SB Nation Houston - Rally Sees 'Stros Take Down Reds, 5-3https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46691/houston-fave.png2010-09-18T03:09:28-05:00http://houston.sbnation.com/rss/stream/14593162010-09-18T03:09:28-05:002010-09-18T03:09:28-05:00W-Rod's 10 K's, 'Stros Rally Lead To 5-3 Victory
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<p><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Angel Sanchez's two-RBI single in the seventh brought in the go-ahead runs and saved some face for <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Astros</a> starter <span>Wandy Rodriguez</span>, as Houston defeated Cincinnati, 5-3, to kick off a three-game series at Minute Maid Park.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The Astros victimized <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="https://www.redreporter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Reds</a> rookie flamethrower <span>Aroldis Chapman</span> (1-1) for his first earned runs of the season in the seventh to break a 3-3 tie. Chapman, who had a 0.00 ERA in eight appearances entering Friday, loaded the bases with nobody out and Sanchez sent a base hit into center field.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span>Carlos Lee</span> had tied the game with a solo home run in the home sixth after <span>Jonny Gomes</span> got the Reds on the board in the top half of the frame with a three-run blast.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Cincinnati entered the sixth without a hit against Rodriguez, who received a third consecutive no-decision despite his best efforts.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span>Joey Votto</span> doubled to break up the no-hit bid leading off the frame, while Rodriguez ended up allowing three hits and the three runs. He walked six and struck out 10 -- both season highs. The streaky southpaw had 10 strikeouts his last time out and has done so four times this season.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span>Jeff Fulchino</span> (2-0) wound up with the win despite facing one batter. <span>Brandon Lyon</span> came on in the ninth to notch his 17th save and <span>Michael Bourn</span> contributed three hits and an RBI to Houston's seventh win in 10 games.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">"It was a big inning for us. We never gave up. That has been key for us," Sanchez said of the Astros' continued second-half surge.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The Reds, meanwhile, saw their lead atop the NL Central cut to six games over St. Louis, which throttled the visiting <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="https://www.gaslampball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Padres</a> Friday. It was Cincy's fourth loss in six games.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Houston got the early jump with Chris Johnson's sacrifice fly in the first and Bourn's two-out RBI single an inning later staking Rodriguez to an early lead.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Rodriguez actually walked the bases full of Reds in the third but recovered to strike out <span>Scott Rolen</span> and got Gomes to pop up to first to end the inning.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">That began a streak of eight straight batters retired by the lefty until Votto's two-bagger. Rolen then walked in front of Gomes' home run, giving Cincinnati a brief 3-2 lead.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">"That's a scrappy little team they've put together over there. I've been in that role before where you're playing spoiler role," said Gomes of Houston. "You want to finish strong, that's how those guys play over there."</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span>Drew Stubbs</span> tried to keep things going with a one-out single, but Rodriguez finished his outing in style with back-to-back strikeouts of <span>Willie Bloomquist</span> and Red starter <span>Johnny Cueto</span>.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Cueto went six innings and left with the game tied after Lee's sixth-inning homer. The right-hander was touched for five hits, walked one and fanned six.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">After Chapman gave up the lead, <span>Nick Masset</span> limited the damage by retiring the next three batters.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">However, the Astros' bullpen posted zeros the rest of the way. Fulchino was able to strand a runner at third in the seventh, <span>Matt Lindstrom</span> left runners at the corners in the eighth and Lyon hurled a 1-2-3 ninth to close it out.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Rodriguez held the Reds to just one hit and two walks over seven scoreless innings on July 25, striking out seven in the win. He has won five of his last six decisions. The six walks also tied a career high...The last Astros pitcher to log back-to-back 10-strikeout games was <span>Randy Johnson</span>, who did it in five consecutive starts in 1998...Sanchez has a career-high 10-game hitting streak...Cincinnati is 7-3 versus Houston this year with five wins in seven meetings at Minute Maid Park...Gomes hit his 17th home run of the season and now has 83 runs batted in on the year. His previous career high was 59 in 2006 while with the <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="https://www.draysbay.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rays</a>...The Astros set a club record with their 17th consecutive game without a loss from one of the team's starting pitchers. They went 16 such games in 1994.</p>
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https://houston.sbnation.com/2010/9/18/1695987/w-rods-10-ks-stros-rally-lead-to-5Luke Zimmermann2010-09-17T21:05:15-05:002010-09-17T21:05:15-05:00Astros Knot Score At 3-3 In Bottom Half Of 6th
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<p>After the Cincinnati Reds took a 3-2 lead in the top half of the 6th inning on a three-run homerun by Jonny Gomes, the Astros bounced right back in the bottom half of the frame. Carlos Lee launched his 22nd HR of the year off Reds’ starter Johnny Cueto to level the score at 3-3. Relief pitcher Mark Melancon heads to the hill for the ’Stros in the 7th.</p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/2010/9/17/1695727/astros-knot-score-at-3-3-in-bottom-of-6th-carlos-lee-hrMichael Bean2010-09-17T20:48:03-05:002010-09-17T20:48:03-05:00Reds Breakthrough In 6th With 3-Run Homerun To Take 3-2 Lead
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<p>Astros starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez was playing with fire through the first five innings of Friday night’s game against the Cincinnati Reds. The left-hander had yet to surrender a run, but five walks had the Reds threatening on several occasions.</p>
<p>In the top of the 6th, the meat of the Reds’ lineup finally pieced together the big hits they’d been missing earlier in the game. <span class="caps">MVP</span> candidate Joey Votto started things off with a double. Scott Rolen then walked, setting up Jonny Gomes’ three-run shot to left.</p>
<p>The Reds are still at-bat in the 6th with a runner on 1st and still only 1 outs.</p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/2010/9/17/1695715/astros-vs-reds-reds-breakthrough-in-6th-with-3-homerun-jonny-gomesMichael Bean2010-09-17T16:10:26-05:002010-09-17T16:10:26-05:00Fight For .500 Sees Reds Come To H-Town
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<p>(Sports Network) - Despite splitting its last six games, Cincinnati still seems like a safe bet to win the National League Central for the first time since 1995.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Reds</a> draw a favorable matchup this weekend as they aim to defeat the hosting <a href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Houston Astros</a> for the eighth time in 10 meetings this year in tonight's opener of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park.</p>
<p>Cincinnati hits the road this evening after a 4-3 homestand. The <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Reds</a> capped the residency with a split of a four-game series with the <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Diamondbacks</a>, losing Thursday's finale, 3-1.</p>
<p><span>Jonny Gomes</span> drove in Cincinnati's only run with a first-inning double and <span>Edinson Volquez</span> allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings in the close loss, striking out seven.</p>
<p>"We're playing good baseball. We just got to continue doing what we're doing," Gomes said.</p>
<p>The Reds saw their edge over the second-place <a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cardinals</a> dip to seven games, while their magic number to clinch the division remained at 10.</p>
<p>Facing the <a href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Astros</a> should help lower that number.</p>
<p>Cincinnati is 7-2 versus Houston this year and has already won five of the six meetings at Minute Maid Park.</p>
<p>The Reds, though, didn't look like a playoff team when they last played in Houston, as tonight's starter for the Astros, <span>Wandy Rodriguez</span>, held them to just one hit and two walks over seven scoreless innings on July 25, striking out seven in the win. That outing evened Rodriguez's career mark versus Cincinnati to 7-7 to go along with a 4.20 earned run average in 18 starts.</p>
<p>Rodriguez has won five of his last six decisions, but hasn't gotten one in his last two starts. That includes Saturday versus the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dodgers</a> after the 31-year- old southpaw allowed three runs on five hits and three walks over seven innings, striking out 10.</p>
<p>In 29 starts this year, Rodriguez is 11-12 with a 3.62 ERA and 7-5 with a 2.71 ERA in 15 outings at home.</p>
<p>The Reds counter with <span>Johnny Cueto</span>, who bested the Astros on July 24 on the day before Rodriguez's gem. The right-hander gave up four hits and struck out six over eight scoreless innings, getting his first win in five career decisions versus Houston.</p>
<p>Cueto, 24, has already set a career high for wins in a season with his 12-5 mark that compliments a 3.31 ERA over 28 starts. He pitched well enough to get his 13th win on Sunday versus the <a href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pirates</a>, hurling seven scoreless innings while scattering three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts, but got a no- decision in team's 3-1 loss.</p>
<p>The Astros will face Cueto after Wednesday's 8-6 extra-inning loss to the <a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Brewers</a>.</p>
<p>Houston erased an early five-run deficit with a six-run fifth inning, getting a two-run hit out of <span>Brian Bogusevic</span> in the frame before <span>Hunter Pence</span> capped the burst with an RBI hit of his own, but <span>Brandon Lyon</span> failed to protect the one-run lead in the ninth before <span>Matt Lindstrom</span> allowed two runs in the 10th inning to take the loss.</p>
<p>Starter <span>J.A. Happ</span> allowed five runs over 4 1/3 innings.</p>
<p>"You have to try to put zeroes up and I was able to for a few innings but they found a way, again," Happ said. "You have to try to be economical with your pitches but it just wasn't my day today."</p>
<p>Houston had a three-game winning streak end and lost for just the third time in nine games.</p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/2010/9/17/2321164/fight-for-500-sees-reds-come-to-h-townLuke Zimmermann