ASTROS GAMER: McCormick’s multiple home runs give Houston series win

After winning Game 1 14-11 against the Baltimore Orioles, the Houston Astros were looking to win the series at home on Saturday. The Stros took an early lead and held on for the 5-1 win, thanks to some moonshots from Chas McCormick as Houston improved to 37-40 and is now on a four-game winning streak.

HOW DID IT HAPPEN:

Ronel Blanco started for Houston and walked the first two batters he faced. Gunnar Henderson got caught trying to steal second, then Ryan O’Hearn and Ryan Mountcastle lined up and flew away.

The Astros went three-on-three in the bottom of the first. The Orioles then scored the game’s first run in the top of the second as Jordan Westburg hit a solo homer 380 feet over the left-center field wall.

Houston responded in the bottom of the frame when Yainer Diaz hit a leadoff triple over the right field wall. Jake Meyers struck out, but Mauricio Dubon threw a sacrifice fly to left field to tie the score.

Yordan Alvarez gave the Stros their first lead of the game with two outs in the third inning when he hit a 420-foot bomb over center field to score two runs. Chas McCormick led off the inning with a single up the middle.

After a scoreless bottom of the fourth and start of the fifth, McCormick came back with a solo homer into the Crawford Boxes to give Houston a 4-1 lead.

Blanco finished the first seven innings and finished his day by retiring nine of the last 10 batters he faced and recording four strikeouts, against four hits allowed. Ryan Pressly came on in the eighth and held his own, allowing no hits and striking out O’Hearn to send him to the bottom of the frame.

Corbin Burnes was Baltimore’s starting pitcher and also went seven complete innings, finishing with five Ks and five hits given up. Bryan Baker replaced Burnes in the eighth and immediately gave up a hit as McCormick finished his Saturday afternoon with a solo shot on the first pitch he saw.

Josh Hader was the closer in the ninth and secured the 5-1 victory for Houston by forcing a line drive by Mountcastle, then striking out Anthony Santander and Westburg. The win improved the Astros’ record to 37-40.

LARGE NUMBER : 4

There were four home runs total in Game 2 on Saturday, three of which came from Astros hitters (two from Chas McCormick, one from Yordan Alvarez) while the first came from Baltimore’s Jordan Westburg.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Chas McCormick

McCormick entered the game with one home run this season, but finished Saturday’s game with two more. The 29-year-old outfielder went 3/3 of the way to the plate and recorded his fifth multi-homer game of his career as Houston won 5-1.

NEXT: Game 3 between the Astros and Orioles is scheduled for Sunday, June 23. First pitch at Minute Maid Park is scheduled for 1:10 a.m. The Astro launch will begin at 12:40 p.m. and can be heard on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette 104.1 Lake Charles.