Roberto Osuna blows the save to end Houston's winning streak
Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 3 hits from the 8-7 loss
Aug 11, 2019, 4:02 pm
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
After bludgeoning the Orioles 23-2 on Saturday to secure the series win, the Astros had the chance for a sweep and their ninth-straight victory on Sunday afternoon. Here is a recap of the finale in Baltimore:
Final Score: Orioles 8, Astros 7.
Record: 77-41, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Richard Bleier (3-0, 6.00 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Roberto Osuna (3-3, 3.04 ERA).
1) O's give Verlander grief
Justin Verlander had a surprisingly rough outing against the Orioles on Sunday. It started in the bottom of the first when the Orioles would jump out to a 1-0 lead by scoring a run on three hits against him. After Houston took over 3-1 in the top of the second, Baltimore would keep getting to Verlander by getting another run on a couple of hits and a walk, trimming the lead to 3-2.
He settled back in after that, working around a double and hit batter in the third to maintain the lead then getting his first 1-2-3 inning in the fourth. The Orioles would regain the lead against him in the bottom of the fifth, though, tagging him with two more runs before his pitch count would cause his day to end early.
While he left after five innings with his team down 4-3, Verlander was still able to make it five-straight double-digit strikeout games, getting eleven in his otherwise rough outing. His final line: 5 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 11 K, 0 HR.
2) Correa showcases his power again
After going down 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning, Houston was able to quickly take a lead of their own in the top of the second. Alex Bregman led the inning off by working a walk, followed by a single by Yordan Alvarez. That put two runners on base for Carlos Correa, who drilled a home run to left-center field, much like his monster the night before, giving him back-to-back games with a homer.
Carlos crushed it. 💪 pic.twitter.com/hOW9X5hUtd
— MLB (@MLB) August 11, 2019
They would watch that lead dissipate over the next few innings as Verlander would give up the go-ahead runs in the fifth. Chris Devenski was first out of Houston's bullpen to pitch the bottom of the sixth, but he too would allow a run on a two-out RBI-single to extend Baltimore's lead to 5-3.
3) Houston mounts a comeback, Osuna blows the save
The Astros went to work against Baltimore's bullpen in the top of the seventh, getting runners on second and third with no outs after a couple of hits to start the inning. Jose Altuve drove in a run on an RBI-groundout to make it a one-run game, but they would strand two runners to remain down 5-4.
Will Harris was able to keep the score where it was by throwing a scoreless 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh with a little help from a terrific defensive play by Carlos Correa. Correa led off the top of the next inning with a single, giving him a multi-hit game, but would become another stranded runner.
Joe Biagini took over on the mound in the bottom of the eighth and although he would load the bases with one out, would get out of the jam to keep it a one-run game going to the ninth. Houston had the top of their lineup up in the top of the ninth, and they put the first two runners aboard.
Michael Brantley came through for Houston, drilling a ball into the right-field corner and coming all the way around to score on a hit which would go down as a triple and an error instead of an inside-the-park home run, but either way gave Houston a 7-5 lead.
A Little League homer for the lead! pic.twitter.com/V2Rws9ZEWv
— MLB (@MLB) August 11, 2019
Roberto Osuna would be brought in to wrap things up in the bottom of the ninth, but instead allowed three runs including a two-run walk-off homer. The loss ended Houston's eight-game winning streak.
Up Next: Houston will stay on the road and start a new series with the White Sox in Chicago on Monday night. The opener will begin at 7:10 PM Central and the expected pitching matchup is Zack Greinke (11-4, 3.08 ERA) making his second start for Houston going against Dylan Cease (2-4, 6.00 ERA) for Chicago.
The Astros daily report is presented by APG&E.
Yainer Diaz homered, Josh Hader got the last four outs for his major league-leading 25th save, and the Houston Astros spoiled Shohei Ohtani's 31st birthday, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 on Saturday.
Ohtani made his fourth mound start of the season, pitching two scoreless innings as he continues to work his way back from elbow surgery. He struck out the side in the second.
Justin Wrobleski (4-3) relieved Ohtani to start the third, and that's when the Dodgers' problems started. Zack Short hit a two-run double as Houston scored four times in the inning. Diaz went deep leading off the fourth, his 11th of the season.
Mookie Betts hit his 11th homer for the Dodgers in the first, and Miguel Rojas' two-run shot in the fourth pulled LA within 5-4.
Jose Altuve led off the seventh with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly.
Hader entered with two on and two out in the eighth and struck out pinch-hitter Esteury Ruiz. In the ninth, he allowed a leadoff single to Ohtani but retired Betts, Will Smith and Freddie Freeman to end it.
Framber Valdez (10-4) struck out seven and allowed four runs in six innings.
Key moment
The Dodgers sent Michael Conforto to the plate to pinch-hit with two out in the eighth, and the Astros brought in Hader. Manager Dave Roberts replaced Conforto with Ruiz, who fanned on Hader's slider.
Key stat
The Astros have scored 24 runs in the first two games of the series. On Friday night, they handed the Dodgers their worst loss in the history of Dodger Stadium, 18-1.
Up next
Astros RHP Ryan Gusto (5-3, 4.90 ERA) will face the Dodgers' Emmet Sheehan (0-0, 2.25) for Sunday’s series finale.