McCormick Takes One for the Team. Astros Beat D-Backs on Walk-off Hit-by-pitch in 10th, 4-3

It’s a cheesy way to win a game, but it’s better than losing.

The Astros took the Diamondbacks 4-3 in 10 innings when D-Back reliever Tyler Clippard hit Chaz McCormick with a pitch to force in the winning run.

The Astros were lucky to get to extra innings, having been outhit 10-4, and D-Back starter Madison Bumgarner took a perfect game into the sixth inning.

Despite giving up three hits and two walks, Astros starter Brandon Bielak managed to hold the Diamondbacks scoreless for his 2.2 innings, even though he loaded the bases in the first and left runners on second and third base when he left the game for Blake Taylor.

The scoreless tie held until the sixth inning, when Cristian Javier gave the D-Backs a temporary lead by giving up a solo homer to Cole Calhoun.

Madison Bumgarner had a perfect game going into the sixth inning until he walked Jose Siri. And then Jose Altuve made him pay. He took a high outside fastball, right in his sweet spot, 376 feet just above the Crawford Boxes to give the Astros a 2-1 lead.

The lead held until the eighth inning when Kendall Graveman gave up an RbI single to Josh Van Meter, scoring Christian Walker, who singled to open the inning.

The Astros had a golden opportunity to put the game away in the bottom of the ninth when Jason Castro led off with a double. But with pinch-runner Chaz McCormick on third with two outs, Kyle Tucker struck out to Noe Ramirez to end the threat.

The Diamondbacks took the lead in the 10th when extra runner and former Astro product Josh Rojas scored on a routine grounder by David Peralta that skipped over the pulled-in infield.

However, the Astros came back and then some. It started when Carlos Correa advanced extra runner Martin Maldonado to third with a long fly to center field. The D-Backs intentionally walked Yordan Alvarez but rookie Jake Meyers made them pay with a bloop RBI single scoring Maldonado. D-Backs reliever Tyler Clippard walked pinch hitter Aledmys Diaz to load the bases, and then he hit Chaz McCormick with a pitch with two strikes to give the Astros the win.

A win is a win, as the Astros appear to be playing for playoff positioning at this point, with first seed not completely out of reach.

Tomorrow the two teams face off again at 6:10 CDT.

Box Score and Videos Here.