Astros Fall to Orioles in the 9th

 

Image Credit: Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Having given up three runs in the fifth inning, Zack Greinke was removed after the game.In the meantime, the Astros managed just four runs before the ninth inning, three of which came from walks, and one from a sac fly. Ten walks were worked by the Astros. However, they only had seven hits, were 2-13 with runners in scoring position, and left 13 runners on base.

Those who have followed the Astros this year know that the bullpen was once again unable to keep the game close, especially since Ryne Stanek and Ryan Pressly had been overworked in Detroit.

While the Astros went into the ninth inning down by five runs, they still put up a fight to keep the game close. The Orioles opened the scoring in the third inning after Austin Hays, Trey Mancini, and Ryan Mountcastle all hit consecutive singles against Greinke.

In the fourth, the Astros took a short lead with a Yordan Alvarez walk followed by a Carlos Correa bloop single to center that sent Alvarez to third. On a Kyle Tucker sac fly, Alvarez scored. Robel Garcia singled with two outs, Martin Maldonado walked, sending Thomas Eshelman to the showers.

Cole Sulser walked Jose Altuve immediately, scoring Carlos Correa.However, the Orioles retook the lead in the fifth on a Ryan Mountcastle two-run homer off Greinke. With one out, Blake Taylor allowed two singles and a walk, and Ryan McKenna just beat out a grounder to avoid a double play and score Austin Hays.

Michael Brantley's leadoff single and four walks tied the game in the bottom of the seventh. The Astros' Kyle Tucker's walk might have been their best at-bat of the night. On a 2-2 count, Tucker fouled off three tough Tanner Scott sliders and watched two others for balls to score Brantley. Gurriel tied the score with a walk to Myles Straw by Scott.

To keep the score tied, Tyler Wells struck out Martin Maldonado and Robel Garcia. The Orioles put the game away in the ninth inning. In the eighth, Brandon Bielak allowed five runs, the big blast being a two-run home run by Austin Hays.

With one out in the ninth, Carlos Correa was hit by a pitch, followed by Kyle Tucker's single, Myles Straw's RBI single, and Robel Garcia's RBI single.

Paul Fry was chased from the game, bringing in closer Ryan Plutko to face pinch-hitter Jason Castro, who walked on four pitches, loading the bases for Jose Altuve, and the score was 9-6. Altuve scored the seventh run on a sac fly, but Brantley popped out to end the game.

Image Credit: Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons