Correa and Cole help Astros even the series
Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 3 hits from the 8-2 win
Jul 27, 2019, 9:24 pm
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
With their bullpen having a disappointing performance resulting in a loss in the series opener, the Astros looked to Gerrit Cole on Saturday to even the series with the Cardinals. Here is a rundown of the game:
Final Score: Astros 8, Cardinals 2.
Record: 67-39, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Gerrit Cole (12-5, 2.94 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Daniel Ponce de Leon (1-1, 3.76 ERA).
1) Correa leads an early offensive charge
Houston took advantage of a struggling Daniel Ponce de Leon early in the game, starting in the first inning. They put runners on the corners with one out, setting up Michael Brantley for an RBI-groundout to start the scoring at 1-0. Carlos Correa doubled that lead in the next at-bat, getting an RBI-single to make it 2-0 in his biggest hit since returning to the lineup.
They put more traffic on base in the third inning, working three consecutive one-out walks, bringing Correa back to the plate. He put up an even bigger highlight than his hit in the first, launching a grand slam to make it a 6-0 game and giving him five RBIs through the first three innings.
.@TeamCJCorrea is BACK.
(MLB x @PapaJohns) pic.twitter.com/1sZY84PaQA
— MLB (@MLB) July 28, 2019
2) Cole stays hot
Gerrit Cole continued his hot summer, giving his team yet another dominant start on Saturday night. He allowed just one run, a solo homer to Paul Goldschmidt who has been unstoppable of late. Otherwise, it was another steady, strong night for Houston's other Cy Young contender.
The only thing unusual for Cole in the start was that he didn't record his normal double-digit strikeouts. Instead, he saw a lot more balls in play, though he did not allow more than two hits in any inning. Cole's final line: 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, 1 HR.
3) Houston evens the series
With Cole leaving with a 6-1 lead after seven innings, it should have been easy work for the bullpen to wrap up the last two innings for the win. George Springer helped add some further insurance, though, getting a two-RBI double off the wall in the top of the eighth to extend the lead to 8-1.
Joe Smith was the first reliever out of the bullpen and despite allowing a run to score made it through the eighth inning. During the inning, Carlos Correa would field a force-out from Jose Altuve at second but ended up taking a cleat spike to the arm from the incoming slide. He remained in the game to finish the inning.
Hector Rondon had the ninth, and preserved the six-run lead to finish off the win and put the series even at a game apiece.
Up Next: These two teams will conclude this series tomorrow with a 1:15 PM start time with the series on the line. Houston is expected to start quick-working Wade Miley (8-4, 3.18 ERA), while the Cardinals will counter with Dakota Hudson (10-4, 3.61 ERA).
The Astros daily report is presented by APG&E.
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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.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.