The Sports Xchange
Jul 28, 2017
DETROIT -- Josh Reddick cracked a three-run homer in the eighth inning and also had two sacrifice flies Friday night for a five-RBI night that rallied the Houston Astros to a 6-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers.
Bruce Rondon (1-2) gave up two singles and Reddick's 10th home run of the season, on a hanging slider, as he blew a 5-3 lead turned over to him by Jordan Zimmermann.
Zimmermann gave up six hits and three runs in seven innings.
It was Detroit's fourth loss in a row and plopped the Tigers (45-56) a season-low 11 games below .500.
Brad Peacock (9-1), displaced from the rotation by Dallas Keuchel, picked up the win after four innings of three-hit, two-run relief. Chris Devenski pitched the eighth and Ken Giles claimed his 22nd save with a scoreless ninth.
Mikie Mahtook walked with two outs in the seventh and gave the Tigers a 5-3 lead when he came around to score on a sharp single to right by Victor Martinez. Third base coach Dave Clark waved Mahtook home when right fielder Norichika Aoki lobbed the ball to second instead of throwing home.
Marwin Gonzalez, playing short in the absence of injured Carlos Correa, smashed his 19th home run of the season to right with two outs in the sixth, drawing Houston (68-34) within a run at 4-3.
Miguel Cabrera hit his first home run since July 15 and his third of the month when he launched a hanging slider from Peacock near the flagpole in the visitors' bullpen in left-center to put the Tigers ahead 4-2. The home run was his 13th of the year and came leading off the fifth.
The Astros pulled within 3-2 in the third when Derek Fisher singled with one out, Jose Altuve doubled and Reddick hit his second sacrifice fly of the game, this one to center.
Nicholas Castellanos hit a three-run homer in the second inning to give Detroit a 3-1 lead. Dixon Machado drew a two-out walk, Ian Kinsler doubled down the left-field line and Castellanos followed with his 15th home run.
Altuve tripled with one out in the first and gave Houston a 1-0 start on Reddick's first sacrifice fly to right.
Keuchel, making his first start since June 2 because of neck problems, had command issues and lasted just three innings. He gave up six hits, three runs and three walks with three strikeouts while throwing 79 pitches.
NOTES: Houston CF George Springer was placed on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to July 25 with left quad discomfort. ... SS Jose Iglesias was a non-starter for Detroit on Friday with manager Brad Ausmus wanting to give UTIL Dixon Machado an infrequent start. ... The Astros activated reliever RHP Will Smith (right shoulder) from the disabled list along with LHP Dallas Keuchel (neck). ... LHP Matt Boyd, whose wife delivered a baby daughter Thursday, will make his scheduled start for the Tigers on Saturday but won't join the team in New York until Tuesday.