The top of the Astros’ lineup arrived once more Friday with a chance to erase seven innings of frustration. Late comebacks have not been their forte this season. They had trailed entering the eighth in 17 previous games and lost them all. A one-run deficit served to test that trend.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch summoned left-hander Andrew Chafin. Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez loomed behind Jose Altuve. They rendered the maneuver moot. Altuve singled on Chafin’s first pitch. Tucker drew a walk. Alvarez pulled a single down the right-field line, tying the game.
It was the Astros’ first hit of the night with a man in scoring position and proved a catalyst. Jeremy Peña then punched a single up the middle past a pulled-in infield. An error and a sacrifice fly resulted in two more runs. And the Astros awoke in time to secure a 5-2 win in their series opener at Comerica Park.
“We’re starting to do the little things better,” Peña said. “Starting to lean on each other, pass the baton, put together better at-bats. Our pitchers have been coming through. So it’s just a matter of keeping it going.”
The Tigers made some hard contact, putting 15 batted balls in play against him with a 95-plus mph exit velocity, but a majority was on the ground.
