Houston thumps Detroit
6/28/2009HOUSTON - Rookie right-hander Felipe Paulino pitched seven solid innings, and the Houston Astros used a five-run third to pull away from the Detroit Tigers for an 8-1 victory last night.
It was Houston's third straight win and gave the Astros the series victory in this interleague matchup which ends today.
The 25-year-old Paulino (2-4) came off the disabled list for the start. It's his first win as a starter after getting his other victory this season as a reliever.
Paulino kept the Tigers off-balance with an array of pitches including a fastball that was routinely clocked at 97 mph. He struck out a career-high nine and allowed three hits and one run - a homer to Ramon Santiago in the third inning.
Detroit starter Alfredo Figaro (1-1), didn't fare as well in his second major league start as he did in his first. He allowed 10 hits and eight runs in six innings after winning his first start by striking out seven and giving up just two runs.
Houston led 2-1 in the third before a double by Lance Berkman scored Jeff Keppinger and Miguel Tejada. Hunter Pence followed with an RBI double before Kaz Matsui hit a two-run homer that landed in the first row of the stands in right field.
Paulino didn't allow a hit until Santiago's homer with one out in the third inning that made it 2-1. He gave up a pair of singles with one out in the fourth before retiring the last eight batters he faced.
Jeff Fulchino pitched a scoreless eighth and Wesley Wright did the same in the ninth for the Astros.
Carlos Lee had a run-scoring single in the first inning to put Houston ahead 1-0.
Michael Bourn's RBI single in the second pushed Houston's lead to 2-0.
The Astros added a run in the sixth on groundout by Keppinger.
Detroit catcher Gerald Laird left in the first inning with lower back spasms and is listed as day to day.
HOUSTON - Miguel Tejada had a double and drove in two runs to lead the Houston Astros to a 5-4 victory over Detroit on Friday night, snapping the Tigers' seven-game winning streak.
Tejada doubled in the third inning and drove in the winning run on a sacrifice fly in the eighth that followed Jeff Keppinger's bases-loaded walk that made it 4-4.
Kaz Matsui singled with one out in the eighth before Joel Zumaya (3-2) walked three consecutive batters. He was replaced by Freddy Dolsi after walking Keppinger.
Placido Polanco's three-run homer with two outs in the second inning put Detroit up 4-0. Miguel Cabrera hit a solo homer in the first.