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 Altuve recorded his second consecutive four-hit game, this time
in support of right-hander Brad Peacock, who produced his third
consecutive solid start in the Houston Astros' 8-3 victory over the
red-hot Angels on Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park.
The Angels' season-high-tying six-game winning streak came to a
halt.
Altuve singled as part of the Astros' three-run first inning and
smacked his seventh home run to open the third, doing the brunt of
the damage against Wilson, whose mediocre repertoire led to his
abbreviated start.
"You throw pitches away and hope that he flies it to right field and
then he hits it over the fence," Wilson said, referencing the perils
of pitching to Altuve. "I threw a pitch off the plate away and he
pulled it for a homer. I'm not trying to give him a bunch of stuff
to hit; I'm not giving him fastballs down the middle. He's just
hitting them anyways. He's hitting everything."
Peacock (4-8) has allowed four earned runs over his last 16 2/3
innings and three starts, including an outing at Cleveland cut short
by forearm discomfort.
Against the Angels (83-54), he retired the first eight batters and
did not allow a run until center fielder Dexter Fowler dropped a fly
ball with two outs in the sixth inning. That error enabled third
baseman Gordon Beckham to score from third base.
By that point the Astros (60-79) led 7-0 and Peacock was in complete
command. He departed with one out and one runner on in the seventh
inning, completing his night with four hits, three runs (two earned)
and two walks allowed while recording five strikeouts.
"I felt great," Peacock said. "We went over the scouting report
before the game and had a good game plan going in and stuck with it.
(Astros catcher) Jason (Castro) called a great game. I felt good all
night."
Altuve finished 4-for-5 with two RBIs. The last Houston player with
back-to-back four-hit games was Lance Berkman (May 4-6, 2008).
"I feel great," said Altuve, who recorded a hit in six consecutive
plate appearances bridging Sunday and Tuesday night. "I try to go to
the batter's box with a plan. I try to look on the pitch. I try to
look for one pitch."
Following a pair of rough outings coming off the disabled list in
early July, Wilson (10-9) appeared to have rediscovered a groove,
allowing four earned runs over three starts and 18 1/3 innings in
mid-August.
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The Astros reversed that trend by jumping on Wilson early: The first four
batters recorded hits in the first inning.
Fowler and designated hitter Chris Carter capped that stretch with
back-to-back RBI singles, and Castro added a sacrifice fly that scored
Fowler for a 3-0 lead.
Wilson recovered to set down the Astros in order in the second, but that
frame was an aberration. Altuve struck in the third and a run-scoring
double by left fielder Robbie Grossman in the fourth built the lead to
5-0. Right-hander Yorian Herrera allowed the Grossman hit, but the run
was charged to Wilson.
"I think it was one of those games where C.J. just never got into a
groove," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Just wasn't quite as crisp
as he needed to be. I think it was just simple analytics of being behind
in too many counts and I think as he got behind counts it was tough for
him to get back in and when he made some pitches that weren't quite
there, those guys hit it hard."
NOTES: Included among the six players added to the Astros' roster on
Tuesday was RHP Nick Tropeano, who will make his major league debut out
of the bullpen but ultimately will join the rotation later this month.
Interim manager Tom Lawless announced that the Astros are likely to
close the season using a six-man rotation with the inclusion of
Tropeano. ... Astros OF Alex Presley was reinstated from the 15-day
disabled list (right oblique strain) despite not being ready to play.
With rosters expanded to 40 players on Sept. 1, the Astros could add
Presley without issue. ... Mired in an 0-for-17 slump, Angels 3B David
Freese was given a "mental day off" by Angels manager Mike Scioscia.
Freese is batting .249 with six home runs and 41 RBIs but entered this
series batting .405 with five extra-base hits and 11 RBIs against
Houston this season.
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reserved.]
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