Astros drop their third straight game
Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 2 hits from the 4-3 loss
Jun 18, 2019, 9:33 pm
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
Looking to end their two-game skid, the Astros sent their ace Justin Verlander to the mound to try and get back in the win column on Tuesday night against the Reds. Here is a recap of the middle game of the series:
Final Score: Reds 4, Astros 3.
Record: 48-26, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Anthony DeSclafani (4-3, 4.22 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Justin Verlander (9-3, 2.59 ERA).
1) Offense comes up just short again
After finding themselves down three runs early, the offense had trouble putting any big innings together to threaten to take a come from behind lead. They didn't get on the board until the top of the sixth, trimming the lead to two runs on an RBI-double by Yordan Alvarez.
Down 4-1 in the top of the eighth, the Astros would have their best inning offensively, getting a leadoff walk to set up a two-run home run for Alex Bregman to make it a one-run game. Brantley would hit a no-out single next and move to second on a wild pitch but would be left stranded to keep them behind in the game. They would come up empty in the top of the ninth to drop their third straight game.
2) Early homers haunt Verlander
Justin Verlander continued to struggle with home runs in his start on Tuesday night, allowing a solo and two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to put Houston in a quick 3-0 hole. Though Verlander would rebound well from those early runs, his offense would be unable to get him off the hook.
He'd go on to allow just two hits over the next five innings, but with his night nearing an end with two outs in the seventh, would get dinged with one more home run to extend Cincinnati's lead back to three-runs at 4-1. Verlander's final line: 7 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 3 HR.
Chris Devenski pitched a scoreless eighth inning, but there would be no bottom of the ninth with the offense going down 1-2-3 in the top half of the inning, ending the loss for Houston.
Up Next: Houston will wrap up his series with Cincinnati tomorrow with an early game starting at 11:35 AM. The pitching matchup for the finale will be Gerrit Cole (6-5, 3.67 ERA) for the Astros going against Tyler Mahle (2-7, 4.33 ERA) for the Reds.
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.