Astros 6, Rockies 3

[June 16, 2015]  HOUSTON -- George Springer provided insurance with his second home run of the night in the seventh inning and the Houston Astros bullpen nailed down its first save in nearly two weeks as the Astros beat the Colorado Rockies 6-3 on Monday night at Minute Maid Park.

After Colorado (28-35) clawed to within 5-3 on an RBI double by catcher Nick Hundley in the top of the seventh inning, Springer responded by belting his 10th home run this season leading off the bottom of the frame. He clubbed a 93 mph fastball the opposite way into the Astros bullpen off right-hander LaTroy Hawkins to give the Houston bullpen a bit of cushion with six outs remaining.

The Astros (37-28) last recorded a save on June 2 against the Orioles. During the ensuing stretch Houston endured a seven-game losing skid before recording a pair of blowout wins over the Mariners last weekend.

The bullpen trio of left-hander Joe Thatcher and right-handers Pat Neshek and Luke Gregerson, who notched his 16th save, preserved the lead for left-hander Dallas Keuchel (8-2) with stellar relief work.
 

Continuing a trend established during their two weekend wins over Seattle, the Astros seized control with a first-inning scoring outburst.

Rockies right-hander Chad Bettis surrendered three hits before recording his first out, with Astros left fielder Preston Tucker driving home Springer with a single. That hit also moved shortstop Carlos Correa, who had singled, to third base.

Following his strikeout of designated hitter Evan Gattis, Bettis surrendered his first home run of the season, a three-run blast to Astros center fielder Colby Rasmus. Houston built on that 4-0 lead three batters into the fourth inning when Springer hit his first homer of the game, a solo shot to left. Like Rasmus before him, Springer recorded his ninth homer this season.

For a decent spell that five-run lead appeared to be gratuitous for Keuchel, whose groundball inducing was in full swing from his first inning. He retired the Rockies in order on three grounders in the first, recorded two in succession to close the second, and then induced a groundball out from center fielder Charlie Blackmon to end the third.

By the close of the fifth, Keuchel had retired all 15 batters he faced, 10 on groundball outs. He lost his perfect game with a full-count walk to Rockies left fielder Rafael Ynoa to open the sixth and his no-hitter vanished immediately thereafter when Hundley followed with a sharp single to right. When shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and third baseman Nolan Arenado added consecutive run-scoring singles, the Astros' five-run lead was cut to 5-2.

NOTES: The Astros announced the signing of their second first-round pick (fifth overall), H.B. Plant High School OF Kyle Tucker, on Monday. Tucker reportedly signed for $4 million. Tucker, the younger brother of Astros OF Preston Tucker, hit .484 with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs as a senior and was named the 2014-15 Gatorade Florida Baseball Player of the Year. He will be assigned to the Astros' Gulf Coast League affiliate. ... Rockies OF Corey Dickerson missed his second consecutive game with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, the ailment that landed him on the 15-day disabled list on May 19. Colorado manager Walt Weiss announced that Dickerson could return to the starting lineup on Tuesday. ... Astros RHP Samuel Deduno threw 15 pitches of live batting practice and experienced no complications from the right hip issue that arose after he was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a lower back strain May 14.

[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.