Reddick's slam carries Astros to 4th straight win

HOUSTON -- So much for Josh Reddick's slow start at the plate.
Reddick, who picked up his first hit of the season Monday following an 0-for-8 start, cranked a pair of homers in consecutive at-bats Tuesday against the Orioles, including a two-out grand slam in the seventh inning, and Carlos Correa had an inside-the-park homer to lead the Astros' to a 10-6 win at Minute Maid Park.
Reddick tied his career high with six RBIs and even robbed Orioles outfielder Trey Mancini of a three-run homer with a leaping catch at the wall in the fourth inning. The grand slam was the sixth of Reddick's career and gave him his seventh career multi-homer game.
Grand slams mean 40% off pizza
"I wasn't really feeling myself and went down and watched a couple of videos and just tried to slow things down," Reddick said. "I was moving a little too fast with my lower half and slowed things down, and it worked out."
The Astros (5-1), who received their World Series rings in an on-field ceremony prior to the game, have tied their franchise-best start through six games and have outscored opponents 38-18 during that span.

"Reddick had quite a day," Astros manager AJ Hinch said. "On a day that had a ton of twists and turns and game-changers, he was the biggest one. Obviously, that catch gets a hat tip from everybody, including [Justin Verlander] on the mound. That changes the whole game if that ball leaves the yard."
Reddick's homer-saving leap in the fourth came after Correa had hit a sac fly in the third to put the Astros ahead, 3-1. Reddick hit a two-run homer off reliever Mychal Givens in the sixth to put the Astros back on top, 5-4.

The Astros took a 6-5 lead in the seventh on an RBI double by George Springer and proceeded to get a pair of walks to load the bases for Reddick. The Orioles brought in lefty Nestor Cortes Jr. to face Reddick, who worked the count to 3-2 before clearing the bases with a shot into the Houston bullpen in right-center field.

Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, who made a throwing error in the sixth that led to the tying run, made up for it later in the inning with a spectacular play. He fielded a grounder on the foul line behind the bag and took about five steps into foul territory before throwing across his body to just nip Mancini at first.

"We have a team that can hit like this, and play defense behind you like that, it's a pretty good feeling as a starting pitcher," said Verlander, who gave up four runs (three earned), including homers to Jonathan Schoop and Adam Jones, in 5 2/3 innings

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Foot race: Correa, who left Monday's home opener against the Orioles after two innings when he aggravated a bruised left big toe, tallied the Astros' first inside-the-park home run in 3 1/2 years in the first inning. Correa crushed a pitch to left-center field that glanced off the wall -- traveling 378 feet -- and just past the reach of Mancini at the wall. The ball caromed toward center field, allowing Correa to round the bases in 16.39 seconds and score standing up with a two-run homer.

"We would have taken the inside-the-park home run and could have sent him in right there," Hinch said. "He's pretty good. Even in a little bit of pain, he's able to contribute that like. It's a pretty exciting play."
You want him on that wall: Reddick, whose affinity for Spiderman leads him to wear leggings and shirts under his uniform featuring the superhero, did his best Spiderman impression in the fourth inning when he reached high above the right-field wall to rob Mancini of a three-run homer. The ball traveled 353 feet, according to Statcast™, but could have used at least a couple of more feet to clear Reddick's glove.

"It was definitely one I thought I had a good shot at, and fortunately I held on to it," Reddick said.
WHAT'S NEXT
Left-hander Dallas Keuchel makes his second start of the season (first at home) in Wednesday's 1:10 p.m. CT series finale against the Orioles at Minute Maid Park. Keuchel (0-1, 4.50 ERA) lost his season debut Friday in Arlington despite recording a quality start (six innings, three earned runs).
Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV.