Straw breaks Colorado’s back
Late addition to starting lineup for Springer delivers walk-off RBI to push win streak to six
Except for the lack of fans and the extra-inning rule, Tuesday afternoon at Minute Maid Park offered the sort of ballgame that would have fit nicely into the original Astrodome, where pitching and defense reigned and offense was an occasional luxury.
Starting pitchers Zack Greinke of the Astros and Antonio Senzatela of the Rockies re-enacted a 20th century-style pitchers’ duel, trading zeros for eight innings, before 2020’s extra-inning baserunner rule helped resolve a 2-1 Astros victory that stretched Houston’s win streak to six games and wrapped up its best homestand in more than 30 years.
Outfielder Myles Straw, who got the start when George Springer was a late scratch with an injured wrist, singled through a drawn-in, five-man Rockies infield to score Abraham Toro, who began the inning at second base against Colorado reliever Jairo Diaz, with the winning run.
On the heels of a 3-6 road trip, the 7-1 homestand against the Giants, Mariners and Rockies was the best win percentage of any home stretch of eight or more games since a 10-1 homestand in May 1989, according to Elias Sports.
Manager Dusty Baker isn’t taking anything granted, however, as the teams travel to Denver for a two-game stretch that could offer considerably different conditions for the Astros’ young pitching staff.
“That’s the real test, because (the Rockies) blasted a couple of balls that would have been out in Colorado,” Baker said. “It’s a different game when you go to Colorado. You can’t afford to walk batters, the outfield is huge, and the infield is fast and hard.”
What Baker has going for him, however, is a young staff that has exceeded expectations of late, with scoreless innings in relief by Enoli Paredes in the ninth and Andre Scrubb (1-0), who struck out Garrett Hampson and Trevor Story with runners on second and third in the top of the 11th and gave the Astros a chance for the walkoff win.
“This does a lot for our confidence,” Baker said. “We’re getting outstanding defense and good pitching. The road was tough. We were confined for the first time in our rooms and had to fit the (COVID-19) protocols. The road this year is especially tough.”
While the young pitchers were solid, Greinke was superb. He allowed three hits while throwing 97 pitches, 65 for strikes, and struck out seven with no walks.
His average velocity remains in the 80s, but his command is improving, and so is his stamina after an uncertain start to the season.
“My endurance has been pretty good since that first start (in which he lasted just 31⁄3 innings),” Greinke said. “This was the first time where the arm speed was starting to get better. Things felt crisper because my arm speed was better.
“This was the best start so far health-wise, endurance-wise and stuff-wise.”
Colorado’s Senzatela, however, matched him inning for inning. The Rockies righthander also allowed just three hits through eight. He needed 107 pitches, including 71 for strikes, and finished with six strikeouts and no walks.
Both starters maneuvered their way out of occasional jams. The Rockies got first-inning singles by leadoff hitter Garrett Hampson and Nolan Arenado, but Daniel Murphy popped out to end the inning.
After allowing a leadoff base hit by Charlie Blackmon in the fourth, Greinke got Arenado to ground into a 1-4-3 double play and then retired the next 13 Rockies in a row.
Senzatela, meanwhile, hit Abraham Toro to lead off the third but struck out Martin Maldonado and got Jack Mayfield to ground into a 5-4-3 double play.
Alex Bregman and Yuli Gurriel had back-to-back two-out singles in the fourth, but Kyle Tucker grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.
Straw had a one-out base hit in the sixth and stole second, but Senzatela struck out Josh Reddick and got Bregman on a groundout.
Paredes of the Astros and Daniel Bard of the Rockies retired the sides in order in the ninth to send the game to extra innings.
The teams traded runs in the 10th, with Story scoring for Colorado on a two-out base hit by Raimel Tapia against Ryan Pressly and Houston countering as Bregman took third on a Gurriel single and scored on a Tucker sacrifice fly against the Rockies’ Yency Almonte.
Scubb was challenged in the 11th as the Rockies had runners on second and third before the rookie righthander struck out Hampson and Story.
Scrubb said Story and Blackmon were favorite fantasy league choices during his college days, so facing Story with the game on the line was a seminal moment.
“It gives you a little extra adrenaline,” Scrubb said. “After seeing Greinke go eight scoreless and the guys behind him giving it all they had, it was good to come in and give the guys a chance to walk it off.”
That duty fell to Straw, who initially thought he was being walked intentionally after Diaz intentionally walked pinch hitter Carlos Correa and the runners were sacrificed to second and third by pinch hitter Garrett Stubbs.
Rockies manager Bud Black, however, was calling for a fiveman infield, not a four-pitch walk, so Straw returned to the plate with a chance to win the game.
“You want to get the ball in the air, but my ball snuck through (the drawn-in infield),” he said. “I was very fortunate.”