Major League Baseball

Astros rough up King Felix in 10-0 win over Seattle

Published Jun. 12, 2015 11:18 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

HOUSTON (AP) The Houston Astros cast aside their recent offensive woes with an unlikely outburst against one of the game's best pitchers Friday night to snap a season-high, seven-game skid.

Luis Valbuena and Jason Castro homered as the Astros chased Felix Hernandez during an eight-run first inning on the way to a 10-0 win over the Seattle Mariners.

The Astros had managed more than two runs just once during their losing streak before jumping on Hernandez for more runs than they'd scored in the last three games combined.

''Probably one of our best innings of the year,'' manager A.J. Hinch said. ''It had been built up over the last week or so. Very unpredictable to do that against a guy like Felix, but much needed.''

Carlos Correa and Chris Carter also went deep for the Astros, but All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve left early with discomfort in his right hamstring. Hinch said the team doesn't think the injury is serious, but Altuve will be out of the lineup on Saturday.

Hernandez (9-3), who had allowed just seven runs on the road all season, was tagged for five hits and eight runs with two walks. He got only one out, tying the shortest start of his career.

''I don't know what happened,'' a stone-faced Hernandez said. ''To be honest, I don't really know.''

Brett Oberholtzer (1-1) allowed three hits in eight sharp innings and Joe Thatcher completed the four-hitter. It was Oberholtzer's fourth start of the season after missing much of the year because of two stints on the disabled list.

Seattle became the first team since the Montreal Expos in April 2004 to score three runs or fewer 15 times in a 16-game span, according to STATS.

''It certainly isn't ideal,'' Kyle Seager said. ''You'd like to score nine runs every night, but ... we'll be all right.''

The Astros were up by three before a three-run shot by Valbuena, and Castro added a two-run homer two batters later to make it 8-0 and end King Felix's night.

''They just kept getting hits,'' Hernandez said. ''The home run from Castro was unreal. It was just one of those days.''

Correa, a highly touted rookie making his home debut, was the only out Hernandez got before his early exit. But the top pick in the 2012 draft added a solo homer in the second, and Carter pushed the lead to double digits with his soaring shot in the fifth.

The abbreviated start by Hernandez forced the Mariners to use four relievers before going to catcher Jesus Sucre for the eighth. Sucre was effective, allowing one hit in a scoreless inning in his first major league pitching appearance.

Manager Lloyd McClendon said he used Sucre to keep from further taxing a bullpen that had to pitch 5 2-3 innings on Thursday before Friday's fiasco.

Altuve got the big inning going with a leadoff single before Preston Tucker walked on four pitches. George Springer's double down the right-field line made it 1-0 before things really started falling apart for Hernandez.

Evan Gattis hit a one-hopper to Hernandez on the next pitch, and the right-hander threw home to try and stop Tucker from scoring. Instead, Hernandez threw it in the dirt and the ball bounced off catcher Mike Zunino's leg for an error that allowed two runs to score and Gattis to reach second.

Hernandez shook his fist and cursed at himself after the ball rolled away and the runners crossed the plate.

After a short mound visit, Hernandez walked Colby Rasmus before striking out Correa for the first out of the inning.

But then Valbuena snapped an 0-for-19 slump by sending an 88 mph changeup into the bullpen in right-center to extend the lead to 6-0 and leave the 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner shaking his head.

''Blink of an eye, it was 6-0,'' Hernandez said. ''Fifteen pitches.''

Carter singled before Castro launched a homer to the Crawford Boxes in left field to make it 8-0 and end Hernandez's night just 31 pitches after it began. He looked bewildered as he watched Castro's drive and mumbled to himself before covering his mouth with his glove as he slowly walked to the dugout.

The other time Hernandez left after getting just one out came on April 18, 2007, when he was pulled because of an injury.

It was the most runs he had allowed since giving up nine - eight earned - on Aug. 28, 2013, against Texas and just two away from his career high of 10. Hernandez was great in the first two months of the season and had an ERA of 1.91 entering June. But he's struggled in two of his three starts this month to push it to 3.38.

Houston's eight runs were the most the team has scored in an inning since also scoring eight on Aug. 12, 2008.

CORREA'S CHEERING SECTION

Correa had a large contingent of family and friends at the game. They all wore T-shirts with his name and number on them and waved the flag of his native Puerto Rico when he homered. He received a standing ovation from the home crowd before his first at-bat.

''It was a shocking moment for me,'' he said. ''It's something that I will never forget when I step to the plate and they just start cheering for me and screaming. It was just a great moment and something I will keep forever.''

TRAINER'S ROOM

Mariners: All-Star RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (tightness in upper back) is scheduled to throw a simulated game Monday and if that goes well he could go on a rehabilitation assignment next weekend.

Astros: RHP Samuel Deduno (right hip) is expected to throw live batting practice in the next few days and then go on a rehab assignment.

UP NEXT

Seattle rookie left-hander Mike Montgomery opposes Collin McHugh when the series continues Saturday. Montgomery has a 2.08 ERA but is looking for his first win in his third career start.

share

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Major League Baseball