Houston splits the mini-series with LA
Astros drop finale to Dodgers in quiet night at the plate
Sep 13, 2020, 10:01 pm
Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images
Astros Zack Greinke
After the exciting comeback win in the opener of this two-game set, the Astros were back on primetime TV Sunday night facing the Dodgers in LA to try and complete the mini-sweep. Here's how the game unfolded:
Final Score: Dodgers 8, Astros 1.
Record: 23-24, second in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Victor Gonzalez (3-0, 1.13 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Zack Greinke (3-2, 3.77 ERA).
Dodgers get to Greinke in the fifth
Much like in Saturday's game, the Dodgers would build up a lead in the early parts of the game on Sunday. They were first to score in the bottom of the first, getting a two-out solo home run by AJ Pollock against Zack Greinke to go up 1-0.
The game stayed there until the bottom of the fifth, when the Dodgers would put together a hit parade against Greinke, scoring four runs in the inning on five hits, including a two-run homer by Mookie Betts, extending their lead to 5-0. Greinke would finish that inning but go no further as Houston moved to their bullpen in the sixth. His final line: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 HR, 65 P.
Astros fall back below .500 with the loss
George Springer would get Houston on the board in the top of the sixth, leading off the inning with a solo homer to make it 5-1. With Greinke's day done, Cristian Javier made an appearance in relief. He would toss two scoreless innings, looking sharp as he would allow just one hit while getting five of his six outs via strikeouts.
Brooks Raley would follow Javier to pitch in the eighth, but after allowing back-to-back one-out hits, would get just two outs into the frame before Dusty Baker would make another pitching change. Instead of ending the inning cleanly, Cy Sneed allowed a three-run home run to extend the Dodgers' lead to 8-1 before ending the frame. That score would go final as the Astros would split the mini-series with Los Angeles and fall back below .500 on the year.
Up Next: With this road trip in the books, the Astros will get their last scheduled day off for the regular season on Monday. They'll begin their final homestand on Tuesday, starting a three-game set with the Rangers at 7:10 PM Central. Jose Urquidy (0-1, 3.72 ERA) will make a start for Houston, while Kyle Cody (0-1, 0.93 ERA) will be on the mound for Texas.
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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.