HOUSTON — Aledmys Díaz hit a grand slam as the Houston Astros thrashed Martín Pérez and smashed past the Texas Rangers 7-5 on Tuesday night.
Pérez (9-3) hit a season-high by allowing seven runs in more than five innings for a nine-game winning streak, the longest active streak in the majors and the best of his career. He had gone 19 consecutive starts without a loss, his last coming on April 17.
The Astros went on a two-game sled when they played without manager Dusty Baker, who stayed out after testing positive for COVID-19 on Thursday. Baker isolating himself in a Cleveland hotel room all weekend before boarding a private jet back to Houston on Monday.
Bench coach Joe Espada manages the AL West leaders until Baker returns.
Jose Urquidy (11-4) hit five runs with a season-high three homers in five innings but clinched his third straight win thanks to his offense.
“He ground. He fought,” Espada said. “He gave us five innings, five good innings. Every time you keep us in the game, you keep that offense in the game, we’re within striking distance and that’s what Urquidy did.”
Ryan Pressly allowed a double to Bubba Thompson to start ninth-place Texas before retiring the next three batters for his 22nd save.
Rangers led 4-0 early on after home runs by Marcus Semien and Corey Seager. Díaz’s slam tied it in the fourth inning.
“He’s been very valuable since the first day he came here,” Espada said. “He’s one of those players that sometimes goes unnoticed because he’s not an ordinary guy… but he was a very special player to us. He contributes to it in many different ways.”
Rangers quickly broke the tie after a solo shot from Adolis García with an out in the fifth inning that made it 5-4.
Jose Altuve, who had two hits, doubled home Jake Meyers from the first in the bottom half to tie it. Altuve stole third base and the Astros took their first lead of the game when he scored on a sacrifice run by Yuli Gurriel who made it 6-5.
Alex Bregman took the singles in sixth and moved up to second with a bar from Pérez. An RBI brace from Kyle Tucker extended the lead to 7-5 and chased Pérez.
Semien hit a leadoff homer to give Rangers a 1-0 lead. He pulled a walk to start the third before Seager’s shot at the right-center bullpen extended the lead to 3-0.
Urquidy dropped Josh Smith in the fourth with no outs and he stole second base. A single from Thompson sent him home to make it 4-0.
Pérez sailed through the first three innings before getting into trouble for walks in the fourth.
“You can’t give them free passes,” Texas manager Chris Woodward said. “If you make mistakes on defense or give them free passes, they make you pay for it. That’s one thing they’re really, really good at.”
Altuve led by a single and Pérez passed Gurriel. After Yordan Alvarez was grounded in a doubles play, Pérez issued back-to-back walks to Bregman and Tucker to load the bases.
Díaz then hit a move down the midfield wall for his second grand slam of the season to tie it at 4-all.
He said there was no panic if they fell far behind early on.
“We know what we’re capable of and it’s a long game,” he said. “So we just keep pushing. We just keep fighting.”
TRAINING ROOM
Astros: Espada said they haven’t decided the next step for RHP Lance McCullers Jr. after he made his fourth rehab start at Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday. McCullers has been absent all season with a strained right forearm. … Espada said he has been in constant contact with Baker since he tested positive and that he is doing well and is dying to rejoin the team, but it’s unclear when that will be.
RECORD CONVERSATION
At 71-40, the Astros have a best 111-game record in franchise history. They also won 71 of their first 111 games in 2017 and 2019.
NEXT
Houston’s Justin Verlander, who leads the majors with 15 wins and a 1.73 ERA, takes on Glenn Otto (4-8, 5.31) when the streak resumes Wednesday night.
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