Astros finally snap their losing streak
Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 3 hits from the 9-4 win
Once again the Astros would take the field with hopes of ending their current losing streak by finding a way to break out of their recent slump and run of bad luck. A victory would not only get them back in the win column; it would secure the season-series win against the Yankees with the first six games being split 3-3 between the two teams. Here's how the series finale wound up:
Final Score: Astros 9, Yankees 4.
Record: 49-30, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Justin Verlander (10-3, 2.67 ERA).
Losing pitcher: J.A. Happ (7-4, 5.23 ERA).
1) Bats finally connect
In his interim role as the leadoff hitter, Jose Altuve set the tone of the game in the very first at-bat by launching a solo home run to put Houston ahead 1-0. Altuve would score again in the third inning, this time on an RBI-single by Michael Brantley to extend the lead to 2-0.
Then, in the top of the fourth, the Astros finally looked like the daunting lineup they are supposed to be. They started the inning on three consecutive singles by Yuli Gurriel, Robinson Chirinos, and Josh Reddick to load the bases for Tyler White. White would deliver his third home run of the season, a grand slam to extend Houston's lead to 6-0.
Short porch, counts.
(MLB x @PapaJohns) pic.twitter.com/BDMyYifHM1
— MLB (@MLB) June 23, 2019
They would continue to score in the next inning, getting a leadoff single from Michael Brantley to set up a two-run home run from Yordan Alvarez, his third in this four-game series and his seventh in his first twelve games. Yuli Gurriel made it back-to-back home runs in the next at-bat, hitting a solo shot to make it a 9-0 Houston lead.
2) Verlander gets win number 10
Justin Verlander provided another great start for his team, working well with and maintaining the lead he was given throughout the afternoon. Verlander allowed just one hit and two walks over the first four innings before allowing a couple of two-out singles then a three-run home run in the fifth.
That made it a 9-3 game, and Verlander would lock right back in and retire the next seven batters in order to complete seven innings during which he'd notch nine more strikeouts. The win put him at ten on the season, moving him back into the tie on top of the AL for wins. Verlander's final line: 7 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, 1 HR.
Ace, stopper, masterful. #TakeItBack pic.twitter.com/HtLkssxLWB
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 23, 2019
3) Devenski and Osuna finish off the win
With Verlander's day done after seven innings of three-run baseball, Chris Devenski took over in the eighth and would allow a run before sending things on to the ninth. Roberto Osuna, who hadn't pitched since Wednesday, was given some work despite the non-save situation and was able to close things out to provide Houston with their first victory since beating the Blue Jays last Saturday.
Up Next: Houston will travel back to Houston tomorrow and enjoy a much-needed day off on Monday to refresh and reset for a six-game homestand starting on Tuesday. They'll pick up a three-game series with the Pirates on Tuesday at 7:10 PM with game one featuring Gerrit Cole (6-5, 3.54 ERA) on the mound for the Astros facing his former team. The Pirates are expected to counter with Trevor Williams (2-1, 4.12 ERA).
The Astros daily report is presented by APG&E.
