Big inning sinks E-Rod as D-backs struggle in Houston
HOUSTON -- Eduardo Rodriguez unraveled in the fourth and Dylan Floro struggled in the sixth as the Diamondbacks’ pitching staff surrendered two huge innings in an 11-5 loss to the Astros on Saturday afternoon at Minute Maid Park.
Arizona has lost three straight after taking the first two games of its road trip against San Francisco. The D-backs fell six games behind the Dodgers in the National League West and saw their lead for the second NL Wild Card spot shrink to one over the Braves and Mets -- all pending late Saturday results.
Rodriguez yielded a run through his first three frames, but the fourth inning was his undoing. He walked three batters, hit another and allowed two run-scoring singles as the Astros sent 10 men to the plate and scored four runs (three earned) off the left-hander.
Overall, Rodriguez was tagged for five runs (four earned) on seven hits and three walks in four innings. In five of his six starts for Arizona this season, the left-hander has allowed at least three runs. He has yet to make it through six innings in any outing, and has lasted four innings in each of his past two starts.
Floro cruised through the fifth, but he gave up singles to four of the first five batters in the sixth before Jeremy Peña hit a three-run homer to cap the five-run frame for the Astros.
After being shut out Friday night, the Diamondbacks' offense woke up Saturday.
Arizona got to Houston starter Yusei Kikuchi for two runs in the second as Kevin Newman hit an RBI single and Jose Herrera had a sacrifice fly. Newman hit a solo home run in the fourth, and Eugenio Suárez hit one in the sixth. Christian Walker added an RBI single in the seventh.