McCormick, Tucker, Peña all homer as Astros down Tigers
HOUSTON (AP) — Chas McCormick, Kyle Tucker and Jeremy Peña all homered and combined for six RBIs to help the Houston Astros snap a three-game skid with an 8-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday.
McCormick hit a two-run home run in the second off Eduardo Rodriguez (0-2) and doubled in the fourth.
"We needed a win today," McCormick said. "We played really well today ... we were dragging a bit (early) but mentally you've got to be tough and I thought we were really mentally tough today."
Tucker homered for a second straight game with his solo home run in the fourth to help the Astros avoid a three-game sweep. Tucker added an RBI double in a two-run seventh as Houston padded the lead.
Peña, last year's World Series MVP, connected on a two-run shot off Tyler Alexander for his first home run of the season with two outs in the eighth to make it 8-2.
Peña has struggled early this season and entered Wednesday's game in an 0-for-16 slump.
"He hit a couple of balls hard before he got hits," manager Dusty Baker said. "I just wanted him to keep hitting it, get a good pitch to hit and after that it's out of your control. He looked a lot better today. The whole team looked better today."
Cristian Javier (1-0) allowed five hits and one run with five strikeouts in six innings for the win.
Rodriguez allowed six hits and four runs in 4 2/3 innings for his second loss to open the season.
Riley Greene had two hits, including his fifth career triple for the Tigers, who fell to 2-4 this season.
"We got into some tough situations and didn't execute in a few circumstances, and they make you pay," manager A.J. Hinch said.
David Hensley singled with one out in the second before McCormick connected on his first home run this season on a shot to left-center to make it 2-0.
Zach McKinstry hit a one-out single in the third and stole second base. He advanced to third on a ground out by Ryan Kreidler before scoring on a single by Nick Maton that cut the lead to 2-1.
Tucker homered with one out in the fourth to push the lead to 3-1. Hensley walked before taking third on a ground-rule double by McCormick. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Corey Julks.
Peña doubled to start Houston's seventh and advanced to third when Alex Bregman reached on a throwing error by Javier Báez. Yordan Alvarez followed with a sacrifice fly to score Peña for his 10th RBI this season that made it 5-1.
There were two outs in the inning when Tucker doubled on a ball that bounced just in front of a diving Matt Vierling in right-center to send Bregman home and push the lead to 6-1.
"When they put multiple runs on the board in multiple innings that's a tough one to come back from," Hinch said.
Greene's triple came with one out in the eighth and he scored on two-out a single by Austin Meadows.
ABREU'S HOT START
José Abreu singled in the fifth inning to give him a hit in each of Houston's games this season in his first season with the Astros after signing a three-year, $58.5 million contract.
It's tied for the longest active streak in the majors and the longest to open a season in his career. It's tied for the third-longest hitting streak for a player to open his Astros career and the longest since infielder Scott Moore had a nine-game streak to start the 2012 season.
HONORING MIGGY
The Astros honored Miguel Cabrera in a pregame ceremony in what was his last trip here with the slugger set to retire at season's end.
Houston manager Dusty Baker presented him with a bottle of his Baker Family Wines "Hammerin' Hank" cabernet and fellow Venezuelan and Houston's first base coach Omar López gifted him with a black cowboy hat.
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve and right-handed pitcher Luis García, who are also Venezuelan, wrapped up the tribute by presenting Cabrera with a magnum of Sire Spirits champagne signed by the entire team.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Tigers: 1B Tyler Nevin (left oblique strain) doubled in his fourth rehabilitation game for Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday night. Nevin is 7 for 13 with two doubles, a triple, a home run and two RBIs during his rehab assignment.
UP NEXT
Tigers: Detroit's Spencer Turnbull (0-1, 27.00 ERA) opposes Boston's Chris Sale (0-0, 21.00) in the home opener for the Tigers on Thursday.
Astros: Houston has a day off Thursday after the start of its series at Minnesota got pushed back a day because of inclement weather. José Urquidy (0-0, 6.75) will start against Minnesota's Sonny Gray (1-0, 0.00) Friday.