewers have already made one trade, but according to one insider, they will be reluctant to be sellers this season.</p><p>The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal doesn’t want the Brewers to feel like they are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6455108/2025/06/27/texas-rangers-globe-life-hitters-marlins-pirates/" rel="noopener">pulling off a Josh Hader-trade 2.0</a>. In 2022, the Brewers <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/josh-hader-traded-to-padres" rel="noopener">traded away Josh Hader</a> to the San Diego Padres, as the Friars also dealt for Juan Soto and were going all-in. That resulted in the Brewers regretting that decision.</p><p>“The Hader deal worked out well long-term,” Rosenthal wrote. “Yielding outfielder Esteury Ruiz, whom the Brewers later flipped to the Athletics for catcher William Contreras and reliever Joel Payamps, as well as top pitching prospect Robert Gasser, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery. But the Brewers invited scrutiny for trading an elite closer in the middle of the season, and missed the playoffs in ‘22.”</p><p>In 2025, the Brewers are going to contend for the playoffs once again. This team will be in great shape if they sweep the Colorado Rockies this weekend. They don’t have a World Series-caliber roster, but a few trades and upgrades can put them there. On the other side, Milwaukee has had stretches this season where they seem like they will fall short once again. There are a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-rumors-the-brewers-star-in-danger-of-trade-after-white-sox-deal">few players on the roster who could be dealt</a>.</p><p>The pitching staff is deep. The Brewers have more than five potential starters, and most are young. Outside of Freddy Peralta, Jose Quintana, and Brandon Woodruff (60-day IL), Milwaukee contains Jacob Misiorowski, Chad Patrick, Quinn Priester, Logan Henderson (who is currently in Triple-A), and Nestor Cortes (on 60-day IL). They already <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/milwaukee-brewers/brewers-news-milwaukee-aaron-civale-white-sox-request">traded away Aaron Civale to the Chicago White Sox</a> for Andrew Vaughn. The Brewers could make a deep run despite trading away Quintana or Peralta. However, this team does not want to lose out on the postseason once again.</p><p>Misiorowski is pitching like one of the best young starters in the game. The 23-year-old flamethrower has allowed just two runs in three starts. He has racked up 19 strikeouts in 16 innings. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/milwaukee-brewers/brewers-news-jacob-misiorowski-outduels-paul-skenes-2">Misiorowski just outdueled Paul Skenes</a> earlier this week.</p><p>Ken Rosenthal ended his statement about the Brewers with this:</p><p>“Anything is possible if the Brewers stumble before the deadline, and maybe even if they don’t. The team could use a boost at both shortstop (28th in OPS entering Thursday’s play) and third base (27th), though Joey Ortiz and Caleb Durbin are hitting well in June. Peralta is not quite an ace – his 3.74 expected ERA is above his actual 2.90. But at his salary, he’s also not the kind of pitcher a small-market contender should trade at the deadline. Not unless the return significantly upgrades another part of the major-league roster.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Brewers rumors: Why Milwaukee likely won’t pull repeat of Josh Hader trade

<!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/houston-astros/astros-news-josh-hader-matches-franchise-save-record-phillies');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros’ Josh Hader matches franchise history in dominant win over Phillies');   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/2025/06/Josh-Hader-1.jpg"><figcaption>Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Astros’ Josh Hader matches franchise history in dominant win over Phillies</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-25T21:08:19-07:00">June 25th, 9:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-25T21:08:19-07:00">June 25th, 9:08pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Astros continued their red-hot stretch with a 2-0 shutout over the Philadelphia Phillies, but all eyes were on closer <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-josh-hader-perfect-2025-shuts-door-white-sox">Josh Hader</a>, who made franchise history in the win. The Houston Astros flame-throwing lefty matched a club record with his 21st consecutive save to start the season, tying a mark set by Dave Smith back in 1989.</p><p>The Astros bullpen has been one of the most reliable units in baseball this year, and Hader’s flawless run has been a key reason why. On Wednesday, the lefty came in and shut the door against Philly, locking in the team’s sixth straight win at home and cementing himself even further as one of the game’s elite closers.</p><p>Marc Berman, formerly of Fox 26, highlighted the moment on X (formerly Twitter), sharing Hader’s <a href="https://x.com/MarkBerman_/status/1938065743305916483" rel="noopener">impressive streak</a> and historical context.</p><p>“Josh Hader 21-21 in save opportunities to start the season which matches a franchise record set by Dave Smith in 1989 per @SpaceCityHN”</p><p>Hader has thrown 36.1 innings this season, posting a 1.73 ERA with 56 strikeouts and 21 saves. He’s walked just seven batters while giving up 19 hits and eight earned runs across that span. His success isn’t just about power, he’s made a sharp adjustment to his pitch mix. The lefty has increased his slider usage from 27% in 2024 to 41% in 2025. Meanwhile, he’s reduced his sinker usage, boosting both command and deception.</p><p>Wednesday’s win wasn’t just about one player. The Astros bullpen used five left-handed pitchers—a first in franchise history—to shut out a high-powered Phillies lineup. With starters like Lance McCullers not available and Framber Valdez missing time due to injury, the bullpen’s dominance has kept Houston in contention atop the AL West.</p><p>The MLB saves record may still be a long shot, but Hader is firmly establishing himself as the most dominant closer in Astros history. He also notched his 200th career save earlier this season and is making the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-josh-hader-agree-contract-free-agency">five-year, $95 million deal he signed in 2024 with Houston</a> look like a bargain.</p><p>Now 21-for-21 in save opportunities, Hader’s perfect streak has not only matched franchise history—it’s anchoring a playoff-caliber team. The Astros are now 47-33, tied for the third-best record in MLB, and showing no signs of slowing down.</p><p>For Houston, the lefty isn’t just another bullpen arm. He’s a statement of intent, a weapon late in games, and the heartbeat of a team with championship aspirations.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros’ Josh Hader matches franchise history in dominant win over Phillies

<!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/houston-astros/astros-news-josh-hader-perfect-2025-shuts-door-white-sox');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros’ Josh Hader continues perfect 2025 after shutting door on White Sox');   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/2025/06/Josh-Hader.jpg"><figcaption>Thomas Shea-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Astros’ Josh Hader continues perfect 2025 after shutting door on White Sox</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-12T20:36:48-07:00">June 12th, 8:36pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-12T20:37:44-07:00">June 12th, 8:37pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-josh-haders-key-change-fueling-start-2025">Houston Astros continue to rely</a> on one of baseball’s most dependable arms in Josh Hader, who came through again in Thursday night’s 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox. The veteran closer notched his 18th save in 18 chances, preserving his perfect record and further proving his place among MLB’s elite closers.</p><p>Houston took control early behind a solo home run from Isaac Paredes and two RBI doubles by Jose Altuve, jumping out to a 4-2 lead. But things got tight in the ninth when Mike Tauchman homered off the southpaw to pull Chicago within one. Moments later, Miguel Vargas doubled off the wall, nearly giving the White Sox the lead. Still, Hader struck out Austin Slater to slam the door, maintaining his flawless save streak this season.</p><p>Former longtime KRIV-TV Houston broadcaster Mark Berman highlighted Hader’s dominance on X, formerly known as Twitter, sharing a post that captured just <a href="https://x.com/MarkBerman_/status/1933355081858232804" rel="noopener">how unstoppable</a> the closer has been.</p><p>“Josh Hader’s perfect season continues. He’s 18 for 18 in save opportunities and is also 2-0.”</p><p>The 31-year-old left-hander is proving that his five-year, $95 million contract signed before the 2024 season is already paying off for Houston. Now in his second year with the club, Hader has made noticeable strides across the board. He’s limiting hard contact, reducing walks, and refining his pitch mix by leaning more on sliders and curveballs to keep hitters off balance.</p><p>​​In 2025, the Astros closer has posted a 1.55 ERA across 27 outings, showing improved command and a noticeable drop in home runs allowed compared to his 2024 season. His ability to shut down opposing lineups late in games has become a defining strength of Houston’s bullpen.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-framber-valdez-strikeout-record-nolan-ryan">Thursday’s win also moved Houston to 38-30</a>, maintaining their lead atop the AL West standings. With Hader anchoring the back end, the Astros are emerging as a playoff-caliber team once again—built on elite closing, timely hitting, and veteran poise.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros’ Josh Hader continues perfect 2025 after shutting door on White Sox

<!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/houston-astros/astros-news-josh-haders-key-change-fueling-start-2025');   ga('set', 'title', 'Josh Hader’s key change fueling dominant start to 2025 season');   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/2025/04/Astros-news-Josh-Haders-key-change-fueling-dominant-start-to-2025-season.jpg"><figcaption>Thomas Shea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Josh Hader’s key change fueling dominant start to 2025 season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-25T21:24:17-07:00">April 25th, 9:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-25T21:24:17-07:00">April 25th, 9:24pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-josh-hader-agree-contract-free-agency">Houston Rockets signed Josh Hader in 2024</a>. Since then, the closer’s five-year, $95 million deal has paid off for Houston and manager Joe Espada. The pitcher who dominated with the Brewers and Padres is only getting better. One simple shift he made this offseason is behind one of his best starts to a season ever: his release point.</p><p>This offseason, Hader reviewed his 2024 season and determined that he wasn’t releasing his pitches at the right spot. Because of that, tunneling pitches was more difficult. Batters could more easily identify which pitch he threw and hit it more often. To fix things, the 31-year-old worked with Astros general manager Dana Brown to <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/astros/article/houston-josh-hader-relief-pitcher-20295095.php" rel="noopener">adjust his arm angle</a>, according to Houston Chronicle writer Matt Kawahara.</p><p>The result has paid dividends for him and his team. Hader has seven saves already this season. He is on pace to smash his career-high and add another 30+ save season to his ledger. The lefty did it twice, as with the Brewers, once with the Padres, and last year as an Astro.</p><p>Espada can rest easy knowing that he has one of the best closers in the game to secure wins. With the Astros losing Kyle Tucker this summer, pitching became that much more important. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/3-astros-blame-wild-card-sweep-hands-tigers">Houston is trying to avenge their Wild Card loss</a> to the Detroit Tigers this season and prove their dynasty isn’t over just yet.</p><p>The Astros are lucky that Hader is playing so well, but the rest of the team needs to catch up to him. Christian Walker and Yordan Alvarez are wildly underperforming so far. Jose Altuve continues to struggle adjusting to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-jose-altuves-1-ongoing-problem-with-transition-to-outfield">playing in the outfield for Houston</a>. The starting rotation is question marks around Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown.</p><p>The Houston Astros have time to figure things out with the majority of the season ahead of them. One thing they can count on? Hader’s excellence in the ninth inning.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Josh Hader’s key change fueling dominant start to 2025 season

<!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>

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	HOLDS	SAVES
110	1.718	56	0.7091	0	22

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	HOLDS	SAVES
110	1.718	56	0.7091	0	22

Josh Hader

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Josh Hader’s key change fueling dominant start to 2025 season

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

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