Astros 8, Red Sox 3
HOUSTON -- Rookie right-hander Vince Velasquez earned his first career victory as the Houston Astros beat the Boston Red Sox 8-3 Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park.
Velasquez (1-1) worked six innings, allowing seven hits and three runs while recording seven strikeouts. After running into trouble in the third inning, he rebounded to allow just two baserunners over his final three innings. He was making his seventh start this season and his first in two weeks.
The Astros (52-43) erased a 3-1 deficit with a four-run fifth inning. Houston added insurance in the sixth with a two-run, opposite-field home run from designated hitter Chris Carter, his 16th on the season.
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve reached base in four of his five plate appearances, scoring twice and recording an RBI single in the eighth.
Carter finished 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs and two RBIs.
Boston (42-52) dropped its sixth consecutive game, with left-hander Brian Johnson (0-1) taking the loss in his major league debut.
Johnson retired eight consecutive batters after issuing consecutive one-out walks in the second inning. He dodged a bit of a mess in the first, allowing just one run before inducing an inning-ending double play off the bat of Astros left fielder Evan Gattis.
However, four batters into the fifth inning, Johnson was gone, chased by his fourth walk of the night, this one to Altuve. Houston had already pulled even at 3-3 when center fielder Jake Marisnick turned a stolen base attempted into a two-base error, scoring behind Carter when the throw of Red Sox catcher Ryan Hanigan deflected off Marisnick and rolled into left-center field.
The Astros tacked on two more runs in the fifth, greeting Red Sox right-hander Justin Masterson with a double by shortstop Carlos Correa and a run-scoring groundout by Gattis.
Velasquez faced his own bit of adversity in the third inning when a check swing from Red Sox center fielder Mookie Betts fortuitously turned into a two-run double. Betts later scored when shortstop Xander Bogaerts singled to center, lifting Boston to a 3-1 lead.
NOTES: To make room on the roster for RHP Vince Velasquez, the Astros designated LHP Joe Thatcher for assignment. Thatcher (1-3, 3.79 ERA) proved to be a luxury as a second left-hander in the bullpen, and his recent struggles (0-1 with a 21.60 ERA in seven games this month) made him expendable. ... After a rare rainout in Anaheim forced the Red Sox to play a doubleheader against the Angels on Monday, Boston tweaked its rotation and pushed back LHP Wade Miley, who will start the series finale Thursday. RHP Joe Kelly will be recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket to start Wednesday night. ... Astros INF Jed Lowrie will begin a rehab assignment Wednesday night with Double-A Corpus Christi. Lowrie, who will start at third base but should also see time at shortstop during his rehab stint, has been on the disabled list since April 28 after surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb.