HOUSTON — Pinch-hitter Victor Caratini’s two-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning and Josh Hader's first two-inning outing since 2019 lifted the Houston Astros over the Cleveland Guardians 10-9 on Tuesday night.
Houston trailed 9-8 after pinch-hitter David Fry’s RBI double off Josh Hader (1-2) with two outs in the top of the 10th.
Caratini homered to right-center field off Hunter Gaddis (1-1) to give the Astros a season-high three-game winning streak. They swept a two-game series over the Rockies in Mexico City last weekend.
“I was very happy — very happy for the whole team,” he said in Spanish through a translator. “We were having a great game and the most important thing was the victory.”
Hader pitched a scoreless ninth before returning for the 10th. It was the first time he had gotten more than three outs in a regular-season game since getting four on Aug. 14, 2020, and his first two-inning appearance in five years.
“That’s something that I don’t really like doing,” manager Joe Espada said. “But when I went up to him he said, 'Yes, I want it.’ So shows how important getting a win was.”
Vogt was asked about the possibility of bringing Emmanuel Clase back for the 10th after the closer also pitched a scoreless ninth.
“We didn’t want to extend anybody too far,” he said. “You always want Clase to stay in the game, but we trust (Gaddis). We had the right piece at the right time, it just didn’t work out.”
Josh Naylor hit a three-run homer and Andrés Giménez hit his first homer this season with a two-run shot for Cleveland before Estevan Florial tied it with a three-run homer in the Guardians' five-run sixth.
Alex Bregman hit his first homer of the season, a three-run shot; Jon Singleton added a three-run home run; and Joey Loperfido singled with two RBIs in his major league debut as the Astros built an 8-3 lead before Cleveland’s comeback.
The Astros remain in last place in the AL West at 10-19 despite their winning streak.
“We know what we have to do and these guys are gonna stick their nose in there and battle and no one’s going to shy away from anything,” Bregman said. “We’re going to continue to fight and continue to compete.”
The Guardians trailed by 5 when Steven Kwan tripled to start the sixth before the home run by Giménez cut the lead to 8-5. There was one out in the inning when Naylor walked to end Hunter Brown’s night and bring on Rafael Montero.
There were two outs in the inning when Florial knocked his homer into the seats in right field to tie it.
Kwan and Giménez hit consecutive singles with no outs in the first before Naylor put the Guardians up 3-0 with his one-out homer to left field.
Bregman sent an off-speed pitch from Carlos Carrasco off the wall in left-center field with two outs in the third to tie it at 3.
The bases were loaded with no outs in the fourth when Loperfido drove in two when he lined a single to center field for his first major league hit to put the Astros on top 5-3.
Singleton sent the next pitch into the second deck in right field, punctuating the hit with a mighty bat flip, to push the lead to 8-3.
Singleton started at first base Tuesday after the Astros announced slumping veteran José Abreu agreed to be optioned to their spring training facility to help the 2020 AL MVP get back on track.
It was the first homer for Singleton, who entered without an RBI in 14 games this season, since the lefty slugged his only two of 2023 in the same game on Aug. 11.
Loperfido’s contract was selected from Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday and he started in left field in his debut, but manager Joe Espada said he’ll likely play some first base while Abreu is gone.
Abreu, in the second season of a $58.5 million, three-year contract, is batting .099 with just one extra-base hit and three RBIs. In 77 plate appearances across 22 games this season,
Brown allowed five hits and six runs with seven strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
Carrasco yielded six hits and tied a career high with eight runs in four innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Guardians: LHP Sam Hentges (sore left middle finger) will make another rehabilitation assignment for Triple-A Columbus Wednesday. Vogt said they will evaluate him after that to see what the next move will be.
Astros: INF Grae Kessinger was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Sunday, with right shoulder discomfort. … RHP Joel Kuhnel was designated for assignment to make room for Loperfido on the 40-man roster.
UP NEXT
Houston RHP Justin Verlander (1-0, 1.74 ERA) will make his third start of the season Wednesday night when he opposes RHP Triston McKenzie (2-2, 4.91).
