Photo by elpasoinc.com
After its first run in the top of the first inning, the Astros bats went cold through the next seven innings. Yet something out of nowhere powered Houston’s offense in the ninth inning.
The Astros score five runs in the top of the ninth inning after nine batters came to the plate, shocking the Dodgers in comeback fashion, 7-5 at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night.
The Astros (23-23) trailed 5-2 going into the ninth inning and seemed lifeless. However, the surprise greeting reliever Kenley Jansen received, six consecutive hits, and four runs as Houston took its first lead, 6-5 since leading 1-0 in the top of the first inning, was not what the Dodgers expected leading, 5-2.
Correa led off with a single to left-center. Following, Aledmys Diaz, Josh Reddick, Martin Maldonado, George Springer, and Alex Bregman all collected hits in the inning.
Jansen came on to pitch in the top of the ninth but struggled to get any outs. Adam Kolarek relieved Jansen after facing Bregman. The ball seemed like a beach ball to the Astros batters who had trouble putting the ball in play until the ninth inning.
Houston entered the contest, losing eight of its last nine games and needed a spark if it would have any chance of getting past the high powered Dodgers.
Josh James (1-0) got the win for Houston and Pressly picked up his ninth save. Framber Valdez started the game and pitched five frames, surrendered five hits, five runs, and struck out seven.
Julio Urias, who had never faced the Astros, pitched well enough to win minus the Astros stunning ninth inning. Urias concluded his evening by giving up three hits, a run over six innings of work. Jansen (3-1) took the loss.
George Springer’s double down the left-field line helped Houston grab a 1-0 lead. Bregman flew out to left, and on Michael Brantley’s grounded out to second base, Springer moved to third and scored on Yuli Guriel’s bloop single to center field, giving the Astros a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
But over a short period, the top team in baseball struck for three runs. Wil Smith singled to left field and with two outs, Chris Taylor hit a two-run homer over the left-field wall. Kike Hernandez followed with a solo homer as the Dodgers increased its lead, 3-1 in the bottom of the second inning.
For the Astros, it had at least one base runner in every inning however, outside its first inning score, it did not score any runs until the top of the ninth.
The Dodgers (32-14) kept the pressure on, scoring a run in the bottom of the third inning. Mookie Betts struck out to lead off the inning. Seager slapped a triple off the wall in center field, AJ Pollock followed with an RBI sac fly, increasing the score, 4-1.
Pedro Baez pitched the seventh and eighth innings, giving up four hits while striking out two batters.
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