Home Runs Galore: Houston Astros Inch Closer to Top Seed in Win Over Arizona Diamondbacks
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It was a night full of home runs and record-setting swings. And of course, José Altuve was there to lead it off as the home nine stomped its way to a 10-2 win. The Houston Astros second baseman slapped his 12th leadoff home run of the season, tying the single-season franchise record set by George Springer in 2019.
The Arizona Diamondbacks responded in the third inning with Geraldo Perdomo slashing his fifth home run of the year to tie the contest, and from there, home runs weren't yielded until the sixth.
Altuve kicked off the affair with his 28th of the season. David Hensley followed two batters later with his first-career home runm going back-to-back with Alex Bregman to blow open the contest, 8-1.
Houston Astros' Alex Bregman, José Altuve and Jeremy Peña
Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Dalton Varsho added a solo home run in the eighth inning off Phil Maton, but Jeremy Peña responded in the bottom half of the frame.
The shortstop hit his 20th of the season, becoming just the sixth Astros rookie to ever reach the feat — the others being Glenn Davis, Lance Berkman, George Springer, Carlos Correa and Yordan Álvarez.
Off the rubber, Luis García was excellent in lieu of Lance McCullers Jr., who was scratched with an illness. The righty struck out six batter over six innings, yielding one run — the third-inning homer to Perdomo.
In relief, Hunter Brown escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning. The rookie issued two walks and one hit while fanning three Diamondbacks. Maton closed the door with two innings with two strikeouts and the one run allowed.
Álvarez was pinch hit for in the fifth inning, after he rolled his left ankle in the first inning. Leaving with discomfort, his x-rays came back negative and the Astros expect him back in the lineup in the coming days.
The magic number rests at one with the New York Yankees winning in Toronto on Tuesday. The Astros return to action at 7:10 p.m. Wednesday with Justin Verlander toeing the rubber against right-hander Zac Gallen.
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