HOUSTON - 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.
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.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 05: Kyle Tucker #30 of the Houston Astros doubles in a run in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Minute Maid Park on April 05, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
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.
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.
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.
Greene's triple came with one out in the eighth and he scored on two-out a single by Austin Meadows.
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.
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.