Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) – Jason Bourgeois went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and knocked in two, as the Houston Astros earned an easy 10-4 decision over Cincinnati in the opener of a three-game set at Great American Ball Park.
Clint Barmes and Humberto Quintero each drove in a pair for Houston, which has won three in a row. Chris Johnson and Brett Wallace had a solo homer apiece for the victors.
J.A. Happ (2-4) went 6 1/3 innings, yielding four runs on eight hits. The lefty struck out five and walked one in snapping a three-game slide. Happ also added an RBI single and scored a run.
The teams were scheduled to get their series under way Monday night, but the game was postponed by rain. It will be made up at the tail end of the series on Thursday, which had been a scheduled day off for both sides.
Drew Stubbs had a two-run double for the Reds, who have dropped four of six.
Mike Leake (3-1) was roughed up for seven runs on seven hits in only 3 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out five and walked one.
Brandon Phillips’ sacrifice fly to deep center in the first got the Reds on the board, but Johnson belted a solo homer to straight-away center in the second to tie things.
Houston then put up a six-spot in the fourth to take control. Back-to-back singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out before Barmes brought in a pair with a double to center. Quintero chased in another with a ground out and Happ’s RBI single made it a 5-1 game.
Leake was replaced by Jordan Smith after a Michael Bourn single, and Bourgeois greeted him with a two-run double to left.
Wallace hit a solo shot to left-center leading off the fifth and Quintero’s sac fly later in the inning put the Astros ahead 9-1.
Stubbs answered with a two-run double in the home fifth and Edgar Renteria’s RBI fielder’s choice in the seventh got the Reds to within 9-4.
Johnson tripled with one out in the ninth and trotted home on Bill Hall’s deep sac fly to right.