A helping hand
Astros' Carlos Correa steps up to the plate in drive to get beds for kids after Harvey
Sep 18, 2017, 7:00 am
Carlos Correa has spent most of the season batting cleanup for the Astros. On Monday, he took a swing at helping the city itself clean up after Hurricane Harvey. Correa was part of a bed distribution at Texas Mattress Makers for the Houston Children’s Charity. The goal is to raise $500,000 to help get beds and linens for 5,000 children and families who lost theirs in the storm.
“I wanted to help," Correa said. “I pray for these families.”
Correa was joined by veteran newsman Dave Ward and several local sports radio personalities for the event.
“It went really well,” said Rachel Gordon, who works at Texas Mattress Makers with her father, Youval Meicler. Both have been active in charity in Houston for years.
Gordon is in charge of the Young Houstonians for Houston Children’s Charity and helped spearhead the distribution. “Carlos has been great. All of the volunteers were great. Our goal is 5,000 beds and we hope to raise $500,000,” she said. “We are close — we have raised almost $300,000 so far.”
Gordon had flood damage of her own during the storm, but is happy to be able to help others.
“I think it’s great the way Houston has come together,” she said. “We are all just trying to make a difference, especially for these children. Children sleeping on the floor ... you don’t want that. I’m really fortunate to be a part of this initiative and to be able to help out.”
Applications for those in need are available here and in Spanish here.
Donations can be made through the Houston Children's Charity Harvey Relief web page or through Correa’s YouCaring crowdfunding site. Also, the Young Houstonians for Houston Children’s Charity will be hosting their fall mixer at Hotel ZaZa on October 19 at 6 pm.
“All the proceeds are going to benefit this program,” Gordon said.
Meanwhile, Correa has donated 500 beds already. “I know how important this is,” he said.
On Sunday, Correa’s Astros clinched the AL West. A day later, he was helping another team of winners distribute mattresses to people in need.
And this group of volunteers and charity workers did what Correa always does in uniform — stepped up to the plate big time.
Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.