Correa, Alvarez and Altuve go yard
Brilliant pitching by 24-year old Cristian Javier and three bombs gave the Astros a comfortable 6-2 victory over the Oakland A’s. All three homers were solo shots, the first by Carlos Correa in the second inning, the second an upper-deck job by Yordan Alvarez in the sixth, and a gas pump bomb by Jose Altuve in the seventh.
Carlos Correa accounted for another run in the fourth with an RBI double, and after Alvarez’ homer in the seventh, Myles Straw hit a two run single, scoring Carlos Correa and Kyle Tucker.
The A’s didn’t score until the ninth, making the game look a little close with two against Brooks Raley, who still hasn’t rediscovered the form he had in 2020.
Cristian Javier looked dominant at times, but he needed 88 pitches to complete five shutout innings, recording the win. Fifty seven of his pitches were strikes, and he allowed only three hits, two walks, while fanning seven.
Ryne Stanek followed Javier with 1.1 scoreless innings, and Blake Taylor completed the seventh with 2/3s inning of scoreless ball.
Enoli Paredes took the eighth, but couldn’t find the strike zone, walking his first two batters. With three pitches on his third batter Paredes left with an, as yet, undisclosed injury. Joe Smith got out of the jam created by Paredes unscathed. Then Raley allowed the A’s two in the ninth on three hits.
In their first seven games, six of them wins, the Astros have hit a club record 15 homers, and are second in MLB with 51 runs.
They have beaten the As in all five contests, with a run differential of 42-11.
The Astros play the As tomorrow at 7:10 at MMP.
Lance McCullers hoists the flag on the mound for the Astros .
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