Astros beat Tigers 6-2 to snap Detroit's streak

Keuchel outpitches college roommate Smyly; Astros win 6-2 to snap Detroit's 8-game streak

5/8/2014
ASSOCIATED PRESS

DETROIT — Dallas Keuchel outpitched college roommate Drew Smyly, and the Houston Astros edged Detroit 6-2 today to snap the Tigers’ eight-game winning streak.

Houston also ended its own five-game losing skid. Keuchel (3-2) allowed two runs and six hits in 7 2-3 innings.

PHOTO GALLERY: Click here to view photos from the game

Keuchel and Smyly were both on the Arkansas team that reached the College World Series in 2009. The two left-handers were both sharp early Thursday, but Houston broke through with three runs in the fifth off Smyly (2-2) to take the lead.

Houston’s George Springer, a first-round draft pick in 2011, hit his first major league homer. Carlos Corporan and Matt Dominguez also went deep for the Astros.

Victor Martinez homered for the Tigers.

Smyly allowed only one hit — an infield single — through the first four innings, but his outing took a turn for the worse in the fifth when Springer lined a one-out solo homer over the wall in right. Jose Altuve put the Astros ahead 3-2 with a two-run double later that inning.

Smyly allowed three runs and five hits in 5 1-3 innings. He struck out two and walked three.

Corporan homered off reliever Evan Reed in the seventh to make it 4-2.

Keuchel struck out seven without a walk. His final big test came in the seventh, when Detroit put men on first and third with two out. Keuchel struck out pinch-hitter Torii Hunter to end the inning.

Miguel Cabrera came to the plate in the eighth after Ian Kinsler’s single chased Keuchel, but the best the Detroit slugger could do against reliever Anthony Bass was a soft grounder to second.

Dominguez hit a two-run homer in the ninth.

The Tigers opened the scoring in the second on an RBI double by Nick Castellanos. Springer, who came close to preventing a homer by Cabrera the previous night, nearly caught this drive too, but it caromed off the wall in right field.

Martinez hit his seventh homer of the year in the fourth. He finished the day with three hits, extending his hitting streak to 11.

NOTES: Houston OF L.J. Hoes, who entered the game in an 0-for-20 slump, had three singles and scored a run. ... The Astros play at Baltimore on Friday night, with RHP Scott Feldman (2-1) scheduled to return after missing time with right biceps tendinitis. Baltimore starts LHP Wei-Yin Chen (3-2). ... Detroit hosts Minnesota, with RHP Justin Verlander (4-1) on the mound against Twins RHP Phil Hughes (3-1).