The Pittsburgh Pirates got the better of the Astros, taking two out of three from Houston during the week. The Stros stayed home and returned to the diamond after a day’s rest, hosting a division rival in the Athletics.
Jose Altuve also made it back into the lineup on Friday and helped Houston pick up a 5-1 win at home. That win gave the team the series lead and improved their record to 29-36.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Houston got on the board first with a big home run at the bottom of the opening frame. Jeremy Pena led off with a center field single, and Yordan Alvarez drew a walk to put runners on first and second. Isaac Paredes capitalized on his first at-bat by hitting a 376-foot three-run home run near the Crawford Boxes. That long ball was Paredes’ 101st of his career and gave the Stros a 3-0 lead before Jose Altuve and Cam Smith struck out to end the first inning.
Peter Lambert was Houston’s starting pitcher on Friday and got himself into a jam at the top of the second inning, loading the bases with one out. Tyler Soderstrom walked, Henry Bolte hit a slow-rolling single near third base, and Zack Gelof’s hit bounced off the edge of Christian Walker’s glove. Lambert got out of the jam by striking out the next two batters he faced to keep the A’s scoreless.
The Astros added on to their lead at the bottom of the third. Alvarez poked a ball into right field for a hit and scored on a Walker RBI hit. Walker was credited with a triple on the play as the baseball bounced past Carlos Cortes in right field. Paredes helped drive in another run, hitting a sacrifice fly as Walker put Houston up by five.
The Athletics made a pitching change in the fifth, going from starter Jack Perkins to Mason Barnett. The change comes after Pena drew a leadoff walk. Perkins finished the night with five hits, five runs, two walks, and six K’s in four innings of work. Barnett faced just two batters after forcing Yordan to pop out, Walker struck out, and Pena was caught trying to steal second.
Brent Rooker scored the A’s first run at the top of the sixth when he hit a solo home run with one out. Lambert then walked Soderstrom and gave up a double to Bolte. That prompted skipper Joe Espada to make a pitching change to Enyel De Los Santos. The Astro relief pitcher held both runners in scoring position at bay by punching out Gelof and having Jeff McNeil line out at second base to Altuve. Houston held a four-run lead going to the bottom of the frame.
De Los Santos was replaced in the eighth by Bryan King, who walked Nick Kurtz, but recovered fast as he struck out Rooker and had Soderstrom hit into a double play.
Altuve recorded his first hit since coming back from the IL in the eighth inning with a line drive single down the left field line. That puts runners on first and second with two outs after Walker walked. Both runners were stranded after Cam Smith struck out to send it to the ninth.
Josh Hader was Houston’s closer on Friday and gave the A’s no hope for a comeback. Hader struck out all three batters he faced to secure a 5-1 win and start the weekend series vs a division opponent off right. That win was the team’s 29th this season.
BIG NUMBER: 5
Lambert earned his fifth win of the season, good for the second most on the team. The only pitcher on the team with more is Spencer Arrighetti with seven after being named the American League Pitcher of the Month.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Isaac Paredes
Paredes’ lone hit came in the first, yet it was a big one as he hit a three-run home run. Houston’s designated hitter on the night also finished with four RBI after hitting a sac fly and drawing a walk as the Astros won 5-1 to improve to 29-36 on the season.
UP NEXT: Game two between the Houston Astros and Athletics is set for Saturday, June 6th. First pitch is scheduled for 3:10 PM, and the action from Daikin Park can be heard on ESPN 1037. Lafayette & 104.1 Lake Charles.