Field Level Media
Apr 7, 2018
Derek Fisher raced home from second when Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer misplayed a two-out pop up 15 feet down the first base line with two out in the 10th to give the Astros a 1-0 victory over the San Diego Padres in Houston at Minute Maid Park on Saturday night.
Hosmer was playing deep when Astros third baseman Alex Bregman popped up on a full-count pitch from Phil Maton to apparently send a scoreless tie into the 11th inning. But Hosmer ran past the ball as he charged in, and it fell behind him for the decisive run-scoring single.
Catcher Brian McCann opened the 10th with a groundball single to right off Padres left-handed reliever Robbie Erlin.
Fisher ran for McCann and immediately tried to steal second. He was called out, but Astros manager A.J. Hinch challenged the call, and it was reversed with Fisher staying at second with the steal.
Erlin then retired Jake Marisnick on a fly to center and struck out George Springer after the World Series hero's try for a game-winning double off the wall in left was foul by about a foot. Maton then entered the game to face Bregman.
Right-hander Chris Devenski (1-0) was credited with the win for the Astros. Erlin (0-1) suffered the loss.
Padres right-handed starter Bryan Mitchell worked 5 2/3 shutout innings, allowing three hits and six walks with one strikeout. Three of his walks came in the sixth and five were issued in his last two innings. Carlos Correa twice grounded into a double play after an inning-opening walk to Jose Altuve. Mitchell got 11 groundball outs.
Craig Stammen capped a perfect 1 1/3 innings by striking out the side in the seventh. Kazuhisa Makita worked a scoreless eighth for the Padres after Kirby Yates departed due to injury after one pitch.
Astros right-handed starter Gerrit Cole allowed five hits over seven innings with no walks and 11 strikeouts. The Padres got back-to-back, inning-opening doubles in the fourth and fifth by Hosmer and Cory Spangenberg, respectively. But Cole struck out the next three hitters in the fourth, and Spangenberg was tagged out in a rundown between third and home in the fifth.
--Field Level Media