Victor Caratini’s RBI single in the 10th inning helped Houston clinch a 2-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night, despite losing starting pitcher Ronel Blanco, who was ejected after a foreign substance check.
The game was tied at 1 when pinch-runner Trey Cabbage replaced Jon Singleton on second base in the 10th. Cabbage advanced to third on a flyball by Jake Meyers before Caratini hit a grounder to center off Michael Kelly (2-1), securing the Astros’ fifth win in six games.
Manager Joe Espada praised the bullpen’s performance, acknowledging the unfortunate ejection of Blanco. He highlighted the team effort in securing the victory.
Espada also commended Caratini’s composure, noting his previous game-ending homer on April 30. Josh Hader (2-3) earned the win by a tense situation in the top of the 10th inning.
Oakland equalized the score at 1 in the eighth inning, with Abraham Toro’s ground-rule double and Brent Rooker’s single driving in the run. Houston had taken an early lead with Alex Bregman’s home run in the second inning, his fourth homer of the season.
Bregman hit a double in the fourth inning, making him the first player in team history to get an extra-base hit in five consecutive at-bats. This achievement hasn’t been seen in the majors since Yankees player Aaron Judge did it last season.
However, Bregman’s streak came to an end when he grounded out in the sixth inning.
Blanco got ejected by third base umpire Laz Diaz after his glove was checked before the start of the fourth inning. The umpires, Blanco, and Espada talked for a couple of minutes on the mound before Blanco was thrown out.
During the inspection, Blanco patted his hands together in front of the umpires, and he repeated the motion after he was tossed. Blanco’s glove was taken away.
“I felt something inside the glove,” first base umpire Erich Bacchus said. “It was the stickiest stuff I’ve felt on a glove since we’ve been doing this for a few years now.” After Bacchus found the substance, he called the rest of the crew to discuss.
“Everybody checked the glove to make sure we all had the same thing, and he had to get ejected because he had a foreign substance on his glove,” Diaz explained.
