Ramos homers twice, Tigers slug Astros for 2nd straight win

<p>HOUSTON &mdash; Wilson Ramos hit two home runs and Renato Núñez and rookie Akil Baddoo each homered for the second straight game as the Detroit Tigers slugged their way to an 8-2 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.</p>
<p>Baddoo, a Rule 5 pick, is off to a scorching start to his major league career with four homers in eight games. Nomar Mazara also homered to give the Tigers a season-high five long balls as they won their second straight following a four-game skid.</p>
<p>The Tigers spoiled the Astros debut of Jake Odorizzi (0-1), who got a late start to the season after signing on March 8. Detroit tagged him for seven hits and five runs, including three homers, in 3 1/3 innings to hand the Astros their fourth consecutive loss after a 6-1 start.</p>
<p>In his first visit to his former team, Detroit manager A.J. Hinch won the opening two games, securing the Tigers’ first series win against the Astros since July 28-30, 2017, and the first series win in Houston since May 2-5, 2013. Hinch was suspended for a year by MLB in January 2020 and subsequently fired by the Astros for his role in the team’s sign-stealing scandal before being hired by Detroit this offseason.</p>
<p>Detroit starter Matthew Boyd (2-1) yielded six hits and one run in 6 2/3 innings.</p>
<p>Yordan Alvarez and Yuli Gurriel hit consecutive singles with no outs in the second and Alvarez scored on a one-out single by Myles Straw that made it 1-0. But Boyd struck out Jason Castro and Jose Altuve to limit the damage.</p>
<p>Those strikeouts were the first of 10 batters in a row retired by Boyd. He allowed a single apiece in the fifth and sixth innings.</p>
<p>The Tigers tied it in the third with <a href="https://twitter.com/tigers/status/1382135617514041351?s=20">Baddoo’s full-count homer</a> to the seats in left field. The ball landed in a sea of Astros fans clad in orange and navy jerseys. But a lone fan in a white Detroit jersey in the middle of the group collected it off the floor and beamed as he held it high in the air.</p>
<p>Jeimer Candelario, who had two hits, doubled to open the fourth before <a href="https://twitter.com/tigers/status/1382142396146782211?s=20">Mazara’s homer</a> with one out put the Tigers up 3-1. Jonathan Schoop singled and Núñez made it 5-1 with his shot to left field.</p>
<p>There was one on and one out in the fifth when <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBHomeRuns_/status/1382154845877047298?s=20">Ramos connected on his fifth homer</a> this season to extend the lead to 7-1.</p>
<p>With two outs in the ninth, he connected to right field again, this time off Nivaldo Rodriguez.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Detroit’s Michael Fulmer (0-0, 2.57 ERA) opposes Lance McCullers Jr. (1-0, 1.80) when the Tigers try for the sweep on Wednesday night.</p>
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