Mauricio Dubon’s pinch-hit HR caps Astros’ rally, sinks Pirates

Mauricio Dubon clubbed his first career pinch-hit home run and the Houston Astros won their seventh consecutive game with starter Framber Valdez on the mound, topping the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4 on Wednesday to salve the finale of a three-game interleague series.

Dubon turned on a first-pitch sinker from Pirates reliever Colin Holderman (3-2) with two outs in the sixth inning, capping the Astros’ comeback from an early four-run deficit with his fourth home run of the season. Houston reclaimed a share of first place in the American League West with the victory after the Seattle Mariners fell to the Boston Red Sox earlier on Wednesday.

Dubon, who replaced Jon Singleton in the order, drove in Yainer Diaz, who followed his four-hit game on Tuesday by going 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.

Valdez (10-5) staggered through the top of the second but found his footing after the Pirates’ four-run frame.

Pirates catcher Joey Bart followed a leadoff single from Bryan De La Cruz with his seventh home run, a two-run shot that carried 407 feet to left-center field. The Pirates maintained the pressure on Valdez, with Jared Triolo plating Ke’Bryan Hayes with an RBI double and later scoring on Andrew McCutchen’s two-out RBI single.

Valdez allowed four runs on six hits and recorded a season-high-tying 10 strikeouts over six innings. Relievers Bryan Abreu, Ryan Pressly and Josh Hader each worked a scoreless inning, with Hader pitching the ninth and notching his 21st save.

The Pirates’ defense failed right-hander Jake Woodford, who made his Pittsburgh debut. Designated for assignment by the Chicago White Sox on June 7, Woodford signed as a minor league free agent three days later and made the spot start after the Pirates traded veteran left-hander Martin Perez to the San Diego Padres on Tuesday.

Woodford allowed two hits, posted three strikeouts and no walks over five innings. However, three errors by shortstop Oneil Cruz helped Houston score three unearned runs off Woodford. The first, a two-base throwing error in the second, allowed Jeremy Pena to reach opening the frame. Pena later scored when Woodford uncorked a wild pitch to Victor Caratini two batters later.

With two outs in the bottom of the third, Cruz shielded left fielder Bryan Reynolds from catching a Yordan Alvarez fly ball, a misplay that enabled Chas McCormick to score from first. Alvarez took third when Cruz compounded the mistake with a throwing error, and Alvarez scored when Diaz delivered an opposite-field double that pulled the Astros to within 4-3.

Woodford retired the final seven batters he faced following the Diaz run-scoring hit.

–Field Level Media