|
 Astros designated hitter Evan Gattis capped a four-run,
seventh-inning rally with a two-run, two-out single as the Astros
claimed a 5-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night at
Minute Maid Park.
After scuffling for most of the night against Orioles right-hander
Ubaldo Jimenez, the Astros (32-20) suddenly caught fire in the
seventh, starting with a leadoff double by first baseman Chris
Carter. Houston added three more hits against two Baltimore
relievers, with Gattis' opposite-field hit to right field coming off
right-hander Tommy Hunter.
The Astros loaded the bases against right-hander Brad Brach (3-1)
before right fielder George Springer added a run-scoring single to
center on a 3-0 pitch and second baseman Jose Altuve chipped in a
sacrifice fly. Houston has scored 94 runs in the seventh inning or
later this season, a total that leads the majors.
"We just get a little tighter focus as the game goes along," Hinch
said. "We walk the tightrope sometimes and when we don't do it, it
can be a little bit demoralizing. Like yesterday we didn't. We got
guys on base and didn't come through.
"It's a confident group as the game gets going but I don't really
have a rhyme or reason why we're so potent late in the game."
Jimenez allowed just three hits before Carter chased him with his
double. The Houston bullpen then did what the Orioles could not,
with right-handers Will Harris (2-0), Pat Neshek and Luke Gregerson
combining to retire all 11 batters they faced. Gregerson recorded
his 14th save by setting the Orioles (23-27) down in order in the
ninth.
"A little bit of everything," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of
his reasons for removing Jimenez after only 91 pitches. "He'd done
his job and he didn't deserve to have anything but a no decision or
a 'W' out of that. We thought that was our best opportunity
especially with the way Brad's been pitching. We just got a
different Brad tonight."
Said Jimenez: "As a starting pitcher, you never want to come out of
the game but it's part of the game. You have to do whatever is good
for the team."
Jimenez scattered 10 hits against the Astros last week but was
decidedly more effective Monday, establishing his dominance early.
Before left fielder Preston Tucker slapped a double the opposite way
to left field with one out in the fourth, Jimenez had yet to allow a
hit. He surrendered his first run in the fifth when third baseman
Luis Valbuena cranked his 11th home run to right field, pulling the
Astros even at 1-1.
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Astros left-hander Brett Oberholtzer danced around a pair of
baserunners in the third and fourth innings. But, after surrendering
an RBI triple to second baseman Ryan Flaherty in the fifth,
Oberholtzer allowed three batters to reach in succession with one
out in the sixth.
The final batter, Orioles first baseman Chris Davis, walloped a
double off the right-field wall to score Adam Jones and chase
Oberholtzer. Harris entered and snuffed that threat to keep the
deficit at 2-1 by retiring both batters he faced with two runners in
scoring position.
That set the stage for the Astros to do what they've done as well as
any team in the majors through two months: score late and rally to
victory.
"Just slowing everything down and you just have to understand that
they have to throw you something over the plate at some point and
this is a hard game," Springer said. "So if you get something to
hit, you've got to hit it. But I just think we have a good overall
approach and been able to execute it."
NOTES: After missing consecutive games for the first time since
September 2011, Orioles DH Adam Jones returned to the starting
lineup -- but not in his customary center-field position. Jones had
been sidelined by a left ankle sprain suffered Thursday while
sliding into home plate against the White Sox. ... Astros 2B Jose
Altuve leads all American League second basemen in All-Star Game
voting (2,020,143) and is aiming to become just the seventh player
in club history to earn a fan-elected start. ... Orioles SS J.J.
Hardy was held out of the lineup with soreness in his left side, a
condition that occurred unexpectedly while he took light swings in
advance of early batting practice. Hardy is listed as day-to-day.
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