Correa keys Astros' big inning in 6-3 win over Indians
CLEVELAND (AP) ā Carlos Correa sparked Houstonās four-run third inning with an RBI double and the Astros beat the injury-riddled Cleveland Indians 6-3 for the second straight night on Friday.
Houston came to town having lost five of six, including a three-game sweep at home to Baltimore, but have looked like the team that won 11 in a row before hitting the rough patch.
āWe scored early and we held on,ā Houston manager Dusty Baker said. āThat was a big game for us to win.ā
The Indians, who have lost six of seven, added third baseman JoseĢ RamiĢrez to their injury list that gets longer each day. He was scratched shortly before the game because of a sore left elbow that occurred diving for a ball Thursday. RamiĢrez returned after missing a game Wednesday when he fouled a ball off his left cheek.
āHe has a pretty good bone bruise, so when he gets to extension in his swing, it was kind of grabbing at him a little bit,ā Indians manager Terry Francona said. āHe got treatment pretty much most of the night. Weāll see how he shows up tomorrow.ā
Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.
Lance McCullers Jr. (6-1) won his fifth straight decision. The right-hander was charged with two runs in 5 2/3 innings. McCullers was pulled with two runners on in the sixth and CeĢsar HernaĢndez followed with a three-run homer off Brooks Raley.
The Indians loaded the bases against Blake Taylor with two outs in the eighth, but Harold Ramirez struck out. Ryan Presley allowed a leadoff single in the ninth, but recorded his 13th save in 14 chances.
āThose losses against Baltimore were not ideal but weāve been playing good baseball and weāre back to winning ballgames,ā McCullers said.
Designated hitter Franmil Reyes was activated Friday after being out since May 23 with a strained oblique and was 3 for 5. OĢscar Mercado also had three hits but the Indians left 15 runners on base.
āThatās a hard way to play against the Astros,ā Francona said. āThey didnāt give in. We stranded a ton of runners and thatās not what weāre shooting for.ā
Houston scored two runs in the second and four times in the third off starter Sam Hentges (1-3), who allowed six runs in 2 2/3 innings.
The Progressive Field fans continued to boo JoseĢ Altuve and his teammates. Altuve, who hit a grand slam in Thursday nightās win, got his team going in a different manner when he pushed a bunt past Hentges to lead off the third.
Altuve stole second and scored on Correaās double inside the right-field line. Houston sent nine batters to the plate and led 6-0 by the end of the inning.
The Astros didnāt miss designated hitter Yordan AĢlvarez, who blasted a 446-foot home run into the center-field bullpens Thursday. AĢlvarez was placed on the paternity list, but Taylor Jones, called up to take his place, had two hits, including an RBI double in the second. Chas McCormick drove in two runs.
Left fielder Eddie Rosario was also out for the Indians after leaving Thursdayās game with right abdominal tightness.
BROTHERLY HELP
Indians outfielder Josh Naylor had surgery Friday for multiple leg fractures and torn ligaments sustained in a collision with teammate Ernie Clement Sunday at Minnesota. Naylor is expected to miss the rest of the season.
Naylorās brother, Bo, who plays for Clevelandās Double-A affiliate in Akron, drove Josh to the Cleveland Clinic at 6 a.m. Friday. Bo Naylor said several family members are in town to support his older brother in his recovery.
āIāve gotten to talk to him on the side and heās driven, man.ā Bo said. āHeās gonna have my family, the fans, everyone else behind him. Heās ready. Heās ready, for sure.ā
NO STARTERS
The Astros are 50-33 and own the second-best record in the AL, but wonāt have any starters in the All-Star Game.
āI just hope these guys these guys make the team as backups because they certainly deserve it,ā Baker said. āI havenāt heard anybody complain. These guys, one thing I love about them is that they donāt complain about anything.ā
TRAINERāS ROOM
Astros: 3B Kyle Tucker was removed from the lineup because of back spasms.
Indians: C Roberto PeĢrez, who had finger surgery May 7, is expected to be activated Saturday.
UP NEXT
RHP Jake Odorizzi (2-3, 4.08) starts for Houston in the third game of the series Saturday night. Rookie RHP Eli Morgan (1-2, 9.37), coming off his first major league win Monday, starts for Cleveland.