Houston Astros defeat Cincinnati Reds 3-2 – MLB Update
Matt Downs went for a desperately needed tiebreaking homer on Monday, September 19 to help Houston Astros beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
The eighth inning homer also enabled the Astros to institute their sway in the series with the win in the opener.
J. A. Happ pitched six innings to give up two runs and Travis Wood did not allow any run in his five inning spell. The relief pitchers for Houston manoeuvred with considerable efficacy while the slumping Reds’ pitchers failed to live up to their expectations.
Logan Ondrusek gave up two hits and two runs in his single inning spell while Nick Masset could not hold Matt Downs back from hitting a homer at the most crucial stage of the game to win the first of the three-game series.
Brandon Phillips homered to centre to score the first run for the Cincinnati Reds against J. A. Happ while Todd Frazier doubled to deep left to double the lead for the Reds as the second innings came to end.
Wood went aggressively against the Houston Astros’ hitters until there was a change of guard that brought Logan Ondrusek on the mound. Matt Down scored due largely to the error of Frazier and Clint Barmes soon got another single to tie the score, bringing
Houston back in the game.
Ondrusek’s spell proved costly for the Reds and prompted the change in pitching line-up. The Astros also looked for the right opportunity to cash in on.
Downs, who has played 100 games in the season so far with .284 average, scoring 27 runs with 52 hits to his credit which also include nine home-runs, hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning against Jordan Lyles to put the Astros in charge of the game.
Mark Melancon had his seventh save of the season in the 68 games he has played so far to help the Houston Astros beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-2. The Reds will now face the Astros on Tuesday for the second game of the series.
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