The Astros overcame an early 3-0 deficit with a Christian Walker home run and a six-run third inning, then hold on for a 7-6 win over the Rockies at Daikin Park.
It didn’t go according to plan in any manner, except the end result.
Making his first start of the season for the Houston Astros, Colton Gordon struggled and couldn’t make it out of the fourth inning. The beleaguered bullpen had to come up with another 6.1 innings, and they were just good enough to hold a 7-3 lead for a 7-6 victory.
Gordon got the first two outs of the game before giving up a solo homer to Hunter Goodman:
He closed out the inning with a strikeout on the next batter.
In the second inning, Gordon again got the first two outs before allowing back-to-back singles to Jordan Beck and Kyle Karros. Jake McCarthy then laced a bases-clearing triple to give Colorado a 3-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second, the Astros would answer. With one out, Christian Walker hit one 422 feet on to the train tracks.
In the top of the third, Gordon allowed a leadoff single to Brenton Doyle, and then got a pair of strikeouts. Doyle was then cut down trying to steal by Christian Vazquez to end the inning.
In the bottom of the third, the Astros would break the game open with some big hits and some brutal Rockies defense.
Vazquez led off with a double. It was his 4th double of the season. Jose Altuve then popped up on the infield for should have been an easy out, but Rockies 2B Willi Castro dropped the ball, giving the Astros two on and no out.
Yordan Alvarez then obliterated a baseball at 114.2 MPH for a 2 run double.
Isaac Paredes would follow with a walk. Carlos Correa would bounce into a force play, with Paredes forced out at second. Christian Walker would then hit a ground ball to third. Kyle Karros fielded the ball and threw home, trying to get Alvarez at the plate. The throw beat him but the catcher Goodman couldn’t apply the tag in time, and Yordan scored to give the Astros a 4-3 lead.
Cam Smith would then rip a single the other way to right to drive in Correa to make it a 5-3 game.
Joey Loperfido came to bat next, and he would reach on an error by 2B Castro, his second error of the inning. Walker would score to make it 6-3 Houston.
After Brice Matthews struck out, Vazquez would bounce one through the hole into left field to score Smith and make it 7-3 Astros going to the 4th inning.
In the top of the fourth, Gordon would again get the first two outs before finding himself in trouble. This time, he gave up a solo homer to Jordan Beck to make it a 7-4 game.
After the home run, Gordon then allowed back to back singles, and then hit a batter to load the bases, and that would be all for Colton Gordon. He finished the night with 3.2 IP, 4 ER, 8H, 0 BB, 5K, 2 HR.
A.J. Blubaugh was summoned to get Houston of the jam. With Blubaugh (a RHP) replacing Gordon (a LHP), the Rockies pinch hit Mickey Monial for Brenton Doyle. Blubaugh would get Moniak to pop to short to end the inning and the threat.
In the top of the 5th, Hunter Goodman led off with his 2nd homer of the game and 4th of the season to make it a 7-5 game.
Things in the 6th and 7th would be quiet for the first time in the game, but in the 8th the Rockies would make some noise.
Kai-Wei Teng walked 2 of the first 3 batters to face him in the 8th. Joe Espada would go to his bullpen and summon lefty Bryan King. The Rockies would then counter by having Troy Johnston pinch hit for Jake McCarthy.
McCarthy would line an RBI single to center to make it a 7-6 game. King then got a strikeout and a pop-up in the next two batters to quell the rally.
Things then got a little dicey in the 9th. Bryan King, who came on to get out of a mess in the 8th, would open the 9th and get a pair of quick outs.
Then the trouble started. King allowed back to back hits to TJ Rumfield and Ezekiel Tovar. That would be all for Bryan King.
Enyel De Los Santos came on to get the final out and finish the job, and did so with a 5 pitch strikeout.
Wednesday, the Astros will hope to keep things going in Game 2 of their 3 game series with Spencer Arrighetti.
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