The Houston Astros pulled off a dramatic comeback on Tuesday night, as they defeated the Baltimore Orioles 7-6 at Camden Yards. The Astros trailed 6-3 entering the ninth inning, but rallied against Orioles closer Félix Bautista, who had a 0.85 ERA and 30 saves before the game. The Astros loaded the bases with one out, setting the stage for Kyle Tucker, who had already driven in a run with a double in the seventh inning.
A nine-pitch battle
Tucker faced Bautista in a nine-pitch duel that kept the fans on the edge of their seats. Tucker fell behind 0-2, but fouled off four pitches to stay alive. He then took two balls to even the count at 2-2. On the ninth pitch, Bautista threw a 100-mph fastball that Tucker crushed to right-center field for a go-ahead grand slam. Tucker’s blast traveled 421 feet and had an exit velocity of 107.9 mph, according to Statcast.
A beautiful sight
Tucker’s grand slam was his 19th home run of the season and his first career grand slam. It was also the first grand slam allowed by Bautista in his career. Tucker celebrated with his teammates as he rounded the bases, while the Orioles fans watched in disbelief. Tucker said after the game that it was a “beautiful sight” to see the ball go over the fence.
“I was just trying to put a good swing on it,” Tucker said. “I knew he was going to throw hard, so I was just trying to be on time and get the barrel to it.”
A resilient win
The Astros’ win snapped a three-game losing streak and improved their record to 69-46, three games behind the Texas Rangers in the AL West. The Orioles’ loss dropped their record to 71-43, still leading the AL East by four games over the Toronto Blue Jays. The Astros’ manager Dusty Baker praised his team for their resilience and their ability to come back from a deficit.
“That was one of the biggest wins of the year,” Baker said. “That shows you the character of this club and how they never give up.”
The Astros and the Orioles will play again on Wednesday night, with Zack Greinke pitching for Houston and John Means pitching for Baltimore.