| Advertisement |
PHILADELPHIA -- Heavy rain didn't slow down the hard-hitting Houston Astros in the slightest. After waiting nearly two hours for a line of thunderstorms to pass, the top offense in the major leagues went right back to work against the major league-worst Philadelphia Phillies, as Houston piled up 18 hits in a 13-4 romp on Monday night.
Advertisement
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, the top hitter in the majors (.365), led the way, going 4-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs and three runs. He has been on a tear in July, hitting .506 (38-for-75) with 19 RBIs and 19 runs.
"This guy continues to be amazing," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "I don't know how else to describe him."
Altuve, who has hit at least .313 in each of the past four seasons, wasn't willing to share what is making him especially successful of late.
"I can't tell you, because other guys are going to see this interview and pitch me different," Altuve said. "See the ball and hit the ball."
Alex Bregman finished 3-for-5 with a homer and three runs for Houston (66-33). Josh Reddick went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
The Astros scored double-digit runs and picked up at least 15 hits for the sixth time this month.
"This is as good a team as we've seen," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "They've got a real aggressive team, probably the best if not one of the best we've seen. They're very aggressive hitters, and you can't make mistakes."
A 112-minute rain delay that began in the top of the fourth inning knocked both starting pitchers out of the game.
Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez (2-6) was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs on six hits and three walks in three-plus innings. He walked the opening batter of the fourth and threw two strikes to Bregman before the delay began.
"I thought his velocity was OK; I've seen him throw harder," Mackanin said. "Just one of those things, if you don't locate with a team like this, you're going to get hurt. Location wasn't the greatest."
Ricardo Pinto, who came in to relieve Velasquez out of the break, promptly gave up a double to Bregman on his first pitch. Two batters later, Altuve knocked in two runs with a single to center to extend the Astros' lead to 5-1.
"Altuve's two-out hit just ignited a big inning for us, and it happens fast with this team," Hinch said. "We get a couple hits in a row and something good happens."
Pinto's struggles didn't end there. He also gave up an RBI single to Yuli Gurriel and a two-RBI double to Carlos Beltran as the Astros ran their lead to 8-1 before Pinto finally got out of the inning.
Pinto also gave up two more runs in the fifth before finally being removed. He was tagged for seven hits and six runs (three earned) in 1 1/3 innings.
Astros starter Brad Peacock, who was trying to improve to 9-1, allowed one run on two hits in his three innings.
Joe Musgrove (5-6) pitched three scoreless innings of two-hit ball, striking out three. He picked up his first win since May 26, when he was still part of Houston's rotation.
"Musgrove coming up and getting those innings, those middle innings when you have a lead of any sort become really big, and he stepped up and made nice pitches," Hinch said.
The Astros led 12-1 in the seventh inning before the Phillies (34-63) got three back on a bases-clearing triple by Nick Williams.
The Astros took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second in a span of five pitches.
After Marwin Gonzalez and Beltran both grounded out to Velasquez to start the inning, Brian McCann hit the first pitch he saw for his 13th home run of the season. Bregman followed with his 10th homer, which landed almost in the exact same spot, on a 2-1 fastball up in the zone.
It was the sixth time that Houston went back-to-back this season and the first time since June 18.
Philadelphia got one run back in the bottom of the second on an RBI double by Tommy Joseph that scored Odubel Herrera, who had walked.
The Astros answered in the top of the third on an RBI single by Gonzalez, scoring Altuve, who had doubled.
NOTES: Astros CF George Springer left the game in the middle of the third inning due to left quad discomfort. ... Phillies RHP Nick Pivetta (3-5, 5.58 ERA) will oppose Astros RHP Charlie Morton (7-4, 4.18) in the second game of the three-game series on Tuesday. ... The Astros and Phillies met Monday for the first time since Aug. 5-7, 2014, at Citizens Bank Park. Philadelphia swept that series, but Houston now leads the all-time series in the park 17-15. ... Houston is in the middle of a nine-game road trip that began in Baltimore will also see the Astros play three games in Detroit. The Astros are 3-1 on the trip so far.
