After sweeping the Baltimore Orioles and having the day off, the Houston Astros stayed home for a mini-week series versus the Colorado Rockies. Houston exploded in the first inning and took the early at home and it ended up being more than enough as the Astros improved to 39-40 with a 5-2 win over the Rockies.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
On Tuesday night, Hunter Brown was Houston’s starting pitcher and made quick work of Colorado’s first three batters in 14 pitches.
The Astros followed that up by putting up five runs at the bottom of the first. Jose Altuve hit the leadoff single and stole second base before Alex Bregman got the RBI single into center field. Yordan Alvarez also got a hit and then Yainer Diaz copied Bregman to put Houston up two.
Jeremy Pena’s fly-out advanced Alvarez to third before Jake Meyers poked into right field for the RBI single. Mauricio Dubon flew out left field but Chas McCormick continued what he did over the weekend and drove in a couple more runs with a single over second base to give Houston the five-run advantage. Rockies starting pitcher Austin Gomber’s pitch count was 33 after Joey Loperfido grounded out to second.
Altuve recorded the lone hit by either team in the second or third inning with a single into left field. Colorado threatened to score at the top of the fourth as Ezequiel Tovar recorded the leadoff single and the Rockies’ first hit. Ryan McMahon reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to second on the play after Pena made the throwing error to first base. Brendan Rodgers put runners at first and third with a hit up the middle but Brown struck out Nolan Jones and Jake Cave lined out to send it to the bottom of the frame.
Gomber stayed on the mound until the bottom of the sixth as Meyers doubled deep into center field. Justin Lawrence came in for the lefty and forced a couple of ground outs by Dubon and McCormick to end the inning.
Tayler Scott appeared as pitcher to begin the seventh as he gave up an infield single to Hunter Goodman but forced grounders by Cave, Michael Toglia, and Sam Hilliard to prevent Colorado from putting up their first run.
Seth Martinez then replaced Scott in the eighth but didn’t last long as he hit Brenton Doyle, then allowed singles by McMahon and Rodgers. Miscommunication by Pena led to the hit by McMahon and Doyle advancing to third. Rodgers’ single put the Rockies on the board and Astros skipper Joe Espada made the pitching change to Ryan Pressly with one out. The 35-year-old righty forced Jones into a double play to end the inning.
Colorado went to Anthony Molina in the eighth. The 22-year-old pitcher walked Pena and gave up a bunt to Meyers for his third hit of the game but caught Diaz’s hit ball at the beginning of the frame and forced a pop-up by Dubon and a fly out by McCormick to keep it a four-run game.
Josh Hader closed out the game and allowed a solo home run to Toglia but remained in control as he struck out Cave, Goodman, and Doyle to secure the 5-2 win for the Astros.
BIG NUMBER: 5
Houston put up five runs at the bottom of the first on Tuesday night and wouldn’t put up another run but it was enough as Colorado scored their two runs in the eighth and ninth innings.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Hunter Brown
Brown went a full six innings on Tuesday night and allowed two hits and walked three batters but struck out seven Rockies batters as the Astros got the 5-2 win.
UP NEXT: The mini-series finale between the Astros and Rockies is set for Wednesday, June 26th. First pitch at Minute Maid Park is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. Astro launch will begin at 12:40 and the action can be heard on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette and 104.1 Lake Charles.