Detroit Tigers vs Houston Astros Box Score on May 23, 2017

The Sports Xchange
May 23, 2017

HOUSTON -- Lance McCullers pitched five scoreless innings and the Houston Astros added two critical insurance runs in the seventh inning of a 6-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park.

McCullers (5-1) departed with a 3-0 lead, but Detroit center fielder Mikie Mahtook, who had the Tigers' lone hit on Monday, blasted a two-out, two-strike home run off Astros right-hander Michael Feliz to cut the deficit to one run in the top of the seventh.

The Mahtook blast was the Tigers' third hit of the series.

The Astros (31-15) got both runs back in the bottom of the inning thanks to a critical error on Tigers reliever Alex Wilson.

With Juan Centeno and Jake Marisnick on base, Wilson fielded a comebacker from George Springer, but in an attempt to start a double play, fired errantly into center field, allowing Centeno to score.

Marisnick advanced to third on the throw and scored when Josh Reddick followed with a sacrifice fly to right.

Centeno, making his Astros debut, homered off Tigers right-hander Jordan Zimmermann (4-3) in the fourth inning. Centeno finished 2-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored plus a nifty defensive play for the final out as the Tigers (21-23) threatened again in the seventh.

Houston's Yuli Gurriel belted his fourth home run leading off the second inning.

Reddick scored on a Nicholas Castellanos fielding error in the third and Marisnick went 3-for-4 with an RBI.

Zimmermann, pitching on his 31st birthday, allowed four runs (two earned), five hits and two walks with three strikeouts in six innings.

McCullers extended his scoreless innings streak to 22, the longest active streak in the American League. However, he wasn't the picture of efficiency and lasted fewer than six innings for the first time in five starts this month.

When McCullers needed 80 pitches to complete four innings, it was clear that his night would end relatively early. McCullers faced just three batters over the minimum in five innings, but the Tigers worked extended at-bats.

Though McCullers allowed just one hit and two walks, he closed his night with 96 pitches and five strikeouts, including striking out the side in the fourth.

NOTES: Former Tigers CF Anthony Gose made his professional pitching debut on Monday night for Class A Lakeland, allowing one run, one hit and one walk with one strikeout. Gose, who last pitched in high school, logged 372 games in five seasons as a center fielder with Detroit and Toronto before initiating the position change this spring. He faced five batters, touched 99 mph with his fastball and also mixed in a few curveballs and one changeup. ... Astros SS Carlos Correa is battling an illness and was held out of the starting lineup. ... Astros LHP Dallas Keuchel (pinched nerve in neck) and C Brian McCann (concussion) are progressing according to schedule relative to their respective injuries. Both are eligible to be activated from the disabled list on Saturday, with Keuchel on turn to make his start in the rotation against the Baltimore Orioles if he is available.