After being defeated on Saturday, the Houston Astros made amends with Korey Lee getting his first three major league hits and driving in three runs, leading Jake Odorizzi to victory over the Oakland Athletics, 6-1 on Sunday at RingCentral in Oakland.
The first-time All-Star Kyle Tucker struck his 17th home run to lead the first-place Astros to their 11th victory in 13 games.
Astros manager Dusty Baker was impressed by the timely delivery of the ball. Furthermore, he thought Korey Lee delivered an outstanding performance, going 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.
“We got some timely hitting from some guys who played pretty good fundamental ball. Got ‘em over and got ’em in,” he said proudly. “Korey Lee had a big day in front of all his folks. He put on a good display.” Baker added.
The 23-old-year Lee singled to left field in the fifth inning for his first major-league hit after going 0-for-5 with a walk. That scored Jake Meyers, who had led off the inning with a double, giving the Astros a 2-0 lead.
The Astros’ No. 2 prospect admitted that it was his duty to score and that his team had worked well together, especially with Odorizzi, who assisted him in getting his first big league hit in the Bay Area.
“We were playing the game,” Lee said. “At the end of the day, what we’re supposed to do is score and get runs in and hit the ball. It was a really, really good team win today. [Jake] Odorizzi pitched his [butt] off. It was impressive and special to be out there on the field today.” said the U.C. Berkeley alma mater.
After being drafted 32nd overall by the Astros in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft, Lee has had a few setbacks on his way to the majors. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lee, like many other prospects, missed a year of professional development in 2020.
Lee’s efforts are coming to fruition, as he advanced quickly through Houston’s system in 2021, starting at High-A Asheville and ending at Triple-A Sugar Land.
Jake Odorizzi is back
Odorizzi (4-2) limited the A’s to four hits in seven innings in his second start after suffering tendon and ligament damage but no tears or strains while running to cover first base on a fielding play.
After missing 42 games, he struck out seven batters while walking only one. The veteran right-hander walked one batter and won his second game against Oakland in 11 appearances. He struck out on 67 of his 98 pitches in his longest outing of the season.
“I felt like I was in command,” Odorizzi said when asked about Sunday’s game.
The 32-year-old said his stamina was at an all-time high during the match, and he thanked his junior Lee for helping him complete the game.
“I wasn’t really getting fatigued. I felt like I was getting stronger as the game went on. Mixed pitches really well today, kind of used the whole arsenal a little bit better and I thought Korey did a really, really good job behind the plate sticking with me, executing the game plan.” He expressed his excitement.
Odorizzi came out strong, pitching four scoreless innings on 49 pitches, allowing three hits but stranding two runners and picking off another. It was a noticeable difference from his previous start against the Royals on July 4, when he enabled five runs on nine hits with three strikeouts in four innings.