Correa Goes Yard On Joe Kelly in Astros 7-5 Loss to Dodgers

The Astros scarcely had a chance in this one from the outset, as starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi got tattooed, allowing four runs in the first inning, and seven runs total in three innings pitched.

And in one of the strangest inversions of Astros baseball reality imaginable, it was the bullpen that shone tonight, going five innings without allowing a run.

And yet there was poetic justice in this game tonight for Astros fans, as the 2020 Dodger “hero” who went head-hunting Astros last season, Joe Kelly, got an offering he made to Carlos Correa launched into orbit.

The Dodger runs in the first inning came off two homers, one a lead-off homer by Mookie Betts, the other a three-run shot by Will Smith.

Betts added a solo homer in the second, and AJ Pollock piled on with a two-run homer in the third.

The Astros actually opened the scoring with a Michael Brantley solo homer in the first of Dodgers starter Max Scherzer.

They began creeping back in the game in the fourth when Kyle Tucker singled home Yordan Alvarez, who singled to left against the shift earlier in the inning.

In the eighth inning, Carlos Correa launched this blast against Kelly, the erratic former Boston Red Sox known for head-hunting Astros and making silly faces.

Now we know why he likes head-hunting.

It was Correa’s first homer in over a month.

And with no outs in the ninth Kyle Tucker gave Houston fans hope for a miracle comeback with a two-run homer, his 21st, to make the game 7-5.

Kenley Jansen would settle down after the homer, however, retiring the next three Astros and securing the win for the Dodgers.

Box score and videos HERE.