Javier Baez blasted a grand slam and the visiting Detroit Tigers salvaged the finale of a three-game series with a 7-4 victory over the Houston Astros on Wednesday afternoon.
Colt Keith smacked a two-run homer and Riley Greene had four hits and scored two runs for Detroit.
Brenan Hanifee (2-0) got the win with two innings of scoreless relief. Tommy Kahnle got the last four outs for his fifth save.
Detroit starter Jackson Jobe gave up three runs and four hits with four walks and four strikeouts in four-plus innings.
Jeremy Pena and Victor Caratini homered for the Astros, who had won three in a row. Pena had three hits and scored two runs.
Houston starter AJ Blubaugh gave up seven runs (two earned) and five hits over four innings in his major-league debut. He walked one and struck out six.
The Astros struck first when Pena led off the bottom of the first with his homer to left-center.
Their lead didn’t last long. Greene hit a leadoff single to right in the second before Keith clubbed an estimated 406-foot shot over the right-field wall.
Detroit extended its lead to 7-1 with five runs in the third. Tomas Nido led off with a single and Kerry Carpenter reached on Pena’s throwing error. Nido scored on Zach McKinstry’s sacrifice fly. One out later, Greene singled and Keith walked to load the bases. Baez emptied the bases by lifting a sweeper over the left-field wall.
The Astros rallied in the fifth. Jake Meyers led off with a walk and Pena singled. Jose Altuve lined a double to left to knock in both runners. After Hanifee replaced Jobe, Pena singled and Caratini walked to load the bases.
Hanifee escaped the jam by striking out Cam Smith and retiring Brendan Rodgers on a grounder.
Caratini made it 7-4 with a solo shot off Tyler Holton with two outs in the seventh. The next two batters singled, but Holton responded by striking out Yainer Diaz.
The Tigers left two runners in scoring position in the eighth. The Astros did the same in the bottom of the inning.
–Field Level Media
