Correa's hot bat backs Odorizzi's quality start

The 3-2 win that sealed the Astros' series victory against the Indians relied more on pitching than hitting on Saturday night at Progressive Field. While right-hander Jake Odorizzi sat down Cleveland hitters with his fastball, Carlos Correa ignited the offense.

Manager Dusty Baker told the team that they were going to count on everybody throughout this strenuous stretch of 20 games in 20 days, which ends with Sunday's finale. With seven relievers on the injured list and a few big bats missing from the lineup, the Astros have maneuvered their way to three consecutive wins.

"We're gonna have to count on everybody. Everybody's contributing, they're doing something,” Baker said. “Especially today, we depended more on pitching than we did our offense. [We've] got one more game to go, then we can take a break, but it was a big victory for us.”

Saturday’s win started with Odorizzi accomplishing what he wanted to do in his previous start: pitch deep in the game.

"His stuff was good, and his command was good,” Baker said. “His pitch count was very low. That's why we sent him back out there in the seventh. Hoping that he gets better and better, and this is the Odorizzi that we signed and the reason we signed him. His stuff was really good with how he maintained [his] command and control.”

Odorizzi allowed back-to-back doubles in the seventh, cutting the Astros' lead to one run before Ryne Stanek replaced him and retired three straight, including two strikeouts, to end the threat. Odorizzi utilized 91 pitches to pitch through six innings for the first time this season. His scoreless-inning streak ended at 18 when Eddie Rosario scored on a force out in the fourth inning.

Odorizzi earned the win, his third since being activated off the injured list in late May, as he continues to show improved command within the strike zone.

“I felt OK. I didn't really feel like I executed my fastball all that well today. It's been the first time this year, I felt like I was throwing it more than putting it where I wanted to,” Odorizzi said. “But it's good to have success when I didn't really have my best pitch the majority of the game today.”

Despite not having his best pitch, his fastball induced the most swings-and-misses (five) in the five-pitch arsenal he used on Saturday. His first quality start of the season kept the low-scoring game within reach for the Houston offense to come up with enough run support.

The best offense in baseball also has one of the most productive hitters. Correa continued his hot stretch at the plate by going 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two walks.

Over the past couple of weeks, Correa has been a source of run production for the Astros as they’ve combatted the ebbs and flows of varying wins and losses. Houston suffered five losses in six games entering its series against Cleveland, but Correa’s bat has helped keep the team atop the American League West.

“You've been around baseball for a long time, and you know there [are] highs and lows, and anybody can beat anybody in this game,” Correa said. “Baltimore beat us, Detroit beat us, but now we’ve got to keep our focus on the next series. We won the series, but we're gonna try to go for that sweep tomorrow, and then go into the next series with the same mentality.”

Correa has driven in 18 runs since June 13, with two coming against the Indians in Saturday’s game. His first-inning single gave the Astros an early one-run lead as Myles Straw scored standing up.

That proved to be the lone run of the game until the fourth inning. A six-pitch at-bat between Correa and Cleveland starter Eli Morgan resulted in the cleanup hitter crushing a changeup to left field for a Statcast-projected 397-foot homer.

Abraham Toro followed in Correa's footsteps two batters later and crushed his third homer of the season on an 86.6 mph slider.

“It was actually [Jose] Altuve who gave me some advice,” Toro said of what turned out to be the decisive homer. “After my first at-bat, he was saying how I was dropping my shoulder, and that's what I was kind of rolling over, and then I just tried to stay playing on that swing.”