Smith Delivers in the Ninth
Cam Smith hit a 421-foot solo home run to center field in the top of the ninth inning to give the Houston Astros a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. The decisive blow came off the bat of Jhoan Duran, who allowed the single run in his one-inning appearance.
This marked the only home run recorded in the game, ending a tight contest at Citizens Bank Park in front of 37,100 fans.
Early Run and Phillies Response
The Astros took an early lead in the top of the second inning. Trammell doubled to right field, allowing Walker to score and put Houston up 1-0. The Phillies answered in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Stott grounded into a fielder's choice at shortstop, which allowed Arraez to score and tie the game at 1-1. Bohm was thrown out at third base on the play. The first five innings saw minimal scoring, with both teams managing just one run each before the final frame.
Pitching Performance
Cristian Javier earned the win after pitching six innings for Houston. He allowed three hits and one earned run while walking one batter and striking out five. He was followed by Bennett Sousa, who pitched one hitless and scoreless inning.
Bryan Abreu secured the win with one inning of work, allowing no hits or earned runs while striking out three batters. Josh Hader closed the game with a save, pitching one inning and striking out one batter without allowing a hit, earned run, or walk.
Phillies Staff Effort
Zack Wheeler started for Philadelphia, pitching seven innings. He allowed five hits and one earned run while walking two batters and striking out nine. Jose Alvarado pitched the eighth inning, allowing two hits and walking one batter but recording no earned runs.
Jhoan Duran took the loss in the ninth inning. He allowed one hit and one earned run while striking out one batter. The final score was 2-1 in favor of the Astros, improving their record to 75-72, while the Phillies fell to 82-65.
Sources
https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401816884
