Astros outlast Indians in marathon 16-inning game
HOUSTON -- Marwin Gonzalez hit a walk-off home run in the 16th inning as the Houston Astros capped a marathon 5-3 win over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday at Minute Maid Park.
Gonzalez drilled a pitch from Cody Anderson (0-3) out to right field two batters after shortstop Carlos Correa recorded the first Astros hit since the seventh inning. Houston stranded 17 baserunners but turned a lights-out performance from right-handed reliever Michael Feliz (1-0) into a needed victory.
The Astros (14-21) capped their 10-game homestand 6-4 by rallying from a two-run deficit. Correa and left fielder Preston Tucker produced run-scoring hits with runners in scoring position in the sixth and seventh inning after the Astros stranded eight baserunners, five in scoring position, over their first three at-bats.
The Indians (16-15) saddled Astros closer Luke Gregerson with his first blown save of the season and first after 16 consecutive converted saves. Mike Napoli and Carlos Santana struck with a double and a triple in succession to erase the Astros' one-run lead in the ninth inning.
Houston loaded the bases with no outs against Indians right-hander Danny Salazar in the first inning only for Salazar to strike out Colby Rasmus, Gonzalez and Luis Valbuena -- all left-handed hitters -- in succession. The Astros loaded the bases off Salazar again in the second, this time with two outs before Correa rolled into a fielder's choice groundout.
Salazar managed to strand two more baserunners in the third inning, including Gonzalez at second base, before finally surrendering a run when George Springer homered to left field with one out in the fourth. For Springer, who walked three times, it marked his seventh homer on the season and the 1,500th home run for the Astros at Minute Maid Park.
Salazar departed after five innings with an interesting ledger, having allowed just one run on three hits while also posting six walks and 10 strikeouts. Of his 106 pitches, nearly half of them (52) were balls.
The Astros mounted their comeback against the Cleveland bullpen, with Indians right-hander Tommy Hunter allowing three baserunners in the sixth after collecting two quick outs to open the frame. Correa pulled the Astros even at 2-2 with his single to center field, scoring second baseman Jose Altuve.
Right-hander Doug Fister allowed two runs on six hits with three strikeouts over seven innings to provide Houston a seventh consecutive quality start. He surrendered a run-scoring single to Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis, who was 3-for-3 against Fister, in the third inning and a solo home run to Mike Napoli in the fourth but was strong.
NOTES: Astros RHP Lance McCullers will make his season debut on Friday night in Boston. McCullers opened the season on the 15-day disabled list sidelined by right shoulder soreness. Astros manager A.J. Hinch will utilize a six-man rotation for at least two turns but plans to keep LHP Dallas Keuchel, who will start the series opener on Thursday night, on his regular rest. RHPs Collin McHugh and Chris Devenski will finish out the series while RHP Mike Fiers will be available out of the bullpen. ... Indians 3B Jose Ramirez was not in the starting lineup on Wednesday after suffering a pair of minor hand injuries Tuesday night. Ramirez was hit on the right wrist by a Devenski pitch in the seventh inning and also hurt his left ring finger sliding into second base in the fourth. ... Astros DH George Springer was not in the field for the first time this season. RF Jake Marisnick filled in for Springer defensively as part of a plan by Hinch to get Marisnick more than token playing time.