Mike Tauchman hit his first two home runs of the season, helping the Chicago Cubs take a big lead in the first inning of their 7-2 win over Houston on Tuesday night. This loss pushed the Astros to a record 10 games below .500 for the first time since 2016.
Cody Bellinger hit a two-run homer in the first inning against J.P. France (0-3), and Tauchman followed with a three-run homer. Tauchman hit another solo home run in the eighth inning against Seth Martinez, tying his career high of four RBIs.
“I was just fortunate to put a couple of good swings on it,” Tauchman said after hitting two opposite-field drives to left. “We’re having fun right now and played good ball.”
Bellinger left the game after the fifth inning due to bruised right ribs. He appeared to get injured while running into the center-field wall after chasing a ball in the fourth inning. X-rays showed no sign of fracture, and he will be further evaluated on Wednesday.
Houston has now lost three straight games and six of its last seven. With a record of 7-17, the Astros are in last place and are 10 games below .500 for the first time since starting the 2016 season with an 18-28 record.
“I sense guys are tired of the situation we’re in. We’ve just got to get over the hump,” first-year manager Joe Espada said. “The effort is there, but we’ve got to be better.”
Jordan Wicks (1-2) pitched a season-high six innings for the Cubs, allowing two runs and five hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Chicago has won seven of its last ten games.
“It was frustrating for me,” Wicks said of his first four starts. “I felt like I put a lot of stress on the bullpen. … To go six tonight was awesome.”
France (0-3) gave up five runs, five hits, and four walks in five innings. “It’s hard to recover when you’re down five,” Espada said. “He kept it close after that.” Jake Meyers hit a solo home run for Houston.
