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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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.