DETROIT (AP) - The Houston Astros are making these games pretty enjoyable for their starting pitchers.
Carlos Correa started another Houston onslaught with a three-run homer in the first inning, and the Astros routed the Detroit Tigers 11-4 on Tuesday night, extending their winning streak to seven games. Wade Miley won his third straight start. This was the fourth time this season Houston has scored at least 10 runs in a game he pitched.
“It’s like I’m a fan,” Miley said. “It’s like they should charge us a ticket price to sit where we sit and get to watch this.”
The Astros, who have won 10 of 11, scored in each of the first six innings against a depleted Detroit pitching staff. George Springer hit an inside-the-park homer in the fifth, and Aledmys Diaz went deep in the third for Houston.
Miley (4-2) allowed four runs in six innings for the Astros. Houston led 7-0 after its half of the third.
Ronny Rodriguez homered for Detroit, but the Tigers are up against it this week. Not only are they facing the team with baseball’s best record, but they also have a rotation beset by injuries. Tyson Ross and Jordan Zimmermann are on the injured list, and Michael Fulmer and Matt Moore are out for the season.
So Ryan Carpenter (0-2) took the mound for his second start of the season and allowed seven earned runs in four innings. After Correa’s homer opened the scoring, Michael Brantley added a two-run single in the second. Diaz’s solo shot made it 7-0.
Springer circled the bases in the fifth when his drive bounced off the wall and past center fielder JaCoby Jones. It was the first inside-the-park home run of his career, and Houston led 9-2.
“You can hit one to dead center field here and maybe have a chance to do a lot of funny things,” Astros manager AJ Hinch said. “Pretty exciting play. We don’t get to see it a lot, obviously, in our ballpark, but it’s fun when it happens for us.”
The Astros have scored 45 runs in their last four games. They outscored Detroit 19-5 in the first two games of this series.
“If you watched the last two games, it is pretty obvious that’s a really good team,” Tigers outfielder Nicholas Castellanos said. “That’s the goal. We want to get ourselves to that spot, and these two days have shown we have a long way to go.”
SNAPPED
Miley had allowed three earned runs or fewer in 24 straight starts, but Rodriguez’s two-run homer in the sixth ended that streak. Miley’s streak included all 16 of his starts last season and his first eight of 2019.
He allowed seven hits and two walks Tuesday, with five strikeouts.
“All in all, it was pretty good,” Hinch said. “It wasn’t his best, but it was certainly good enough, with the run support we had.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: OF Jake Marisnick got the night off after being hit around the elbow by a pitch Monday night . Hinch said Marisnick would play Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Astros: Former Detroit star Justin Verlander (6-1) takes the mound against his former team as the Astros go for a three-game sweep Wednesday night.
Tigers: Manager Ron Gardenhire said LHP Gregory Soto (0-1) would come up from the minors to start Wednesday, with Carpenter headed to Triple-A Toledo. Soto will be on short rest: He made his big league debut Saturday at Minnesota as Detroit’s 26th man for a doubleheader. He was optioned to Double-A Erie, but will now come back.
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