Chas McCormick and Jeremy Pena hit two-run homers, and the host Houston Astros salvaged the finale of a three-game series by defeating the Detroit Tigers 8-2 on Wednesday afternoon.
Kyle Tucker also homered and drove in two runs for the Astros, while Corey Julks had two hits, a run and an RBI.
Houston starter Cristian Javier (1-0) gave up one run on five hits in six innings. He recorded five strikeouts and didn’t issue a walk.
Nick Maton and Austin Meadows knocked in the Detroit runs. Tigers starter Eduardo Rodriguez (0-2) gave up four runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings.
The Astros took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. David Hensley singled to left before McCormick smashed a 1-2 offering from Rodriguez over the left-center-field wall for his first homer this season.
Detroit got on the board in the third. Zach McKinstry singled to center, stole second, advanced on a groundout and scored on Maton’s infield single.
Houston extended its lead to 4-1 in the fourth. With one out, Tucker jumped on the first pitch he received from Rodriguez and dropped it over the right field fence for his third homer. A Hensley walk and McCormick ground-rule double put runners in scoring position. Julks then hit a sacrifice fly for his first major league RBI, scoring Hensley.
Astros reliever Bryan Abreu got into a jam when he walked the first two batters in the seventh. He escaped by striking out McKinstry and inducing a double-play grounder from pinch hitter Javier Baez.
The Astros increased their lead to 6-1 in the bottom of the inning. Pena led off with a double, moved to third on a Baez error and scored on Yordan Alvarez’s sacrifice fly. Tucker’s two-out bloop double knocked in Alex Bregman.
Riley Greene had a one-out triple in the eighth and scored on Meadows’ two-out single.
Julks doubled off Tyler Alexander in the bottom of the eighth before Pena hammered his first homer this season.
–Field Level Media
