ASTROS DEFEAT TIGERS
Houston Astros use a late 4-run rally to beat Tigers
May 10, 2024, 8:26 pm
Astros take the opener in Detroit. Composite Getty Image.
Framber Valdez pitched seven strong innings and the Houston Astros used a four-run eighth inning to rally past the Detroit Tigers 5-2 on Friday night.
Kyle Tucker homered and scored twice for Houston, which has won two in a row after a four-game skid.
Valdez (2-1) allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings. He has a 2.49 ERA in eight career games against the Tigers, including seven starts.
Detroit (19-19) has lost six of seven and fell to .500 for the first time this season.
Trailing 2-1, Jose Altuve started the eighth with a single off Andrew Chafin (2-1) and Tucker walked before Yordan Alvarez tied it with a single down the right-field line. Jason Foley replaced Chafin, but Jeremy Peña hit an RBI single on his first pitch.
Jon Singleton hit into a force at second, putting runners on the corners, and Alex Bregman’s grounder to third went through Matt Vierling’s legs for an error. Yanier Diaz followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-2.
Bryan Abreu pitched the eighth for Houston and Josh Hader earned his fifth save after closing out the ninth.
Tigers starter Casey Mize allowed one run on five hits and didn't walk a batter after the first inning.
Houston had a chance in the first as Mize walked Altuve and Tucker to start the game, but he escaped the inning after Peña took a called third strike on a 3-2 pitch.
The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the third after Jake Rogers and Andy Ibáñez led off with singles and scored on Vierling's double.
Tucker led off the sixth with a long homer to right off Mize, his 12th of the season, but Houston didn't get anything else going until the eighth.
The Tigers debuted their blue City Connect jerseys — the first time they had worn anything but white at home since 1995 — and had an organist for the first time in more than 40 years.
TRAINER'S ROOM
The Astros are expected to activate RHP Cristian Javier from the injured list on Saturday. Javier, who missed 18 games with neck soreness, is scheduled to start Saturday's game.
UP NEXT
The teams continue the weekend series with Detroit ace LHP Tarik Skubal (4-0, 1.90) scheduled to face Javier (2-0, 1.54).
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NFL insiders hint at eye-opening future for Houston Texans offense
Dec 7, 2024, 2:38 pm
C.J. Stroud faced criticism in Houston's last few games as the Texans hit a rough patch after losing just two of their first eight games.
But the second-year quarterback remained confident and his strong performance last Sunday helped the Texans (8-5) to a 23-20 win over the Jaguars to enter their bye with a two-game lead atop the AFC South.
“When he is leading and playing the way he is playing, our entire team feeds off of him,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I am excited for his second year. I think he is showing a ton of growth, he is in a really great spot for us physically, mentally. I really love where he is and I am excited to see how he comes back after the break.”
Stroud threw for 242 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville to leave him ranked fourth in the NFL with 3,117 yards passing this season. That game came after he threw two interceptions in a 32-27 loss to Tennessee a week before for the team’s third loss in four games.
Those two interceptions brought his season total to nine, which are four more than he threw in 15 games a rookie. But the Texans aren’t worried about that statistic and believe he has grown in his second year.
“He’s made a lot of progress,” general manager Nick Caserio said. “There are some plays, like all of our players, that we probably wish he could have back, but happy he’s our quarterback, happy with what he brings to the table. ... Wouldn’t want anyone else leading this team.”
The Texans are in position to win their division for a second straight season despite dealing with several significant injuries on offense. Running back Joe Mixon missed three games early with an ankle injury and leading receiver Nico Collins was sidelined for five games with a hamstring injury.
They also lost four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs for the season when tore an ACL in Week 8.
Mixon leads the team with 887 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns and has added four touchdown receptions. His work in his first season in Houston after a trade from Cincinnati has helped the team deal with those significant injuries to the receiving corps.
Mixon ranks third in the NFL by averaging 88.7 yards rushing a game and has had at least 100 yards rushing in seven games.
Stroud has continually raved about Mixon’s contributions on and off the field.
“He’s a servant, a helper,” Stroud said. “That’s ultimately what I want to be as well. Who can I serve and how can I help? That’s ultimately what the game of football is.”
While Mixon has been the team’s most important new acquisition on offense, Danielle Hunter has been Houston’s new defensive star. The defensive end spent his first eight seasons in Minnesota before joining the Texans this year.
He has helped Houston lead the NFL with 84 tackles for loss after piling up 15 this season, which is tied for third most in the league. He also leads the Texans with 10½ sacks to help them rank second with 42.
Hunter been a great addition to a team that already had defensive end Will Anderson Jr., last year’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Anderson ranks second to Hunter on the team with 13 tackles for loss and 9½ sacks.
Ryans said this week’s break is much needed for a team that opened the preseason on Aug. 1 in the Hall of Fame game.
“It’s here and we’re going to take advantage of it,” he said. “We’ve been going at it for a long time.”
The Texans need to recharge this week with a brutal stretch of three games in 10 days when they return from their bye. Houston hosts Miami on Dec. 15 before a trip to Kansas City on Dec. 21 and a visit from the Ravens on Christmas Day.
“It’s Christmas and all that, but we can’t worry about that. All we can do is focus on Miami,” Caserio said. “And then when we get through the Miami game, then we kind of turn the page to the next. ... We’re either going to earn it or we’re not. Not to oversimplify it, but that’s the truth.”
The Texans will play those game without starting linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after he received a three-game suspension for his violent hit to the head of Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, which led to a concussion.
Al-Shaair will be eligible to return for Houston’s regular-season finale against Tennessee.