MCHUGH, SIPP 1-HIT BRAVES

1st Inning Run Holds up for Astros

HOUSTON, June 25 (AP) - Colin McHugh tossed eight innings of one-hit ball and Tony Sipp added a perfect ninth inning as the Houston Astros slipped past the Atlanta Braves 1-0 at Minute Maid Park.  It was the 16tth time this major league season that a team has been one-hit and the second time the Braves have been so victimized; Atlanta managed only one hit in a June 3 loss to the Mariners at Turner Field.  This is the first time the Astros have one-hit an opponent this year.

Houston scored the game's only run in the bottom of the first.  Dexter Fowler led off with a single off Braves starter Alex Wood and advanced to second on Jose Altuve's ground out.  A wild pitch moved Fowler to third and consecutive walks to George Springer and Jon Singleton filled the bases with one out out.  Matt Dominguez then lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Fowler.  Wood avoided further trouble by retiring Jason Castro on a fly to right, but the Astros led 1-0.

Wood ended up going seven strong innings, and preventing the Astros from ever advancing another runner past second base, but it wasn't enough. 

McHugh was in control throughout.  The Braves put two men on base--both of them courtesy of Houston errors--in the third, but failed to score.  The first--and only--Atlanta batter to reach safely was Ryan Doumit, who singled with two outs in the fifth.  McHugh then retired the next ten batters in a row--the last 10 batters he faced.  Sipp retired all three batters he faced in the ninth, so the last 13 Braves hitters in the game were set down in order.

After beginning the season with eleven straight losses and going a combined 17-40 in April and May, the Astros are now a respectable 12-10 in the month of June.  McHugh has played a major role in the turnaround, going 6-1 over his last nine starts with a 1.98 ERA dating back to May 10.

6/25/2014, Atl14-Hou14, Minute Maid Park

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

2014 Braves            0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0     0  1  0     3  0

2014 Astros            1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  x     1  5  2     6  0

Braves               AB  R  H BI   AVG    Astros               AB  R  H BI   AVG

Upton,B           cf  4  0  0  0  .230    Fowler            cf  4  1  1  0  .247

La Stella         2b  3  0  0  0  .215    Altuve            2b  4  0  1  0  .383

 Uggla            ph  1  0  0  0  .131    Springer          rf  3  0  0  0  .219

Freeman,F         1b  4  0  0  0  .305    Singleton         1b  3  0  0  0  .183

Gattis            c   3  0  0  0  .282    Dominguez,M       3b  2  0  1  1  .242

Heyward           rf  3  0  0  0  .246    Castro,J          c   3  0  1  0  .182

Upton,J           lf  3  0  0  0  .237    Carter            dh  3  0  1  0  .232

Johnson,C         3b  3  0  0  0  .265    Hoes              lf  3  0  0  0  .162

Doumit            dh  3  0  1  0  .222    Villar            ss  3  0  0  0  .194

Simmons,A         ss  3  0  0  0  .220                         28  1  5  1

                     30  0  1  0

Braves                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Wood,A           L 5-4           7.0  4  1  1  2  7 101  64  2.84

Varvaro                          1.0  1  0  0  0  2  26  17  1.98

                                 8.0  5  1  1  2  9 127  81

Astros                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

McHugh           W 7-3           8.0  1  0  0  0  5 100  69  2.48

Sipp             S 4             1.0  0  0  0  0  2  10   8  3.15

                                 9.0  1  0  0  0  7 110  77

Atl: Uggla batted for La Stella in the 9th

E-Singleton, Villar. RBI-Dominguez,M(38). SB-Altuve(25). K-Upton,B 2, Gattis,

Heyward, Upton,J, Johnson,C, Uggla, Springer 2, Singleton 2, Castro,J,

Carter 2, Hoes, Villar. BB-Springer, Singleton. SF-Dominguez,M. WP-Wood,A.

GWRBI: Dominguez,M

Temperature: 91, Sky: partly cloudy, Wind: in from center at 7 MPH.

Attendance: 23,472

Game Time: 2:27