Astros 9, Indians 4: Astros jump on Indians starter Carlos Carrasco early

Preston Tucker had four hits, including a home run, and Dallas Keuchel pitched six solid innings as the Houston Astros beat the Cleveland Indians 9-4. I was instructed not to.

With Keuchel’s selection to the AL All Star squad during the game tonight, the Astros have multiple representatives for the first time since 2009.

Carrasco (10-7) entered the evening tied for the American League lead in wins, but permitted the first five Astros to reach base, four of them scoring. He gave up a total of nine hits and three runs in six innings before turning the game over to the bullpen.

With the bats failing to produce adequately enough again, Cleveland dropped the first of a four-game series against Houston 9-4 at Progressive Field.

In the eighth, Suarez connected on an 0-2 pitch from Casey Janssen (0-2) that landed in the first few rows just inside the left field foul pole for his third home run of the year.

Keuchel won’t argue with his manager.

Cleveland got a run back in the third inning when third baseman Giovanny Urshela doubled, went to third on a single by left fielder Mike Aviles and scored on a sacrifice fly by second baseman Jason Kipnis, cutting the Astros’ lead to 4-1. Marwin Gonzalez homered and drove in two runs, while Colby Rasmus also had two RBIs. Keuchels dominating game was not, shall we say, unexpected.

I think we all feel this way about when we were 25, right? “I’d like to start the game, but there are guys out there with nastier stuff than I have”.

Here perhaps I will let the idea of FIP color my take just a bit.

Carrasco had last week’s no-hit bid broken up with two outs in the ninth on Joey Butler’s single.

The ever-feisty Indians added a run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter David Murphy to account for the Indians last run. Add in a little extra credit for how close to history Carrasco came, and how joyfully he handled the one hit he allowed (smiling, laughing, and applauding the effort Kipnis made on a ball he had no chance to catch), I’m siding with him.

“He went away from the things that make him good”, manager Terry Francona said.

Keuchel was selected to the American League All-Star team on Monday.

With Jeff Manship on the mound for the Indians in relief of Austin Adams, Gonzalez started the seventh inning with a solo home run to right-center field. “The team was very excited for Dallas”. The Indians got that run back in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI triple by Brandon Moss, his first triple of the season.

Kluber lost to Houston on opening day, giving up two runs over 7 1-3 innings in a 2-0 road defeat.

A sixth straight start without a decision would match the longest drought to open a career dating back to 1914, set previously by Hideo Nomo (1995), Marc Valdes (1995-96) and Chris Brock (1997).

Astros: 3B Luis Valbuena, who leads the team with 19 homers, missed the game with a sprained big left toe.