Red Sox
David Hamilton hit a two-run double for the Red Sox.
Jose Altuve hit the 224th home run of his career on Friday night. AP Photo/Michael Dwyer
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BOSTON (AP) — Jose Altuve hit a two-run homer and Jon Singleton and Jeremy Peña added RBI singles in a four-run seventh inning as the American League West-leading Houston Astros beat the Boston Red Sox 8-4 on Friday night.
Yainer Diaz added a two-run home run for the Astros, who crushed Boston’s bullpen en route to their third straight victory. Bregman and Peña finished with three hits apiece.
Altuve’s home run off reliever Lucas Sims that tied the game in the seventh inning was the 224th of his career, moving him into fourth place on the team’s all-time list.
“It’s huge,” Peña said of Altuve’s home run that tied the score at 3. “Every time Josey hits a home run, it’s like a team battery.”
David Hamilton hit a two-run double for the Red Sox, who had won three of four and were coming off a 4-2 road trip. Boston’s bullpen allowed seven runs and 12 hits over the final three innings.
Starter Tanner Houck held the Astros to one run and four hits in six innings before Altuve hit a hanging sweeper from Sims (1-5) that bounced off a billboard above the Green Monster.
“Obviously, trying to score a run, we were down by two,” Altuve said. “It was basically just putting the ball in play. … I tried to hit the ball again and I was able to get on base, hit it with power.”
Bregman and Yordan Alvarez followed with singles before Diaz singled against Zack Kelly, loading the bases. Singleton and Peña each hit a home run to center field before Zach Dezenzo bounced into an inning-ending double play.
“They’re very aggressive and today we didn’t get the job done,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.
Reliever Tayler Scott struck out Boston star Rafael Devers with the bases loaded in the seventh.
“That was a big hit,” Scott said, smiling, when told it was his 100th career strikeout. “I had no idea it was my 100th. It was kind of an exclamation point on the 100th. It was pretty cool.”
Diaz made his shot, his 11th of the season, in light rain and over the Green Monster in the ninth.
Former Red Sox reliever Kaleb Ort (1-0) got four outs and earned the win.
Boston manager Alex Cora elected to walk Alvarez with runners on the corners and two outs in the fifth. Houck bounced the next batter, Diaz, to shortstop.
“I was able to bounce back, pitch when I needed to,” said Houck, who has struggled in his last two starts, allowing 10 runs in 11 innings.
Trailing 1-0, Hamilton hit his two-point shot into the left-center space against Ronel Blanco.
Blanco bounced a pickoff attempt in front of first base, allowing Nick Sogard to score from third base, making it 3-1 Boston in the fourth inning.
Blanco allowed three runs, two earned, in four innings in his first career start against the Red Sox.
TRAINERS’ ROOM
Astros: Relief pitcher Justin Verlander is expected to make a rehab start for Triple-A Sugar Land on Saturday. Manager Joe Espada said the plan is for him to go three innings or 50 pitches, “and then we’ll see where we go from there.”
Red Sox: Starting pitcher Brayan Bello was placed on the paternity list, but Cora said he would start Monday. However, Saturday’s scheduled starter, Cooper Criswell, was placed on the injured list due to COVID-19.
FOLLOWING
Astros rookie right-hander Spencer Arrighetti (4-10, 5.33 ERA) hopes to continue his best start of the season Saturday in the second game of a three-game series. He struck out 12 and allowed one run in six innings Sunday against Tampa Bay. Cora said after the game that right-hander Josh Winckowski (2-1, 3.52 ERA) will start.
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