Carlos Correa homered among three hits to lead the visiting Houston Astros to a 7-1 rout of the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a three-game series Tuesday night.
Yuli Gurriel also had three hits, and Correa, Yordan Alvarez and Martin Maldonado each drove in two runs as the Astros won for the seventh time in nine games.
Hunter Renfroe had the lone RBI for the Red Sox, whose five-game winning streak ended.
The Astros wasted no time roughing up Red Sox starter Martin Perez, who threw 7 2/3 scoreless innings to help Boston avoid a four-game sweep in Houston last week. Correa’s home run narrowly remained fair down the left field line in the first inning, and the visitors blew the game open with a five-run second.
Eleven men batted during the frame. Maldonado singled home a pair of runs, Correa and Gurriel each drove in one and Alvarez was hit by pitch with the bases loaded.
The inning marked the end of the night for Perez (4-3). He surrendered six runs on six hits and three walks while striking out two.
Alvarez’s solo shot to deep center in the fourth upped Houston’s advantage to 7-0.
Framber Valdez, who held Boston to one run on five hits over seven innings his last time out, practically repeated his performance. This time, Valdez (2-0) gave up one run on five hits in 7 1/3 innings. He struck out eight without issuing a walk, though he did hit two batters.
Renfroe’s RBI groundout in the fourth got the Red Sox on the board. The hosts had runners on first and third with no outs in the fifth, but Valdez whiffed two while getting out of the jam.
Boston catcher Kevin Plawecki exited in the fourth inning after sustaining a jaw contusion on a pitch in the dirt that bounced up into his mask.
Red Sox designated hitter J.D. Martinez went 1-for-4 after missing three games with a wrist injury.
Michael Brantley (1-for-4) returned from the injured list for the Astros after recovering from a hamstring ailment.
–Field Level Media