Red Sox-Astros Runs

Boston starter Brian Johnson (0-1) allowed three hits and four runs with four walks in 4 1-3 innings in his major league debut.

Entering the All-Star Break, the Houston Astros were skidding badly, having lost six straight and eight of nine. Tuesday’s game featured quite the reversal of fortunes. They are 10 games under.

The game featured a pitching matchup with two rookies opposing each other.

Looking to get back in the win column, the Sox will send Joe Kelly to the mound Wednesday for the righty’s first major league start since June 23, almost a month ago.

Vince Velasquez made headlines earlier this season for going five starts to begin his career without recording a decision.

The Astros (52-43) erased a 3-1 deficit with a four-run fifth inning. We just have to get ourselves going.

The Red Sox acquired Kelly, along with outfielder/first baseman Allen Craig, from St. Louis past year in exchange for John Lackey. Alejandro De Aza led off the third with a single to right. Two runs scored on the play and Betts eventually came around to score as well, courtesy of Xander Bogaert’s RBI single.

The last time the Sox played the Astros, their backs were up against the wall though, and they found a way to come out on top.

Meanwhile, Johnson cruised through his next three innings. 367 hitter against the Astros – the second-highest batting average of any player in history (minimum 150 PA – Kenny Lofton.373). He also retired the side in order in the fourth.

Carter led off the the Astros’ four-run rally in the fifth with a single to right. L.J. Pablo Sandoval was 5 for 14, improving to 16 for 45 (.356) over his last 11 matchups, and the Red Sox extended their all-time series advantage to 19-7. Carter scored easily from third, and Marisnick kept running all the way home. Altuve singled to right, Marisnick scored.

Johnson was finally pulled after he walked Altuve. Johnson’s stuff isn’t as good as that of Eduardo Rodriguez or Henry Owens; his success is predicated on the precision of his command, and he didn’t have that on Tuesday. His performance shared many aspects of his worst Triple-A outings, starting with a lack of his usual fastball command – the linchpin to his success.

He threw fifty strikes overall. Converted reliever Justin Masterson entered with Altuve on first base and the game tied 3-3. Correa then gave the Astros a 4-3 lead with a ground-rule double to right. Evan Gattis grounded out to extend the lead to 5-3. Mookie Betts’s excuse-me checked swing produced a ground-ball double over the first-base bag, simultaneously ending his 0-for-20 slide and driving in two runs. As he’s done for years, Altuve served as a catalyst for the Astros offense in the win.