Astros complete the sweep of Seattle
Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 3 hits from the 6-1 win
Jun 30, 2019, 4:02 pm
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
With the series win already locked up, the Astros looked to complete the series sweep on Sunday to end their homestand on a high note. Here's a quick rundown of Sunday's game:
Final Score: Astros 6, Mariners 1.
Record: 53-32, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Gerrit Cole (8-5, 3.28 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Marco Gonzalez (9-7, 4.39 ERA).
1) Alvarez back in the lineup
After getting a couple of days to rest his knee that he fouled a ball off earlier this week, Yordan Alvarez was in the lineup for the first time in this series against the Mariners. He made his presence in the batting order known, erasing a 1-0 deficit in the bottom of the first inning with a two-RBI double to give the Astros a 2-1 lead.
Alex Bregman blasted a ball with one out in the bottom of the third, coming just short of a home run but getting a fortunate bounce off the wall to result in a stand-up triple. Alvarez was up next and quickly took advantage, getting his third RBI of the day on a single to extend the lead to 3-1. He'd go 2-for-3 with an intentional walk and the 3 RBIs on the day.
2) Great day for Cole
Gerrit Cole did not look like he was going to have a great day after the first inning where he allowed a one-out solo home run to give Seattle a quick 1-0 lead. He'd quickly and efficiently rebound from that mistake, though, locking in and keeping the Mariners off the board over the next six innings.
He'd also work his was to another double-digit strikeout game, getting ten over his seven innings to bring his season total to 161. Cole's final line: 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K, 1 HR.
Gerrit Cole double-digit K machine. 🔥#TakeItBack pic.twitter.com/ejYfl7dvD3
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 30, 2019
3) Astros tack on a few more
With Cole's day done after his seven innings of one-run baseball, Collin McHugh took over in the top of the eighth. He would get the first two outs relatively quickly, but then allowed a single and a walk, prompting another call to the bullpen to bring out Ryan Pressly to get the final out of the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, Houston put runners on second and third on a leadoff single from Josh Reddick followed by a double from Max Stassi. With one out, Jake Marisnick took advantage and drove in both with a two-RBI single to extend the lead to 5-1, then later scored on an RBI-single by Jose Altuve to make it 6-1.
With the five-run lead, Houston turned to Josh James to wrap up the game and the sweep in the top of the ninth. He did just that, striking out the side to help the Astros extend their division lead to 6.5 games with the win.
Up Next: The Astros will travel to Colorado tonight and get a day off tomorrow before starting a quick two-game series with the Rockies on Tuesday. With Brad Peacock going onto the injured list, Houston has not yet named their starter for the first of the two games, but the Rockies are expected to start German Marquez (8-3, 4.29 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.