HOUSTON -- Luis Valbuena homered twice and knocked in four runs and Hank Conger added a solo shot as the Astros stayed just out of the Rockies' reach in an 8-5 win on Tuesday at Minute Maid Park in the second of a four-game home-and-home series.
Valbuena homered for one run in the second and three in the third -- when the Astros scored five times to overcome a 3-1 deficit. Both blasts came off Rockies starter Chris Rusin (2-2), who yielded seven runs and nine hits in four innings. Conger's fourth homer this season came with one out in the fifth against reliever Brooks Brown. The Astros, who went deep three times in a 6-3 victory over the Rockies on Tuesday, are 25-0 in games when they hit multiple homers. 
Carlos Gonzalez's eighth homer of the season provided two fifth-inning runs and chased Astros righty starter Vince Velasquez after 4 2/3 innings. But Will Harris (3-0) stabilized the contest with 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Chad Qualls turned clutch in the eighth, when he forced DJ LeMahieu into a fielder's choice grounder with two aboard and a three-run lead.The Rockies' road Interleague Play losing streak grew to 13 games, tied for the second longest of the Interleague era with the Pirates (June 18, 2009-June 19, 2011) and two behind the Dodgers (June 14, 2005-June 28, 2006). The last Rockies' road win against an American League team came last May 14 against the Rangers.MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Clutch third: With the Astros trailing, 3-2, and two outs in the third, Conger worked the count full, then laced an RBI single. Domingo Santana followed with his first Major League hit, also a two-strike knock, to score Evan Gattis before Valbuena's second home run blew the game open.It's the little things: The Rockies counterpunched against the Astros' potent offense, but were hurt by two costly miscues. In the first, first-base umpire Bob Davidson called Rusin for a balk that moved George Springer to second. He would score on Jose Altuve's single. In the fifth with Colorado facing a four-run deficit, Charlie Blackmon tried to take second on Corey Dickerson's deep fly ball, but Astros center fielder Jake Marisnick threw him out easily. The inning included Troy Tulowitzki's single and Gonzalez's two-run shot -- either of which could have driven in Blackmon.Altuve's back: Altuve, who said before the game his strained right hamstring felt 100 percent, cranked an RBI single on the fifth pitch he saw, plating George Springer for the game's first run and the Astros' eighth first-inning run in the last three games. He drew a walk and came around to score in the third before he was robbed of another hit by third baseman Nolan Arenado's spectacular diving double play in the fourth.Warmed by the glow of highlights: Arenado continued his year of highlight packages with two dazzlers -- a diving grab of an Altuve ground smash to start a fourth-inning double play, and a foul-ground laser throw to retire Evan Gattis at first in the sixth.SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Six of Valbuena's eight total hits in June have been home runs. His two-homer day Tuesday gave him 16 for the season.Catcher Michael McKenry tripled in the Rockies' three-run second inning, and is making it a habit. After not recording a triple in his first 862 career plate appearances, Tuesday's was his third in the last 18.REPLAY REVIEWS
There was a crew-chief review in the first inning when Colorado designated hitter Corey Dickerson smacked Velasquez's second pitch of the at-bat to deep left field. It was ruled a double on the field, and the call was ruled to stand after a review of one minute and 51 seconds.A second crew-chief review was initiated in the seventh after Gonzalez's mammoth shot near the right-field foul pole was originally called a home run. The call was overturned and it was ruled a foul ball after a review of two minutes and 18 seconds. Gonzalez struck out when he returned to the plate, ending the inning.Thomas Harding/ MLB.com
Carlos Gonzalez's eighth homer of the season provided two fifth-inning runs and chased Astros righty starter Vince Velasquez after 4 2/3 innings. But Will Harris (3-0) stabilized the contest with 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Chad Qualls turned clutch in the eighth, when he forced DJ LeMahieu into a fielder's choice grounder with two aboard and a three-run lead.The Rockies' road Interleague Play losing streak grew to 13 games, tied for the second longest of the Interleague era with the Pirates (June 18, 2009-June 19, 2011) and two behind the Dodgers (June 14, 2005-June 28, 2006). The last Rockies' road win against an American League team came last May 14 against the Rangers.MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Clutch third: With the Astros trailing, 3-2, and two outs in the third, Conger worked the count full, then laced an RBI single. Domingo Santana followed with his first Major League hit, also a two-strike knock, to score Evan Gattis before Valbuena's second home run blew the game open.It's the little things: The Rockies counterpunched against the Astros' potent offense, but were hurt by two costly miscues. In the first, first-base umpire Bob Davidson called Rusin for a balk that moved George Springer to second. He would score on Jose Altuve's single. In the fifth with Colorado facing a four-run deficit, Charlie Blackmon tried to take second on Corey Dickerson's deep fly ball, but Astros center fielder Jake Marisnick threw him out easily. The inning included Troy Tulowitzki's single and Gonzalez's two-run shot -- either of which could have driven in Blackmon.Altuve's back: Altuve, who said before the game his strained right hamstring felt 100 percent, cranked an RBI single on the fifth pitch he saw, plating George Springer for the game's first run and the Astros' eighth first-inning run in the last three games. He drew a walk and came around to score in the third before he was robbed of another hit by third baseman Nolan Arenado's spectacular diving double play in the fourth.Warmed by the glow of highlights: Arenado continued his year of highlight packages with two dazzlers -- a diving grab of an Altuve ground smash to start a fourth-inning double play, and a foul-ground laser throw to retire Evan Gattis at first in the sixth.SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Six of Valbuena's eight total hits in June have been home runs. His two-homer day Tuesday gave him 16 for the season.Catcher Michael McKenry tripled in the Rockies' three-run second inning, and is making it a habit. After not recording a triple in his first 862 career plate appearances, Tuesday's was his third in the last 18.REPLAY REVIEWS
There was a crew-chief review in the first inning when Colorado designated hitter Corey Dickerson smacked Velasquez's second pitch of the at-bat to deep left field. It was ruled a double on the field, and the call was ruled to stand after a review of one minute and 51 seconds.A second crew-chief review was initiated in the seventh after Gonzalez's mammoth shot near the right-field foul pole was originally called a home run. The call was overturned and it was ruled a foul ball after a review of two minutes and 18 seconds. Gonzalez struck out when he returned to the plate, ending the inning.Thomas Harding/ MLB.com
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
