MCHUGH LOSES NO-HITTER BUT 'STROS WIN GAME

Singleton Homers in 1st Career AB

 

HOUSTON, June 3 (AP) - Colin McHugh took a no-hitter two outs into the eighth inning before surrendering a single to Kole Calhoun, and the Houston Astros went on to defeat the Los Angeles Angels 4-2 at Minute Maid Park.  McHugh is just the fifth big league pitcher this year to make it this deep into a game with a no-hitter intact.  Only Jon Niese of the Mets has completed a no-hitter thus far this season, turning the trick on May 11 against the Phillies at Citi Field.

 

The Astros jumped on Angels starter C.J. Wilson early and often, removing some of the pressure from McHugh's shoulders.  Jon Singleton, making his major league debut, launched a Wilson offering into the lower seats down the right field line in his very first big league plate appearance.  The second inning solo homer gave Houston a 1-0 advantage. 

 

The Astros added to their lead in the third.  Dexter Fowler drew a lead-off walk and, one out later, advanced to second on George Springer's base hit.  Jason Castro then lined a double to left-center, scoring both baserunners, making the score 3-0.

 

And in the fourth, Chris Carter led off with a single and advanced to third on Jonathan Villar's one-out two-bagger.  Fowler drew a walk, filling the bases, ending Wilson's day.  He was replaced on the mound by Cam Bedrosian who, shakily, walked Jose Altuve on five pitches to force in a run.  Bedrosian was able to recover and avoid further trouble by striking out Springer and Castro, but the Astros now led 4-0.

 

McHugh had some control issues, walking five, and that nearly led to a run in the top of the fifth when a free pass to Raul Ibanez started things off for the Angels.  A wild pitch advanced Ibanez to second and David Freese's grounder to first moved the runner to third, but McHugh struck out Chris Iannetta and got Erik Aybar on a fly ball to center to keep the shutout intact.

 

In the top of the eighth, McHugh walked Freese to open the frame, but consecutive fielder's choice grounders off the bats of Iannetta and Aybar left a runner on first with two outs and the no-hitter still alive.  But Calhoun grounded a single through the five hole into left field, advancing Aybar to second.  Houston manager Bo Porter removed McHugh, who had thrown more than 100 pitches, and the right-hander left to a loud ovation from the modest Minute Maid crowd.  Josh Fields replaced McHugh and immediately ran into trouble, yielding a double to right-center off the bat of Mike Trout, which scored both runners, cutting the Astros lead in half.  Albert Pujols followed with a base hit to left, with Trout stopping at third.  But with the potential lead run at the plate Fields rose to the occasion, striking out Josh Hamilton for the final out of the inning.

 

The Astros loaded the bases with two outs against Joe Smith in the bottom of the eighth, but Springer fanned to end the inning.

 

Houston brought Chad Qualls into the game to try and close it out and he got Howie Kendrick on a grounder to short for the first out, but Ibanez singled, and was replaced by pinch runner John McDonald.  Freese fanned for the second out, but pinch hitter C.J. Cron rolled a single through the box, putting the tying runs on first and second.  That brought Aybar to the plate, and he grounded into a fielder's choice, forcing Cron at second, to end the game.

 

 

6/3/2014, LAA14-Hou14, Minute Maid Park

 

                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP

2014 Angels            0  0  0  0  0  0  0  2  0     2  5  0     7  0

2014 Astros            0  1  2  1  0  0  0  0  x     4 10  0    11  1

 

Angels               AB  R  H BI   AVG    Astros               AB  R  H BI   AVG

Calhoun           rf  4  1  1  0  .133    Fowler            cf  2  1  1  0  .262

Trout             cf  3  0  1  2  .336    Altuve            2b  4  0  1  1  .389

Pujols            1b  4  0  1  0  .259    Springer          rf  5  1  1  0  .200

Hamilton,J        lf  3  0  0  0  .242    Castro,J          c   4  0  1  2  .165

Kendrick,H        2b  4  0  0  0  .268    Dominguez,M       3b  4  0  1  0  .248

Ibanez            dh  3  0  1  0  .197    Singleton         1b  4  1  1  1  .250

 McDonald         pr  0  0  0  0  .154    Carter            dh  4  1  1  0  .219

Freese            3b  3  0  0  0  .250    Grossman          lf  3  0  1  0  .227

Iannetta          c   2  0  0  0  .183    Villar            ss  4  0  2  0  .202

 Cron             ph  1  0  1  0  .276                         34  4 10  4

Aybar             ss  4  1  0  0  .309

                     31  2  5  2

 

Angels                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Wilson,C         L 4-3           3.1  6  4  4  3  4  64  40  4.33

Bedrosian                        1.1  2  0  0  2  3  37  19  0.00

Morin                            2.1  0  0  0  0  3  31  19  3.24

Smith,J                          1.0  2  0  0  0  2  18  15  3.55

                                 8.0 10  4  4  5 12 150  93

 

Astros                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

McHugh           W 5-2           7.2  1  2  2  5  8 102  55  2.06

Fields           H 5             0.1  2  0  0  0  1  11   7  0.90

Qualls           S 6             1.0  2  0  0  0  1  20  13  4.19

                                 9.0  5  2  2  5 10 133  75

 

LAA: Cron batted for Iannetta in the 9th

     McDonald ran for Ibanez in the 9th

 

2B-Trout(17), Castro,J(4), Villar(12). HR-Singleton(1). RBI-Trout 2(40),

Altuve(20), Castro,J 2(18), Singleton(1). SB-Iannetta(1), Grossman(1).

K-Pujols, Hamilton,J 3, Kendrick,H, Ibanez, Freese 2, Iannetta, Aybar,

Altuve, Springer 3, Castro,J 2, Singleton 3, Carter, Grossman, Villar.

BB-Trout, Hamilton,J, Ibanez, Freese, Iannetta, Fowler 3, Altuve, Grossman.

WP-McHugh.

GWRBI: Singleton

Temperature: 88, Sky: cloudy, Wind: in from center at 6 MPH.

Attendance: 18,020

Game Time: 2:54