2014 Grapefruit League Recap, Game 24

Houston Astros 7, Atlanta Braves 5

2014 Grapefruit League record: 9-15

W- Jason Stoffel (1-0)

L- David Hale (0-3)

S- Ross Seaton (1)

Astros home runs: None.

Down 4-0 after the 1st, the Astros finished the game on a 7-1 run at Disney World. 

Starting Pitcher: Dallas Keuchel

Keuchel served up a pair of home runs in the 1st inning to Chris Johnson (3-run) and Justin Upton (solo). That 4-run 1st wound up becoming the only inning in which he allowed a run. He also drew a walk at the plate! And scored on a wild pitch!!!

Final line: 4 IP, 5 H (2 homers), 4 ER (all on the home runs), 2 BB, 7 K

Bullpen

Jason Stoffel was the first man out for the Astros, and although he gave up a game-tyine homer to Freddie Freeman in the 5th, he still turned in a good outing, striking out 2 in his 1.2 innings. He bowed out with 2 outs in the 6th, and on came Kevin Chapman, who struck out Jason Heyward to end the inning.

That would be the only out that Chapman would record, as he walked B.J. Upton and allowed a single to Ernesto Mejia. 

Andrew Robinson was summoned to escape a runners on the corners with no outs situation. He did just that, punching out Chris Johnson, getting Justin Upton to pop out, and Tyler Pastornicky to ground out. Robinson struck out Steven Lerud to begin the 8th and left after allowing a double to Ramiro Peña. 

Raúl Valdés was next, and he finished the 8th by striking out our old pal Jordan Schafer, and getting Phil Gosselin to ground out. 

Ross Seaton allowed a single to Derrick Mitchell to lead off the 9th, but he wound up shutting the door, striking out Edward Salcedo to end it. 

Offense

The Astros pounded out 13 hits, with Dexter Fowler leading the charge with a 3-4 night. Robbie Grossman, Jose Altuve, and L.J. Hoes had 2 apiece. 

Down 4-0, they put up 3 in the 4th, thanks to an RBI single from Fowler...

Keuchel trotted home on a wild pitch,




and then Grossman hammered an RBI triple to bring the Astros to within 1.

Another wild pitch allowed Altuve to score the tying run in the 5th,



and Chris Carter scored the go-ahead run as Jonathan Villar sacrificed himself. After the Braves tied it at 5 in the bottom of the 5th, Fowler broke the tie by scoring on a Jason Castro force out. Castro made it to 2nd, thanks to an error on the play. And finally, Carter hit a sac fly in the 9th to bring home Andrew Aplin, who entered as a pinch-runner for Castro.

Three Stars

3.

Robbie Grossman, OF
2-5, RBI 3B in 4th

2.

Jose Altuve, 2B
2-5, R, and this web gem:

1.

Dexter Fowler, OF
3-4, RBI, 2 R, BB

Next Up

Astros are off today and play their final Grapefruit League game tomorrow night.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) March 25, 2014