HOUSTON -- The Astros solid pitching needed a little help against the Los Angeles Angels.
C.J. Spiller Bills Jersey . Houstons offence was able to provide that support. Jose Altuve and George Springer drove in two runs each during Houstons four-run eighth inning as the Astros pulled away for an 8-5 win Thursday night. Altuve had two hits, including a two-run double in the eighth, and Springer finished with three RBIs for the Astros, who drew eight walks. Dexter Fowler also had two hits and went 6 for 11 in the three-game series. "Its not a secret that we have been playing better baseball lately," Altuve said. "The hitters are doing their job, the pitchers have been doing tremendous, we have been playing really good defence. It seems like we are putting everything together, going out there and playing hard and we are winning the games." Altuve and Springer both came through with two outs in the eighth. "It was the game," Springer said of the pair of two-run hits. "To able to score four in the bottom of the eighth was deflating. Two-out RBIs at any stage of the game are clutch. Teams that can drive guys in with two outs are great teams." Brad Peacock (2-4) allowed three runs and six hits with a strikeout in five innings. Over his last three starts, Peacock has given up four runs in 17 2-3 innings. "I was battling all night," Peacock said. "I didnt really have anything. The bullpen picked me up tonight. The hitters picked me up, too. I was just battling all night. I couldnt find my fastball the first couple innings. I kind of settled down in the third, but I have to do a better job of commanding my fastball and my off-speed." Chad Qualls quieted an Angels rally in the ninth for his sixth save. The Houston bullpen threw four innings, allowing just the two runs in the ninth. "The bullpen did a tremendous job," Houston manager Bo Porter said. "I felt like Peacock, he really struggled through five and once we got him out there in the fifth inning with the pitch count close to 90 we felt like turning it over to our bullpen at the time, we had the matchups that we wanted." Mike Trout had two hits, including a double and a triple, and Chris Iannetta had three hits for the Angels, who have lost five of their last six games. Trout was the designated hitter after missing three of the last four games with back problems. He started in the opening game of this series, but left in the second inning because of his back. Trout said he felt good and expected to return to the field Friday. "It never tightened up, nothing," Trout said. "I didnt feel really anything. I stretched it really well between at-bats but I think running around in centre field will keep it loose, too." After Houstons four-run eighth put it ahead 8-3, Erick Aybar drew a bases loaded walk and Collin Cowgill grounded into a fielders choice to pull the Angels within three. Qualls then struck out Trout and got Albert Pujols to pop up to first to end the game. Four of the eight walks issued by the Angels came in the eighth by Cam Bedrosian, who was called up from Double-A earlier this week, setting up Altuve and Springers hits. "Weve got some power arms down there and theres going to be some walks occasionally," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Sometimes that goes with the territory. I think weve gotten better. We just -- some things got away from us tonight. "We walked what eight runners tonight? Thats a lot of runners to put on base." Tyler Skaggs (4-4) allowed four runs and six hits with four strikeouts in five innings while losing his third straight start. "Of course its frustrating," Skaggs said. "They had some good at-bats tonight. They put the ball in play and things happen when you put the ball in play. You never know. The infield singles in the first inning were definitely frustrating." Los Angeles trailed by three before Aybars RBI single and Trouts run-scoring double made it 4-3 in the fifth. Houston took the lead with a three-run fourth. Robbie Grossman drove in a run on a squeeze bunt. Carlos Corporan and Fowler followed with RBI singles to make it 4-1. The Angels went ahead 1-0 in the top of the first on Pujols sacrifice fly. Springer had a sacrifice fly of his own to tie it in the bottom of the inning. NOTES: The Angels worked out Trout in the afternoon before putting him back in the lineup. Scioscia said Trout felt good swinging in the cage and that he expects him to play in the field Friday. ... Houston SS Jonathan Villar was out of the starting lineup for a second straight game on Thursday after being hit on the right elbow by a pitch on Tuesday night. However, he pinch-ran in the eighth. Manager Bo Porter said he was feeling better on Thursday and is day to day. ... Los Angeles OF Raul Ibanez broke an 0-for-16 slump with a single in the sixth inning. ... Houston selected 17-year old left-handed pitcher Brady Aiken with the first overall pick in Thursdays MLB draft.
Sammy Watkins Bills Jersey .The Canadiens will visit the Boston Bruins at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on New Years Day 2016, taking hockeys oldest rivalry outside.It was special in 2010 just to be there with the history behind Fenway Park and all that, Bruins centre Patrice Bergeron said.
Chris Hogan Bills Jersey . The NFL announced Friday that the Texans sixth-year veteran offensive lineman will replace Philadelphia Eagles tackle Jason Peters in the Jan.ST. LOUIS - The timing was perfect for Matt Adams dad to make a weekend visit to Busch Stadium. The burly first baseman is playing well after a stint on the 15-day disabled list, giving Jamie Adams a lot to smile about. "I think anybody here would like to have their parents around, especially on Fathers Day weekend," Adams said after hitting the go-ahead home run for the second straight game in a 4-1 victory over the Washington Nationals on Saturday. "Tonight was a little better," Adams said. "Coming the day before Fathers Day is great." Adams connected against Stephen Strasburg in St. Louis three-run seventh inning, driving a 3-1 offering over the wall in right-centre. On Friday, he homered on his first swing in his return from a left calf strain, lifting St. Louis to a 1-0 victory. "I think Im just waiting out the pitchers," Adams said. "I went down to Memphis to get my timing back and my confidence is up." The Cardinals batted around in the seventh with the help of two infield hits, a hit batter and two walks, one of them by Matt Holliday with the bases loaded against Drew Storen. Allen Craig added an infield hit off Storen on a slow tapper halfway down the third-base line. "What can you say?" Nationals catcher Jose Lobaton said. "Theyve been throwing good and today was one of those days." Jayson Werth had an RBI double in the first for the Nationals, who managed just four hits for a two-day total of six. Its their first series loss since losing a pair to Miami from May 26-28, and they will try to avoid a three-game sweep in the series finale Sunday. St. Louis reliever Randy Choate (1-2) needed one pitch to escape a bases-loaded threat in the seventh after a strong start from Shelby Miller, who gave up four hits in 6 2-3 innings. Pat Neshek worked a perfect eighth and Trevor Rosenthal finished for his 19th save in 22 chances. Strasburg allowed three runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings in his first career appearance in St. Louis. It was his 11th consecutive quality start, but he dropped to 5-3 with a 2.22 ERA in that stretch that began April 20 when he gave up two runs in six innings at home against the Cardinals. Strasburg didnt pitch in the 2012 NL division series against St. Louis after the Nationals shut him down the final month of thhe season.
Brandon Spikes Bills Jersey. They lost a five-game series. "It was just fun to finally get a chance to pitch here," Strasburg said. "I wanted to go out there and give it everything I had and I feel like I did that, so I can sleep easy tonight." Strasburg allowed just two homers in his previous seven starts, and Adams long ball was the Cardinals first off the right-hander in four career appearances. "In the grand scheme of things you can always second-guess yourself, but I think if I threw a 3-1 changeup there, especially if hes in swing mode, I probably wouldnt have had that result," Strasburg said. "Who knows? Im not going to dwell on it too much, just going to learn from it and move on." St. Louis pitchers have permitted just one run in the Cardinals last five victories, including a pair of 5-0 wins over Toronto and a 1-0 victory against Tampa Bay. Miller matched his season best with seven strikeouts but walked four, including two for Strasburg, batting .077 with two hits on the year. Strasburgs second walk loaded the bases, but Denard Span grounded out against Choate. "Ill say this just to make him mad, but it looks like he got a little tired," manager Mike Matheny said of Miller. "Those are the things that they dont like to hear, so hell come back and have something to say about that for sure." Span went 0 for 4 and is hitless in his last 18 at-bats over the last five games. Anthony Rendon singled with one out in the first and scored from first on Werths double to right-centre. Craig made a sliding stop to cut the ball off and couldnt recover in time. It was tied in the third after a two-out rally started by Millers fourth hit of the season — and third double. The pitcher scored standing up on Matt Carpenters single. NOTES: Cardinals LHP Jaime Garcia (2-0, 4.26 ERA) opposes Doug Fister (5-1, 2.68 ERA) on Sunday. Garcia is 3-1 against the Nationals and Fister has won his last five starts. ... The game time of 2 hours, 3 minutes for the series opener Friday night was the shortest in the major leagues this season. ... The Cardinals have won 11 of the last 13 regular-season meetings with Washington and are 17-2 at home the last two years against the NL East. ... The Nationals are 30-2 when scoring four or more runs and 5-30 when scoring three or fewer runs.
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