Dubon, Homers Help Houston Astros Rock Orioles

Mauricio Dubon went all out in what might be the season’s best defensive play for the Houston Astros. But Alex Bregman and Yanier Diaz slammed back-to-back homers, leading the Astros past the Baltimore Orioles 6-3 on Sunday night. The win split a four-game weekend series between the Astros and Orioles.

Dubon, who has been a clutch hitter for the Astros at times this season, gave up his body for an out. Literally. In the bottom of the seventh, Baltimore’s Ramón Urias hit a fly ball tailing away from Dubon. He took off in a dead sprint, catching up with the ball in the nick of time. Yet his speed carried him head-on into the padded wall along the left-field line.

Mauricio Dubon Woozy After Catch

HOUSTON, TEXAS – JULY 31: Mauricio Dubon #14 of the Houston Astros celebrates his two-run home run in the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Minute Maid Park on July 31, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

That wall didn’t have any give in it. Dubon smacked into it, falling in a heap to the field. Houston Astros infielders, manager Joe Espada and team trainer Jeremiah Randall went out to check on him. Dubon rolled around, then simply stayed curled up. He eventually got to his feet and walked off under his own power. ESPN’s cameras showed an obviously dazed Dubon heading toward the Astros’ dugout.

Jake Meyers pinch-hit for Dubon in the eighth, connecting for a sacrifice fly. That made it 6-3 Astros at the time.

One cannot overlook the job done by Houston Astros starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi. He’s been absolutely perfect pretty much in all his starts. Sunday night was no different. Kikuchi went 5 2/3 innings, allowing just two hits and three earned runs. All those runs came on a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth by the Orioles’ Diaz. Eloy Jiménez led off the sixth with a single, Baltimore’s first hit after five hitless innings. That was followed by a one-out walk. Then Diaz stepped up and connected.

Bullpen Rocks for Houston Astros

Hector Neris came on for his first outing back with the Houston Astros. Neris joined the team on Saturday after signing a contract for the rest of this season. He looked like he was back in form circa 2022 and 2023. Neris got the final out of the sixth inning, then pitched a clean seventh inning.

In fact, Neris (1-0) got the victory. How fitting indeed. “Just like he was back at home,” Espada said. “Big outs.”

Neris’ pitching work came in handy, especially right now with right-handed reliever Ryan Pressly on the disabled list.

Astros reliever Bryan Abreu looked sharp, too. He came on in the eighth inning, striking out two Orioles. Josh Hader gave up a walk in the bottom of the ninth, but a double-play ball sealed the deal for another save. It was Hader’s 28th straight save for the Houston Astros this season. He, too, has been lights out after blowing his first save attempt this season.

With the win, the Astros stay 4 1/2 games up on the Seattle Mariners in the American League West Division race. Baltimore’s loss, coupled with a New York Yankees victory over the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium, sets them back 1 1/2 games in the AL East race. The Yankees’ Aaron Judge slammed two home runs on Sunday, putting him on course for a possible AL MVP award at season’s end.

So, after two outs in the sixth inning, Bregman smoked a Burch Smith pitch over the left-field wall for a solo dinger. Diaz immediately followed suit with a blast to left-center field, giving the Astros a 5-3 lead. Bregman now has 21 homers this season while Diaz has 16. Diaz’s slam clocked in at 111.4 mph off his bat, tying it for the hardest-hit ball in his career, MLB.com reported.

“The swing felt the best it’s felt since coming back,” Bregman, who’s been dealing with elbow inflammation, said according to The Associated Press after the game. “Obviously missing some time, you kind of lose a little bit of the rhythm that you had.”

Yordan Alvarez Still Out…For Now

Photo byCorey WatsononUnsplash

Yordan Alvarez was out of the Houston Astros’ starting lineup again Sunday night. He’s been dealing with neck stiffness. But it’s hoped that Alvarez can get back either as a designated hitter or in the outfield soon.

“I think he could be good enough to be used off the bench,” Espada said. “I just want to see how he feels soreness wise because I don’t want to force him in there after sitting in the dugout and make that worse. But [he’s] a lot better.”

There also was a little news on the Kyle Tucker front. Tucker, whose offensive play and defensive prowess are sorely missed in the Astros’ outfield, has been working out in Houston. Espada said that he’s picked up a positive update from Tucker, who has been dealing with a shin contusion since early June.

“He actually sent me a very long, long, long text message, and it was full of a lot of positive notes,” Espada said, according to MLB.com. “It was very encouraging.”

The Astros will open up a three-game series on Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies in the City of Brotherly Love. Justin Verlander (3-3), who got some camera time during ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball telecast, starts for Houston. He goes up against Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler (12-6).

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Article originally written by Joe Rutland