Divine timing
Run support buoys Javier’s strong day, solid bullpen work in series-opening win
In his first time on base in 17 plate appearances, Kyle Tucker took a risk.
As soon as Angels pitcher Junior Guerra released, Tucker took off for second, his first stolen base of the season. He then slid headfirst into third on a fielder’s choice as the Angels’ tag came late. As the umpire signaled him safe, Tucker, his outstretched hand on the bag, grinned as if in slight disbelief.
Thursday was that kind of fortuitous night for the Astros as they pummeled the Angels 8-2 at Minute Maid Park, and the offense and defense synced up in a way they haven’t since the season’s opening week.
Starting pitcher Cristian Javier led the way with a sparkling performance on the mound, tossing five scoreless innings with a career-high nine strikeouts. Second baseman Aledmys Diaz made a
spectacular diving play in the fifth inning to deny David Fletcher second base. The Angels put just 22 balls in play with eight hits, and Mike Trout left the game after getting hit by a pitch in the elbow to lead off the fourth.
Offensively, the Astros scored as many runs as their last four games combined. Carlos Correa, hitting leadoff for the first time in his career, went 2 for 5 with three runs and two RBIs. In his third game back from a brief health and safety protocol absence, Alex Bregman appeared to officially shake off any rust with three hits and three RBIs. Tucker snapped an 0for-15 streak and displayed some gutsy baserunning.
Javier, in his first start since April 8, barraged the Angels with top-of-thezone fastballs and wellplaced sliders. He struck out six batters in the first two innings, during which the Angels never got a ball in play.
Meanwhile, the Astros’ offense finally provided run support for their bullpen. Myles Straw got the Astros on the board in the second inning by smacking an RBI triple down the leftfield line, his first extrabase hit of the season. Correa drove Straw home, and Yuli Gurriel continued his walk streak by drawing a bases-loaded walk to make it a 3-0 lead.
After Javier struck out two more batters in the third, Shohei Ohtani’s flyout to end the inning was the Angels’ first out that was not a strikeout.
Correa and Bregman continued their hot streaks at the plate in a three-run third inning to give the Astros a 6-0 lead. Tucker’s baserunning heroics added another run in the following frame, and Bregman once again brought Correa home in the fifth.
The Astros entered the sixth inning sitting on an 8-0 lead, but reliever Bryan Abreu allowed four of the eight batters he faced to reach and gave up a tworun homev run to Albert Pujols. Manager Dusty Baker went to the bullpen. Brooks Raley and Joe Smith took their turns on the mound before Ryan Pressly closed the game.