Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Aledmys Diaz slugged home runs while rookie Luis Garcia recorded his third consecutive win as the Houston Astros earned a split of their two-game interleague series against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers with a 5-2 win on Wednesday.
Garcia (3-3) logged a career-high six innings, a timely effort with the Astros expecting starters Framber Valdez and Jake Odorizzi to return from the injured list this weekend. He departed with a 2-1 lead before Houston posted a three-run seventh that featured an RBI single from Altuve and a two-run homer from Diaz. All the damage came against Dodgers reliever Nate Jones.
The Astros snapped a four-game losing skid while ending the Dodgers’ eight-game win streak. Astros right-hander Bryan Abreu struck out Albert Pujols after issuing a pair of two-out walks to earn his first career save.
Dodgers right-hander Trevor Bauer (5-3) was previously unbeaten over nine career starts against the Astros. He labored with his control throughout yet still managed to keep the Astros under control, setting the tone by escaping a 37-pitch first inning with only one run surrendered.
Altuve led off the first with his sixth home run, and Bauer walked the bases loaded but struck out Taylor Jones to limit the damage. He retired the side in order only twice, in the second and fifth, but was locked in a 1-1 tie before Correa hit his seventh homer to left with two outs in the sixth.
Bauer has logged at least six innings in 10 of his 11 starts and has allowed two runs or fewer in 10 consecutive outings. He threw 100 pitches, just 56 strikes. He surrendered four hits and matched his season high of four walks done twice. Bauer struck out a season-low three batters.
Garcia encountered his own mess in the third, facing seven batters and tossing 39 pitches before leaving the bases loaded with a strikeout of Dodgers catcher Will Smith. He was charged with an error on Mookie Betts’ soft grounder one batter before Max Muncy beat the shift with a RBI single to right that scored Yoshi Tsutsugo, who ignited the rally with a one-out single.
Garcia had 68 pitches on his ledger after the third but quickly righted his ship and retired the Dodgers in order over his final three innings of work. He threw a career-high 100 pitches.
–Field Level Media