Manager A.J. Hinch said Gurriel would play Sunday and make his debut as a designated hitter. While the Astros have answered a five-game skid with back-to-back victories to move within 4 1/2 games of the Orioles for the second wild-card spot in the American League, Baltimore has dropped four of five to fall 2 1/2 games behind Toronto in the East. Chris Davis continued his homer parade with his fifth blast in his last four games, but is just 2-for-9 versus Sunday starter Dallas Keuchel.TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston), MASN2 (Baltimore) PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros LH Dallas Keuchel (7-12, 4.76 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Yovani Gallardo (4-4, 5.18) Keuchel fell to 1-3 in his last four starts as he followed up a three-hit shutout versus Texas on August 5 with a clunker against St. Louis on Tuesday.
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“I wasn’t sure I was going to get my first hit that fast”, Gurriel said.
In 15 total games – Gurriel played two with the Astros’ Gulf Coast League affiliate – he hit.250 with six extra-base hits. TIllman looked like the right man for the job, entering with a 2-2 record and 2.48 ERA in five career starts versus Houston.
“This is the one test in his whole life he has never answered”, Hinch said.
3B Luis Valbuena (strained right hamstring) had a setback and was sent back to Houston.
Hinch believes that Gurriel has spent enough time in the minors to be ready. Gurriel said he is open to helping the club any way he can.
“I’m not going to be nervous”.
Tillman said Friday, one day ahead of the start, that he felt much better than earlier in the week, and didn’t feel like his shoulder problem had been caused by pitching to begin with. “This has been a dream of mine for years. For a Cuban player to make it is a big deal, so I’m excited”.
Mark Trumbo hit his major league-leading 37th home run, while Jonathan Schoop got his 19th homer for Baltimore.
“We’ve had a lot of guys putting together quality at-bats, going up there trying to hit the ball hard, ” Bregman said. “That’s a normal spring training for him”, Hinch said. “We’ve bounced him around the country. But from a baseball standpoint he’s ready, and he’s ready for this challenge”. So to add him to this group is certainly exciting for us. “His baseball readiness, he’s in shape and ready to go”. That was never an issue in his native Cuba. He got his first taste of that grind flying from California to Maryland to meet his new teammates. “I’ve got to do better than that with them”. “But I’m ready to play and help my team today”.
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1B Tyler White was optioned to Triple-A Fresno following Saturday’s game against the Orioles.
