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On Deck: Detroit Tigers @ Houston Astros

Houston Astros’ Preston Tucker gets a face full of water in the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Detroit Tigers to tie the baseball game during the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, August 15, 2015, in Houston.

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Simon did what Simon does best.

Martinez’s double to left-centerfield broke the tie and the Tigers beat the Astros, 4-2, in 11 innings. Lance Berkman, Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Roy Oswalt, Brad Lidge, manager Phil Garner, Chad Qualls, a reliever on the current Astros club, and Ausmus, who was the catcher on that team, were all in attendance for the pregame ceremony.

“His timing is obviously not flawless”, Ausmus said, according to the Detroit Free Press. And the Tigers paid for it. Cabrera, after all, is a two-time American League Most Valuable Player.

As they returned to be honored for the 10-year anniversary of the franchise’s only World Series appearance, Roy Oswalt and the rest of the 2005 Astros had to settle for seeing Minute Maid Park rocking again. Bench coach Trey Hillman finally pulled Neshek after Tyler Collins gave the Tigers a 4-1 lead with an RBI bloop single to left. After striking out in his first at-bat after being activated from the 15-day disabled list (he missed six weeks with a strained left calf), Miguel Cabrera walked on four pitches. Victor Martinez then singled to right, scoring Kinsler.

Over the road trip we got used to the offense not holding up it’s end of the bargain as far as runs were concerned. Both teams were matched for hits – six apiece – but Dallas Keuchel remained unbeaten in his home ballpark.

Ranking first in home runs, Houston has hit 158 this season.

The Astros tacked on the fifth run in the eighth off Alex Wilson – a two-out infield single by Jake Marisnick and a double by Chris Carter.

RHP Alfredo Simon recorded his shortest outing since July 11, allowing four runs on six hits and four walks with two strikeouts over five innings. Need we say more? The burly 230-pound Gattis is second in the majors with nine triples this season after he hit just one in his first two seasons combined.

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While the team is mathematically unlikely to make the postseason – at 13 games out in the division race, and five games behind the second wild card slot – there’s certainly still an individual goal out there for its first baseman.

Jul 23 2015 Houston TX USA Houston Astros players celebrate a walk off victory over the Boston Red Sox after second baseman Jose Altuve hits a home run during the ninth inning at Minute Maid Park. The Astros defeated the Red Sox 5-4. Mandatory C