Houston makes it back-to-back wins
Houston's offense stays strong in another win over Cleveland
Jul 2, 2021, 9:40 pm
Chas McCormick and Carlos Correa both had RBIs on Friday. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
Chas McCormick and Carlos Correa both had RBIs on Friday.
With the rough losing streak behind them after a victory in the opener, Houston tried to start a new winning streak and move closer to securing this series with another one on Friday in Cleveland. With more strong offense early in this matchup, they backed up Lance McCullers Jr. en route to the win.
Final Score: Astros 6, Indians 3
Astros' Record: 50-33, first in the AL West
Winning Pitcher: Lance McCullers Jr. (6-1)
Losing Pitcher: Sam Hentges (1-3)
Houston gives McCullers Jr. a lead
Unlike the night prior, where they had to erase a Cleveland lead, the Astros grabbed and built upon an early advantage Friday night. They started the scoring in the bottom of the second, getting back-to-back RBI doubles by Chas McCormick and Taylor Jones to jump in front 2-0. That grew to a six-run lead in the next inning, with another RBI by McCormick and one each by Carlos Correa, Abraham Toro, and Jason Castro.
#Astros score four on four hits in the 3rd inning! 🤘#ForTheH pic.twitter.com/bGBMQzBOtl
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 3, 2021
Lance McCullers Jr. maintained that lead, despite dealing with some traffic, through the first five innings. He returned in the bottom of the sixth, but after a one-out walk and single would hand the ball to Dusty Baker as Brooks Raley would try to strand the runners. Raley did not accomplish that mission and instead gave up a three-run homer to the first batter he faced to cut Houston's lead in half before finishing the frame. That finalized McCullers Jr.'s line: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 8 K, 107 P.
Astros get back-to-back wins in Cleveland
Ryne Stanek dealt with his own runners in the bottom of the seventh, erasing a leadoff single and two-out walk for a scoreless frame. Blake Taylor was Houston's next reliever, and he too escaped a jam, loading the bases but getting a strikeout to get out unscathed. That set up another save opportunity for Ryan Pressly, and he converted it in the bottom of the ninth to give Houston back-to-back wins with a chance to secure the series on Saturday.
Up Next: Game three of four of this series will have a first pitch time of 6:15 PM Central on Saturday. Jake Odorizzi (2-3, 4.08 ERA) will be on the mound to try and even his record and continue lowering his ERA with another scoreless outing, while the Indians will hand the ball to Eli Morgan (1-2, 9.37 ERA).
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Mar 17, 2025, 4:57 pm
The Houston Texans have secured their lockdown corner for the future, agreeing to a three-year, $90 million extension with Derek Stingley Jr., according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal includes a staggering $89 million in guaranteed money, making Stingley one of the highest-paid defensive backs in NFL history.
Record deal: Texans All-Pro CB Derek Stingley Jr has agreed to a three-year, $90 million extension including $89 million guaranteed. At $30M base value per year, Stingley is now the highest paid defensive back in NFL history. The CB market has been completely reset.
Deal… pic.twitter.com/g8nzFFFQvj
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2025
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler is reporting that Stingley's extension will kick in after his fifth-year option, which the Texans picked up ahead of the extension. He's now under team control for the next five seasons.
Derek Stingley Jr.'s new deal with the #Texans includes a fifth-year option that he was slated to receive in 2026. So, he's under the #Texans' contractual control for five seasons -- two from his rookie deal, plus the three-year, $90M extension reached today.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 17, 2025
Stingley, 23, is coming off a breakout All-Pro season in which he recorded five interceptions (seven if you include the playoffs) and proved to be one of the league’s elite shutdown corners. His performance was instrumental in the Texans' defensive resurgence, solidifying his role as a cornerstone of the franchise.
The only lingering concern for Houston is Stingley’s durability. While he played all 17 regular season games in 2025, it was the first time he managed a full season in the NFL. Injuries limited him to just nine games in 2022 and 11 in 2023. The Texans are banking on his ability to stay on the field, confident that his elite talent outweighs the risks.
With this extension, Houston locks in a defensive playmaker as they continue to build a championship-caliber roster around quarterback C.J. Stroud. If Stingley stays healthy, this investment could pay massive dividends for the Texans' future.
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