Astros 4, Orioles 1
W: Feldman (4-4) L: Tillman (2-6) S: Gregerson (13)
HR: None. Seriously. And we still won the game.
The Astros rallied in late innings to give Feldman a deserved W and the Shutdown Boyz preserved the lead easily to make Houston the first team in the majors to 30 wins. This is the first time that the Astros have ever been first to 30, which really says something given the (lack of) expectations of this year’s squad.
Feldman did nothing to resemble the pitcher he has been thus far, scattering 4 hits and 3 walks over innings and inducing several double plays to escape any hints of trouble. His lone run was surrendered in the 6th, when Jimmy Paredes followed a leadoff double with a good read of a grounder to Gonzalez, moving up to third and then scoring when Springer’s throw from RF was off line for a sacrifice fly.
Houston threatened in the 4th, as Preston Tucker (aboard with a walk) was thrown out at the plate on Valbuena’s two-out double. It was an aggressive send by Pettis, but a reasonable one with two outs and no score, as Baltimore executed the relay perfectly to nail Tucker.
Evan Gattis led off the 7th with a rising double, but Rasmus was unable to move him over, and Valbuena’s grounder to first left Gattis on third with two outs. Carter then crushed a single (113 MPH off the bat – his hardest hit ball all year) to tie the game, and Castro deposited a double perfectly in the RCF gap to take the lead. Valbuena then padded the lead with a 2-out, 2-run single off the RF wall in the 8th to apply the final tally.
The Good Guys take the field at 3:35 CDT today to go for another winning road trip.