Philip Humber (0-5, 7.99) vs Hiroki Kuroda (3-1, 2.79)
Missed opportunities early, another bad night by the bullpen, and a rally attempt was too little, too late. The Astros had eight base runners in the first three innings, but none of them scored, which proved to be costly by game's end. Houston falls to the Yankees 7-4, and the Astros are now 8-19 as April draws to a close.
On the Mound:
*Philip Humber wasn't great tonight - especially compared to Hiroki Kuroda's 7 scoreless frames - but he was rather better than in his previous two starts. His 6 IP / 9 H / 4 R / 4 ER / 2 BB / 2 K line was at least enough to keep Houston in the game until Kuroda was out of it.
*Wesley Wright took over to start the 7th, allowing a single and getting an out.
*And then, Brad Peacock. New to the bullpen, he got both batters he faced to end the 7th, but three straight hits to start the 8th resulted in the three-run differential at the end of the game.
*Rhiner Cruz came on after Peacock couldn't retire anybody in the 8th, and he completed the inning with no runs charged to his ledger, but a pair of singles let his inherited runner score.
At the Plate:
*It was not for a lack of opportunities that Houston stayed off the board until the 8th, but Chris Carter helped them to finally break through. A two-run bomb (HR #6 for cHRis) cut New York's lead in half at the time, and he finished 1 for 4 with 2 K.
*Jose Altuve knocked in Houston's other pair of runs, with a two-out, two-run double in the 9th, to end his night 2 for 5 with a K.
*Jason Castro now has a 7-game hitting streak, tonight adding another multi-hit attack by going 2 for 5 with a double and 2 K. He's 11 for 26 (.423) with 4 doubles over that span.
*Marwin Gonzalez went 1 for 4 with a double and a run scored.
*Carlos Pena (1 for 3, BB, 2 K) singled and scored on Carter's blast.
*Robbie Grossman (1 for 3, 2 BB) scored with Gonzalez on Altuve's two-run double.
*Matt Dominguez missed out on yesterday's hit party, but today went 1 for 4.
Turning Point:
A 4-0 Yankees lead going into the 8th was cut to 4-2 by Chris Carter's big swing. Brad Peacock quickly dashed any good feelings for Houston, however, allowing a homer, double, and single to the first three Yankees in the 8th, pushing their lead back to four. Rhiner Cruz later allowed Peacock's remaining runner to score, making it a 7-2 hole.
Man of the Match:
Jose Altuve. He had a brief injury scare after his double in the 9th, but fortunately for the Astros he's okay.
Goat of the Game:
Brad Peacock. Humber was charged with his sixth loss in six starts, but the runs Brad allowed were the difference.
