James Outman, Gavin Lux and Teoscar Hernandez homered in support of rookie River Ryan, who excelled in his second career start as the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers salvaged the finale of this three-game interleague series with a 6-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
The Dodgers snapped a four-game road losing streak by blending a second consecutive strong start from Ryan (1-0) with an impressive power display initiated in the middle innings. On the heels of allowing four hits and one unearned run over 5? innings in his major league debut on July 22 against the San Francisco Giants, Ryan did not surrender a hit over his first four innings.
Ryan held a 1-0 lead when he allowed a leadoff double to Jon Singleton in the bottom of the fifth, courtesy of a one-out home run from Outman in the top of that frame. Astros rookie right-hander Spencer Arrighetti (4-9) also carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning but Outman ended that bid with his third home run, an opposite-field shot that carried 343 feet to left field.
An inning later, Lux joined the slugfest, following a leadoff single from Hernandez with his sixth homer of the season. His 379-foot blast to right extended the Dodgers’ lead to 3-0. While Arrighetti held the line there, the damage was done. He allowed three runs on four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over six innings and remained winless over his last five starts.
Ryan sidestepped the Singleton double with a pair of strikeouts to end the fifth. When Jose Altuve reached with a leadoff double in the sixth, Ryan induced consecutive flyball outs to center to end his day. Ryan was charged with one run on two hits and three walks with eight strikeouts.
That lone run came on the next pitch, the first thrown by Dodgers left-hander Alex Vesia to Astros designated hitter Yainer Diaz, who drilled a fastball 414 feet to left-center field that sliced the deficit to 3-2. Vesia recovered and retired the next four batters he faced before right-handers Joe Kelly and Brent Honeywell emerged from the Dodgers bullpen to keep the Astros in check.
Hernandez (2-for-5, two runs) provided insurance with his 22nd home run leading off the eighth, yanking a first-pitch slider from Astros left-hander Bryan King into the left-field seats to up the lead to 4-2. Lux scored twice, drove in a pair of runs and walked three times.