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Luis Valbuena, Astros blast-off in win over the Rockies
By David Miniel
135. Final. 5. 108. 8
Valbuena hits HR’s No. 15, 16
In case you missed it, outfielder George Springer lifted the Houston Astros yesterday by launching a pair of home runs in the 6-3 win over the Colorado Rockies to take game one of this three-game set.
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Today, with Vincent Velasquez on the mound, third baseman Luis Valbuena helped chase yet another starting pitcher from the game early on by hitting home run’s No. 15 and 16. Houston began the game by scoring in the first, grabbing the 1-0 lead with southpaw Chris Rusin on the mound.
The Astros wouldn’t break things open until the third inning, regaining the lead after Colorado grabbed a two-run lead during the top of the third. Michael McKenry tripled on a fly ball to center field, driving in Nolan Arenado to tie things up at one apiece.
Charlie Blackmon later gave the Rockies a 3-1 lead on an RBI single to right field to yesterday’s hero, Springer. In the bottom of the second inning, two former teammates with the Chicago Cubs squared off against each other as Valbuena stepped into the batter’s box.
Rusin got ahead 1-2 in the count until Luis sat on a fourth pitch ball to even things out at 2-2. He would then swing away, drilling a 90 miles per hour sinker to left field for his first home run of the game, bringing the Astros within a run.
Valesquez (0-0, 4.66 ERA) had a bit of a rough outing in his Minute Made Park debut, allowing five earned runs on seven hits with two walks, seven strikeouts and one home run in just 4 2/3 frames.
Veteran outfielder Carlos Gonzalez was responsible for that long ball, cranking his eighth home run of the season to right field. It was a two-run shot that brought Troy Tulowitzki home, making it a 7-5 game still in favor of Houston in the fifth.
Valbuena capped off a five-run third inning by drilling a three-run shot to right field and even giving us a little bit of a skip after dropping his bat. Coming in to score with him would be both Hank Conger and Domingo Santana – two men responsible who recorded RBI singles prior to Valbuena hitting his second home run of the contest.
Conger later added a bit of insurance during the home half of the fifth by hitting a solo home run of his own – his eighth that would make it 8-5 which would eventually become the final score.