Astros 4, Red Sox 2
HOUSTON -- Rookie left fielder Preston Tucker socked two home runs and right-hander Collin McHugh proved elusive enough to help the Houston Astros to a 4-2 win over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park.
Tucker slugged his seventh and eighth home runs of the season and provided the Astros (53-43) with a four-run lead through five innings. Tucker finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs in the first multi-homer game of his career.
McHugh (11-5) faced 13 batters in the first four innings and then had to weave in and out of trouble to complete seven innings. While McHugh allowed two runs, both in the sixth, he stranded five baserunners between the fifth and seventh to maintain control.
Houston smacked three homers to improve its league-leading total to 132. The Astros have a 34-5 record when hitting multiple home runs.
Closer Luke Gregerson worked a perfect ninth inning for his 20th save.
The Red Sox (42-53) dropped their seventh consecutive game.
Red Sox right-hander Joe Kelly surrendered one home run in five consecutive starts bridging the months of April and May, and his inability to keep the ball in the field of play again proved pivotal.
Half of the Astros' first six hits off Kelly cleared the fence, including the two home runs by Tucker.
Tucker's first blast, a 419-foot shot the opposite way to left-center field, came with one out in the first inning and spotted the Astros a 1-0 lead. His second, a two-run shot to right with two outs in the fifth, scored Jose Altuve and upped the lead to 4-0.
In the fourth, designated hitter Evan Gattis lined his 16th home run of the season into the Crawford Boxes in left field, a first-pitch strike that doubled the Houston lead. Each homer put distance between the Red Sox and McHugh, who cruised through his first four innings.
After facing one batter above the minimum through four innings, McHugh showed signs of vulnerability in the fifth, needing an inning-ending double play to escape after the first two batters reached.
In the sixth, the Red Sox strung together four consecutive hits, with second baseman Dustin Pedroia and shortstop Xander Bogaerts driving in runs with a double and single, respectively.
McHugh recovered to get three consecutive outs, stranding two Red Sox in scoring position to preserve his lead.
NOTES: To make room for RHP Joe Kelly, the Red Sox optioned LHP Brian Johnson to Triple-A Pawtucket. Johnson made his major league debut Tuesday night, taking the loss after allowing four runs on three hits and four walks over 4 1/3 innings. ... Astros rookie RHPs Lance McCullers and Vince Velasquez might have their turns in the rotation skipped in the coming weeks with the club facing four off days through the end of August. McCullers has pitched 93 1/3 innings this season and is fast approaching his career high of 104 2/3 innings set in 2013 for Class A Lancaster. Velasquez logged 124 2/3 innings across two levels in 2013. He has worked 64 1/3 innings this season. ... Red Sox RHP Clay Buchholz received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow and was shut down for the foreseeable future. He went on the disabled list July 11 due to a right elbow flexor strain.