Morton wins No. 15 as offense hangs 10
Springer has 4 hits, Gurriel gets 3 RBIs in rout of Arizona
The Astros got tired of waiting to come up with a breakthrough hit that could make Diamondbacks starter Zach Godley pay for his mistakes on Saturday at Minute Maid Park.
Godley gifted three hits and six walks in the first three innings, but the Astros eked out two runs. They left six runners on base. They were hitless in four chances with runners in scoring position. One of their hits was Josh Reddick’s solo home run.
Stellar pitching — which Charlie Morton provided — and unexpected production from benchwarmers-turned-starters have compensated for Houston’s inconsistent offense at Minute Maid Park this season. The Astros lead in scoring and batting average on the road, but they are middling at home.
In the fourth inning, the Astros (93-55) got aggressive and, as a result, might have generated the luck needed to expand a 10-4 victory over the Diamondbacks (78-71).
A single, a hit-and-run and shrewd base running on a fielder’s choice put George Springer on third and Jose Altuve on second with two outs.
Then Marwin Gonzalez came through where his teammates had not. He sent a line drive deep to right field. Steven Souza Jr. appeared to lose sight of the ball. It nicked Souza’s glove and bounced to the wall. Springer and Altuve scored.
Gurriel followed with a single through the right side of the infield. Gonzalez went for third. Souza raced in, lowered his glove and overran the ball. Gonzalez peddled for home and Gurriel reached third to push the Astros ahead 5-1.
“The quality of our at-bats was ridiculously good,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “You could see how much pressure we were putting on them with the bat, our legs, our base running—and kept applying pressure when we were giving the opportunity.”
In the sixth, with Springer and Altuve on base again, Bregman lined a comebacker off righthander Silvino Bracho. Bracho overthrew first base, letting Springer score and keeping runners in scoring position. Gurriel’s bases-clearing single up the middle gave the Astros an 8-2 lead.
An inning later, Springer shot a ball into right-center and Reddick, who had been on first, sprinted for third without breaking stride. Reddick arrived safely and drew a throw from the outfield that let Springer scurry to second base.
, Altuve drove in Reddick and Springer with a double.
The cushion offered a chance for call-up Myles Straw to make his debut. He pinch ran for Altuve.
Out of 12 hits, only Reddick’s 14th home run and Altuve’s double were for extra bases. Springer had four singles. Bregman, who had a single and three walks, extended his on-base streak to 41 games. Altuve and Carlos Correa had a steal apiece. Hinch saw his offense at its best. “We bunch those things together and this is a completely different offense than when we don’t,” Hinch said.
Morton (15-3, 3.15 ERA) made his second start since coming off the disabled list. He gave up two earned runs and struck out seven in six innings to earn his 15th victory, a career high.
After he started the fourth by hitting A.J. Pollock in the back, Morton looked up into the roof and squeezed his eyes shut, knowing the leadoff runner could score with the middle of Arizona’s lineup due up. He managed to keep Arizona to one earned run on David Peralta’s sacrifice fly.
Morton’s other blemish was a solo home run he allowed to Ketel Marte, which cut the score to 5-2 in the fifth.
Chris Devenski had not pitched in 11 days. In the eighth, he surrendered Eduardo Escobar’s seventh home run.
Brad Peacock pitched for the first time since missing three games because of hand, foot and mouth disease. He looked rusty in the ninth. He gave up the final run on two hits and a walk.
The scoring outburst overshadowed Morton’s accomplishment, which is significant given the sport’s trend of taking starters out earlier in games and making a 20game winner on the verge of extinction. Hinch removed Morton after 70 pitches.
Wins might be less valuable to statisticians, but Hinch emphasized that they are not less meaningful to the men on the field. The Astros screamed for Morton, draped him in the team’s shabby but ceremonious robe and celebrated the 15th victory in his 11th season in the majors.
“It means something to somebody,” Hinch said, pointing toward the clubhouse. “I know that.”
“The guys were genuinely happy for me,” Morton said. “We’ve been through a lot. It means a lot to me.”