Gonzalez ignites 5-run sixth as Astros jolt Orioles
The Sports Xchange
Jul 22, 2017
BALTIMORE -- Marwin Gonzalez belted a pinch-hit, three-run homer off Darren O'Day, sparking a five-run sixth inning that gave the Houston Astros the lead for good in an 8-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night.
Baltimore (46-51) took a 4-1 lead into the sixth, but starter Chris Tillman gave up a two-run homer to Yuli Gurriel that was originally ruled a double. After a review, it was changed to a home run.
O'Day (1-3) then replaced Tillman. The right-hander gave up two singles and, with two outs, Gonzalez was summoned to pinch-hit after Colin Moran fouled a pitch off his face near his left eye and needed to be carted off.
Gonzalez then belted his three-run shot to right on the eighth pitch to him by O'Day, and that gave the Astros (65-32) a 6-4 lead. The third baseman later doubled and finished 2-for-2 with the three RBIs.
Evan Gattis had an RBI single and Carlos Beltran added a sacrifice fly as Houston scored its final two runs in the ninth.
Francis Martes (3-0) relieved starter Collin McHugh and picked up the win thanks to 2 1/3 innings of hitless relief.
McHugh pitched in his first game of the season (elbow impingement) and sailed through the early going until giving up two-run homers to Adam Jones and Jonathan Schoop in the fifth that gave Baltimore its 4-1 lead.
The Astros improved to 5-0 against the Orioles this season.
Neither team did much offensively early, with each leaving runners on the corners once.
McHugh needed 27 pitches to get through the first inning after a 58-minute rain delay.
But the Astros took the lead in the fifth when Alex Bregman homered on Tillman's first pitch of the inning. That put Houston on top 1-0.
The Orioles turned it around in the bottom half when Jones hit a two-run homer with two outs and Schoop did the same two batters later. That ended McHugh's night and gave the Orioles a 4-1 lead.
NOTES: Orioles vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said the following while speaking with some fans at a "State of the Orioles" event: "I don't believe all this stuff that says we have half the club on the market, because we've got a lot of baseball left to be played," according to MASN. ... Orioles RHP Mike Wright (shoulder bursitis) was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list and optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. ... Houston 2B Jose Altuve's first-inning single gave him a 14-game hitting streak, tying a career high. ... The Astros have moved RHP Joe Musgrove to the bullpen with the return of RHP Collin McHugh to the starting rotation.
Jul 22, 2017
BALTIMORE -- Marwin Gonzalez belted a pinch-hit, three-run homer off Darren O'Day, sparking a five-run sixth inning that gave the Houston Astros the lead for good in an 8-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night.
Baltimore (46-51) took a 4-1 lead into the sixth, but starter Chris Tillman gave up a two-run homer to Yuli Gurriel that was originally ruled a double. After a review, it was changed to a home run.
O'Day (1-3) then replaced Tillman. The right-hander gave up two singles and, with two outs, Gonzalez was summoned to pinch-hit after Colin Moran fouled a pitch off his face near his left eye and needed to be carted off.
Gonzalez then belted his three-run shot to right on the eighth pitch to him by O'Day, and that gave the Astros (65-32) a 6-4 lead. The third baseman later doubled and finished 2-for-2 with the three RBIs.
Evan Gattis had an RBI single and Carlos Beltran added a sacrifice fly as Houston scored its final two runs in the ninth.
Francis Martes (3-0) relieved starter Collin McHugh and picked up the win thanks to 2 1/3 innings of hitless relief.
McHugh pitched in his first game of the season (elbow impingement) and sailed through the early going until giving up two-run homers to Adam Jones and Jonathan Schoop in the fifth that gave Baltimore its 4-1 lead.
The Astros improved to 5-0 against the Orioles this season.
Neither team did much offensively early, with each leaving runners on the corners once.
McHugh needed 27 pitches to get through the first inning after a 58-minute rain delay.
But the Astros took the lead in the fifth when Alex Bregman homered on Tillman's first pitch of the inning. That put Houston on top 1-0.
The Orioles turned it around in the bottom half when Jones hit a two-run homer with two outs and Schoop did the same two batters later. That ended McHugh's night and gave the Orioles a 4-1 lead.
NOTES: Orioles vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said the following while speaking with some fans at a "State of the Orioles" event: "I don't believe all this stuff that says we have half the club on the market, because we've got a lot of baseball left to be played," according to MASN. ... Orioles RHP Mike Wright (shoulder bursitis) was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list and optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. ... Houston 2B Jose Altuve's first-inning single gave him a 14-game hitting streak, tying a career high. ... The Astros have moved RHP Joe Musgrove to the bullpen with the return of RHP Collin McHugh to the starting rotation.
