The night the Astros remembered how to win (and Sánchez how to hit)
Imagine the scene: the Houston Astros were going through life with a losing streak longer than the line for a Bad Bunny concert, four games in a row feeling the bitter taste of failure. But on Thursday, against the Baltimore Orioles, they decided that enough of the drama was enough and they got their act together, or rather, they put on their bats for a 7-2 beating that left us all in a collective shock.
The undisputed protagonist of this film of improvement was the Quisqueyan Jesús Sánchez, who was coming from a drought of hits that already seemed like an urban legend: 29 at-bats with zero joy. But oh, surprise, the guy decided that enough was enough and set out to conquer with a performance to frame: 5 hits in 5 at-bats. Yes, you read that right, five. Kind of like if you suddenly remembered all the passwords you’ve ever had in your life at once. It was his most productive day since arriving from Miami in late July, and boy did he make the investment worth every penny.
Home runs, more home runs and an advantage that is not in dispute
It all started with Christian Walker and his two-run home run in the first inning, because why wait when you can hit first and ask questions later? Then, in the second inning, Puerto Rican Carlos Correa decided he also wanted his moment of glory and sent two teammates home with a single that surely made Baltimore rookie Brandon Young cry.
But the finishing touch came in the third inning, when the Dominican Yainer Díaz hit a home run with the bases loaded, after Sánchez himself contributed an RBI single. Basically, the Astros were handing out beatdowns like they were free samples at Costco: everyone wanted one. By the third inning, they already had a 7-1 lead, and from there it was like watching a game in slow motion, but without the boring part.
Young, poor guy, had a day to forget: he allowed seven runs and nine hits before leaving in the sixth inning with a left hamstring injury. Kind of like when you try to exercise after six months on the couch and your body decides to rebel. Meanwhile, Jason Alexander (yes, like Seinfeld, but pitching) managed to contain the Orioles with only two runs and eight hits in five and a third innings, establishing himself as a pleasant surprise for the team.
Among the Latinos, the party was total: in addition to Sánchez and Díaz, the Dominican Jeremy Peña went 4-0, the Puerto Ricans Correa and Víctor Caratini contributed with hits and runs, the Venezuelan José Altuve although he did not have a hit, he sure put in his energy, and the Honduran Mauricio Dubón scored a run. Come on, it was a family reunion with a bat involved.
So, in summary, the Astros broke their losing streak in such a decisive way that it almost seems like they did it on purpose to add more excitement to the season. Sánchez went from being the ghost of the bat to the star of the night, and Houston reminded that, when they put their mind to it, they can make any team feel like it’s on a reality survival show. And the best thing is that they did it with style, with home runs and with an efficiency that even their haters had to recognize (reluctantly, of course).
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