McHugh Goes 7 Innings, Astros Beat Diamondbacks 4

“We had a good game plan, and we executed it pretty well”.

While Keuchel is pitching like a Cy Young contender and has dominated the opposition at home, McHugh hasn’t been particularly sharp lately and is struggling in Houston. We’ll have to get to the bottom of it and crank it back up for Washington.

The Houston Astros attempt to post their fifth consecutive home series win when they take on the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday in the rubber match of their three-game interleague set. The Astros are 37-6 in games where they hit more than one homer as a team.

“We had situations where we should have got some runs in, but we didn’t get the runs in”, Arizona manager Chip Hale said.

It was the major league-leading 44th multi-homer game Houston, which leads the majors with 147 home runs.

“I thought we hit a couple (grand slams previously), to be quite honest”, said Conger, who finished 3-for-4 with five RBIs. “Eventually, it’s going to catch up to you”.

Jose Altuve and Jason Castro both had two hits for the Astros, who own an AL-best 38-18 record at home. Dealing with the Astros for the primary time, former Ray Jeremy Hellickson pitched a season-low 3⅓ innings because the Diamondbacks noticed their season-long six-game profitable streak snapped.

Arizona (50-52) led 2-1 in the second inning after an RBI single from catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and a bases-loaded walk by center fielder Ender Inciarte. Acquired via trade from the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, Fiers will be activated on Sunday…. RHP Vince Velasquez was optioned to Double-A Corpus Christi following Saturday’s game to open up the roster spot for Fiers. Diamondbacks OF A.J. Pollock sat out Saturday night because of soreness behind his left knee and probably will miss the series finale against Houston on Sunday.

Hank Conger and Carlos Correa nailed two homers apiece as the Astros slugged the Diamondbacks, 9-2 at Minute Maid Park. With runners on second and third and nobody out, Lamb grounded out to Correa to score Peralta, and Tomas grounded out to add two runs to the tally and cut the Houston lead to 4-3.

The 23-year-old left-hander continued his dominance of the NL on Monday, allowing two runs with a career high-tying eight strikeouts in seven innings of a 4-3, 10-inning win at Seattle. RHP Chase Anderson, who has been on the DL since July 19 with right triceps inflammation, was scheduled to start Sunday for the Arizona League D-backs and throw four innings or 60 pitches.

Jul 30, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa (1) signs autographs for a fan prior to the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Minute Maid Park. Texas will counter with RHP Colby Lewis (11-4).