The Houston Astros watched four home runs fly out of Oriole Park at Camden Yards in the first inning before an out was recorded. That would have been a point where the team packed it in. But Houston continued to fight, blasting four home runs of their in the game on the way to a 15-8 win.
Friday night’s game started off with a continuation of the gameplan for a painful backslide in the second half of the season for the Astros — a ray of hope that is quickly snuffed out by complete implosion.
George Springer hit his sixth leadoff home run of the season against Wade Miley, but the Orioles' answer back was historic. Historically bad for Astros starting pitcher Collin McHugh. Adam Jones, Manny Machado (two-run home run), Chris Davis, and Mark Trumbo all hit home runs in the first inning without McHugh recording an out.
The Astros trailed 5-1 after the home run derby in the first inning.
The Astros would roar back in the second to take the lead, scoring five runs with two outs. Tyle White started the scoring with a double to score Evan Gattis. Teoscar Hernandez followed with a RBI single. Back-to-back doubles from Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve forced in three more runs.
McHugh did the most McHugh thing and followed up four home run inning by striking out the side in the second.
The O's were back on top in the third inning after a pair of singles and a walk -- Jonathan Schoop singled home the run and a second came home on a wild pitch.
To recap, 13 runs were scored over the first three innings. The Astros go on to outscore the Orioles 9-1 over the final six innings of the game.
Bregman picked up his second RBI of the game in the fourth -- plating Teoscar Hernandez with a single.
In the fifth, it was Herandez's turn to drive a run with a single to center with runners on first and second. George Springer welcomed new pitcher Tyler Wilson with a RBI single bloop to the right side to score A.J. Reed -- Houston led 9-7.
Pedro Alvarez added the O's fifth home run of the game in the bottom of the fifth.
The Astros started their own home run derby in the sixth against Wilson. Jose Altuve hit his 20th home run of the second -- a two-run shot. Evan Gattis followed with a solo shot.
In the seventh, Houston adds two more runs with RBI singles from Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa.
Hernandez capped everything off with a solo home run to start the ninth inning.
To recap, nine home runs, 23 runs scored, and 28 hits were collected on Friday. The key for the Astros appears to be Chris Devenski who stopped the bleeding four innings after Collin McHugh's implosion. Devenski allowed one run over four innings.
McHugh's final line read seven runs on nine hits over three innings.