The Astros bats were stymied by Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco through the first six-innings Sunday night, but their ability to adjust throughout the game paid off yet again, as the Astros notched their ninth come-from-behnd win of the season, topping the Indians 4-1.
Carrasco, was terrific through the first six-innings, mixing his four and two-seam fastballs with the slider and changeup, held the Astros to just 1-hit until the seventh-inning.
Bregman popped out to left field to lead the seventh-inning off, but Michael Brantley, DH'ing for the 5th time this season, continued his hot hitting and reached with a single to right center. Carlos Correa struck out looking on an 0-2 changeup from Carrasco, who looked like he was going keep the Astros off the board once again.
Yuli Gurriel drove a 2-2 slider to left field and scored Brantley, tying the game up at 1-1. Following Gurriel's RBI double, Josh Reddick was intentionally walked to put runners on 1st and 2nd with 2-outs. Astros catcher Robinson Chirinos wasted no time in making Carrasco and the Indians pay for it, sending the first pitch he saw, a 2-seam fastball over the train tracks for a 3-run homer, giving the Astros a 4-1 lead going to the 8th inning.
Chirinos said after the game that Carrasco had started him off the same in each at bat ad wasn't going to miss his opportunity to do some damage when the opportunity presented itself.
"He struck me out my first at bat with a slider down and away, he walked me the second time but all three times he went with that two-seam first pitch, I was looking for that third one."
Carrasco on the night went 6 2/3 innings, allowed six hits, four earned runs, walked two and struck out eight.
Astros starter Wade Miley pitched well, despite allowing at least one baserunner to reach in every inning, he didn't have to pitch out of troube often, allowing just 2 runners to reach second base aside from the home run he gave up to Santana in the fourth inning. That homer was Santana's 200th career home run and gave the Indians a 1-0 lead.
Miley allowed the leadoff hitter to reach in the 6th, and after two fly outs, Astros skipper AJ Hinch decided to go with Chris Devenski to escape the trouble, which he did, needing just five pitches to get Indians catcher Roberto Perez down on strikes on five pitches.
Framber Valdez, who was terrific Sunday in two-innings of work, allowing just one-hit while striking out two, needed just 5 pitches to set the Indians down in the 7th.
The win, moves the Astros (17-11) into first place within the AL West by a half game over the Seattle Mariners (18-13).
The Astros head to Minnesota for a 4 game series before playing two games agianst the Los Angeles Angels in Monterrey, Mexico on May 4th and 5th next month.
The Astros will be making their third trip to Mexico and their first to Monterrey. Houston previously played two exhibition series in Mexico City, once in 2004 against the Marlins and against the Padres in '16.