George Springer backs up Gerrit Cole to get the win
Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 2 hits from the 4-1 win
Sep 13, 2019, 10:14 pm
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
With a disappointing three-game skid to end the four-game series with Oakland at home, the Astros went on the road to try and get things back on track. Here is a recap of the first of three games against the Royals in Kansas City:
Final Score: Astros 4, Royals 1.
Record: 96-53, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Gerrit Cole (17-5, 2.62 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Heath Fillmyer (0-2, 8.68 ERA).
1) Cole wins the pitcher's duel through the first eight innings
The Astros had one run in the early goings of the game, and it came off the bat of Jose Altuve. He launched a one-out solo home run in the top of the first, giving Houston a quick 1-0 lead in the game in Kansas City.
That proved to be a pivotal run, with both Danny Duffy and Gerrit Cole battling each other in a pitcher's duel in the game. Cole would do better, outlasting Duffy to complete seven scoreless innings. However, a broken-bat leadoff single in the bottom of the eighth would be costly for Cole and the Astros.
Bubba Starling reached on the single to start the inning, then would steal second and induce an errant throw to advance to third, setting up a sacrifice fly to tie the game 1-1 and end Cole's shutout bid. Cole's final line: 8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 K, 0 HR.
2) Springer's Dinger makes the difference
In the top of the ninth, Kyle Tucker hit a one-out single to put the go-ahead run on base, then Michael Brantley followed with a pinch-hit walk. They would both come around to score on a two-out go-ahead three-run homer by George Springer, catapulting the Astros ahead 4-1.
9th inning, tie-breaking #SpringerDinger. 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/eibvhI6yCw
— MLB (@MLB) September 14, 2019
Roberto Osuna took over for Cole to finish things off in the ninth, and did so to get the Astros back in the win column and improve their record to 96-53 on the sesaon.
Up Next: This series between Houston and Kansas City will continue with game two of three on Saturday at 6:15 PM. The expected pitching matchup is Mike Montgomery (2-6, 4.29 ERA) on the mound for the Royals and Zack Greinke (15-5, 2.99 ERA) on the bump for the Astros.
The Astros daily report is presented by APG&E.
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Michael Wacha scattered four hits over six innings, Vinnie Pasquantino homered and the Kansas City Royals beat the Houston Astros 2-0 for the second straight night Saturday to run their winning streak to six.
Wacha (1-3) once again received little run support, but the veteran right-hander made the meager production stand up on chilly evening at Kauffman Stadium. He struck out six while walking two and never allowed a runner past second base.
Steven Cruz worked the seventh for Kansas City, his seventh appearance this season without allowing a run. John Schreiber left runners on the corners in the eighth, and Carlos Estévez had a perfect ninth for his seventh save.
Bobby Witt Jr. doubled and scored in the first inning for the Royals, extending his career-best hitting streak to 18 games.
Framber Valdez (1-3) gave up a sacrifice fly to Mark Canha in the first inning and Pasquantino's shot down the right-field line in the fifth. Otherwise, the Astros left-hander kept Kansas City in check, allowing three hits and two walks over eight innings.
Valdez had tossed seven shutout innings against the Royals last August in a 3-2 victory.
The Astros, who have lost five straight at the K, have managed just nine hits while getting shut out over the first two games of the series. They had rolled into Kansas City having won three straight and five of their last six games.
Key moment
Isaac Parades hit a two-out double and Jeremy Peña followed with a single to give Houston runners on the corners in the eighth inning. Schreiber bounced back to strike out Christian Walker with a four-seam fastball to end the threat.
Key stat
The Royals have only scored seven runs in the 32 innings that Wacha has pitched this season.
Up next
RHP Hunter Brown (3-1, 1.16) tries to extend a 24-inning scoreless streak for Houston in the series finale Sunday. LHP Kris Bubic (2-1, 1.45) gets the start for Kansas City after tossing seven shutout innings against the Rockies his last time out.