Tampa Bay Rays thump Houston Astros 7-2 for second-straight night: MLB Update
The Tampa Bay Rays’ overpowered Houston Astros 7-2 in the second-straight night, at the Minute Maid Park in Houston, on Saturday night, June 25.
The Rays started the game in a positive manner and took a 2-0 lead right in the second inning, when Johnny Damon hit hard to the right side against the Astros’ starter, Bud Norris. Melvin Emmanuel B.J. Upton took it to 3-0 with an RBI single in the top of
the third inning.
The Astros made their first run in the fourth inning when Carlos Lee doubled to the deep centre of the field for an RBI single. The score was 3-1 until the top of the sixth inning when Upton launched a 352-feet long one-run homer, off the Astros’ reliever,
Fernando Abad, who replaced Norris just one pitch before, to take the lead to 4-1.
The Rays’ starter, Wade Davis, defended this lead perfectly as he did not allow any further run and completed his seven innings spell in which he allowed one walk and five hits and struck-out three batters to earn is seventh win of the season.
"He played a good game," Maddon said. Davis "was a good baseball player tonight. He pitched well. He did a lot of good things defensively as well as with the two bunts. He had himself a really good night."
Joel Peralta, when replaced Davis after he completed his third-straight win, allowed an RBI single to the Astros’ Hunter Pence in the middle of the eighth inning, which reduced the lead to 4-2 and the Astros' chances to comeback in game was lightened up.
However, all of their hopes were washed away when Evan Longoria took the lead to 5-2 with an RBI single against the Astros' closer, Sergio Escalona. Casey Kotchman completely ruled out all any chance when he made a strong hit for an RBI double to the centre
of the field and took the lead to 7-2 irrefutable position.
The Astros has already lost their entire enthusiasm before entering into the bottom of the ninth inning, so they readily threw away their at-bats to the Rays’ closer, Kyle Farnsworth. Kyle saved his sixteenth game to earn the Rays their 43rd win in 2011.
All of the Astros pitchers allowed runs except against the closer, Escalona. Starter, Norris gave three runs over five innings, reliever, Abad allowed one on two innings and Enerio Del Rosario too scattered three runs over one inning.
"He was trying to find his stuff," Houston's Manager, Brad Mills, said about Bud Norris. "He kept working to find his stuff. His command kind of got him in trouble with those walks, but he kept battling."
It would be a test of Mills nerve in the next game, as he has already scheduled James Anthony Happ, who is already struggling with just three wins under his belt while he has lost nine games in fifteen starts. However, according to experts Happ could retaliate
unexpectedly strong as he was struggling hard to nip his seven-game losing-streak.
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