BREGGY BOMB SAVES THE DAY!
Bregman walk-off homer lifts Astros over Dodgers 7-6
Jul 27, 2024, 9:34 pm
Astros defeat the Dodgers, 7-6. Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images.
Alex Bregman hit a game-ending homer off Blake Treinen in the ninth inning that sailed over the left-field train tracks, and the Houston Astros overcame Shohei Ohtani's National League-leading 32nd home run to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-6 on Saturday night.
BREGGY BOMB TO THE TRACKS!!!#RELENTLESS pic.twitter.com/rITGhe9sXm
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 28, 2024
Houston trailed 5-0 in the sixth and 6-4 in the eighth before Yainer Diaz tripled off Daniel Hudson, and Jeremy Peña and Jon Singleton hit RBI singles.
Bregman drove a 1-0 sinker from Treinen (5-3) that went 407 feet for his 14th home run.
Josh Hader (4-5) pitched a perfect ninth for the Astros (55-49), who have won three straight and 22 of 33.
Los Angeles (62-44) has lost three of four following a five-game winning streak.
Cavan Biggio hit an RBI double in the second and Ohtani doubled the lead in the third with 443-foot drive into the second level in right, a 118.7 mph drive, according to Statcast.
Gavin Lux and Teoscar Hernández hit RBI singles in the fifth and Biggio homered in the eighth, his fourth this season and second with the Dodgers.
Diaz, Peña, Jake Meyers and Victor Caratini had four straight two-out RBI singles in the sixth against Evan Phillips. With two on, Anthony Banda struck out Jon Singleton.
Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski allowed two runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings. Houston's Ronel Blanco gave up four runs and three hits in 4 1/3 innings, tying a career high with nine strikeouts.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: RHP Walker Buehler (right hip inflammation) allowed four runs and eight hits in four innings Friday night in a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Manager Dave Roberts said Buehler will have another rehab start “and hopefully, get through the fifth then we will see where that goes.” ... 1B Freddie Freeman was placed on the family emergency list and C Hunter Feduccia was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (neck discomfort) threw over 50 pitches in a bullpen Saturday, manager Joe Espada said. Verlander’s next step will be throwing off a game mound next week, Espada said. … RHP Luis Garcia (right elbow surgery) will throw a bullpen session early next week, Espada said.
UP NEXT
Astros RHP Spencer Arrighetti (4-8, 5.65 ERA) starts Sunday in the series finale against Dodgers RHP River Ryan (0-0, 0.00 ERA).
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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.