Kessinger shines as Astros use early lead to beat Rockies

*Photo from MySA*

   There were special fireworks in Texas. Mauricio Dubon drove in a run, Grae Kessinger homered, and the Houston Astros defeated the Colorado Rockies with a 4-1 victory on Tuesday afternoon in Houston.

   The Astros have now won 3 straight games and 7 of 10 to improve to 48-38 on the season. The stars of the show for the Astros were the rookies, Kessinger and Corey Julks. Kessinger hit his first big league homer, while Julks had a career high 4 hits.

   Astros manager Dusty Baker said of Kessinger and Julks "That's what they're here for. They’re not here to paint, they’re here to play and to perform. I’m giving them all a chance because we need them. We need them, and they need to play well."

   Following two innings that went scoreless, Kessinger started the independence day celebrations. He blasted a solo home run to center field, putting the Astros ahead by a 1-0 score. It stayed that way until the 5th inning. That was when Dubon hit a triple to right field, doubling the Astros lead to 2-0 when Jake Meyers scored.

   Later in the inning, Julks got in on the fun, making the lead 3-0 with an RBI single to center field that scored Dubon. In the 7th inning, Chas McCormick extended the lead to 4-0 with an RBI single that brought in Alex Bregman. Kris Bryant ended the shutout for the Rockies with a solo home run in the 9th inning.

   Getting the start for the Astros was Brandon Bielak, who pitched 7 shutout innings, allowing two hits and 4 walks with 4 strikeouts. Seth Martinez pitched a scoreless 8th inning in relief, while Ryne Stanek allowed one run while closing out the game in the 9th.

   Baker said of Bielak's start that "We needed it badly because our whole bullpen was down after the Texas series. You play a tough four-game series like that. It’s kind of all hands on deck, and our guys have gone two days in a row, some two out of three, so we needed it badly. He gave us everything that we needed."

   Kyle Freeland got the start for the Rockies, allowing 4 runs on 9 hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings pitched. Gavin Hollowell came on and finished the 7th inning for Freeland before Fernando Abad worked a scoreless 8th inning.

   Up next, the series continues on Wednesday afternoon. JP France gets the start for the Astros, opposed by Chase Anderson for the Rockies.