HOUSTON — With a taxed bullpen following a 10-game highway journey, Houston wanted Brandon Bielak to go deep into Tuesday’s recreation towards the Rockies at Minute Maid Park.
The right-hander delivered.
Bielak, who was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land Monday, threw a career-high seven scoreless innings, whereas scattering two hits within the Astros’ 4-1 win over Colorado. Houston gained for the sixth time in its final seven video games and for the sixth straight 12 months on July 4. Bielak (4-4) was very good regardless of placing out solely 4 and strolling 4.
“I know the bullpen was a little short today,” Bielak mentioned. “I gave everything I had. I think it was the tenth day of no pitching for me, so I [felt pretty good] out there strength wise.”
Most importantly, he gave Houston innings, which have been wanted after Astros starters didn’t get out of the fifth within the prior two video games, and Houston’s bullpen was requested to cowl 9 2/3 innings over that span.
“We needed it badly because our whole bullpen was down after the Texas series,” Houston supervisor Dusty Baker mentioned. “You play a tough four-game series like that. It’s kind of all hands on deck, and our guys have gone two days in a row, some two out of three, so we needed it badly. He gave us everything that we needed.”
Bielak blended up his pitches nicely, throwing an nearly even mixture of his 4 pitches. He threw 32 four-seam fastballs, 24 changeups, 19 sinkers and 21 curveballs.
He sat constantly within the low-90s on his fastball and sinker, and he was capable of get quite a lot of weak contact, with Colorado solely hitting two balls that had an exit velocity over 100 mph.
“I trusted [catcher Yainer] Diaz back there,” Bielak mentioned. “I started landing some curveballs in the zone, so they had to respect that more than they did in the first inning. Great defense, too.”
Bielak retired eight out of 9 at one level and sat down the final eight Rockies he confronted. The Rockies’ lone singles — and solely threats — off Bielak got here within the first and fourth, however the right-hander was capable of get groundouts to finish each innings and strand runners at third.
In every of his earlier two Major League begins, Bielak had surrendered 5 runs. He yielded two runs in six innings in his lone Minor League begin on June 24 earlier than being recalled.
Bielak’s outing was additionally wanted as a result of the Astros have been down one other participant after Jose Altuve was scratched 90 minutes previous to first pitch with left indirect discomfort. Baker mentioned Altuve suffered the damage throughout pregame batting follow. The Astros mentioned imaging had not been achieved on Altuve on Tuesday.
“We don’t know anything right now,” Baker mentioned. “We have to wait until tomorrow.”
Houston’s offense was capable of come by in Altuve’s absence.
“It’s tough to take, but you have to move on,” Baker mentioned. “You have no choice. You feel terrible, especially for the injured player and the team, but you have no choice. What choice do you have other than ‘Hey man, next man up.’ These guys have done a pretty remarkable job of next man up.”
Grae Kessinger, who had two hits, put the Astros forward 1-0 within the third along with his first profession dwelling run, a 397-foot solo shot to left-center discipline.
Kessinger grew to become the third technology of his household to hit a house run in a Major League recreation, becoming a member of his grandfather, Don Kessinger and his uncle, Keith Kessinger.
“Curveball up in the zone, I just didn’t want to do too much,” Kessinger mentioned. “I got a barrel on it, was able to elevate it and got to enjoy it.”
The Astros added two runs within the fifth on a Mauricio Dubón RBI triple to proper, and Corey Julks’ RBI single up the center. Julks was not within the unique lineup however was inserted after Altuve was scratched. He completed with a career-high 4 hits.
Chas McCormick continued his scorching hitting with an RBI single within the seventh to extend the result in 4-0.
“That’s what they’re here for,” Baker mentioned of Kessinger and Julks’ performances. “They’re not here to paint, they’re here to play and to perform. I’m giving them all a chance because we need them. We need them, and they need to play well.”
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