Tigers score early, go on to sweep series from Astros

Dillon Dingler had an RBI triple during a six-run first and the host Detroit Tigers completed a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros with a 7-2 victory on Wednesday afternoon.
Dingler also doubled while scoring two runs for the American League Central Division leaders. Javier Baez contributed two hits and two RBIs, while Spencer Torkelson added an RBI double.
Winning pitcher Charlie Morton (9-10) allowed two runs, three hits and three walks while striking out eight in six innings. Brenan Hanifee, Tyler Holton and Rafael Montero combined for three innings of scoreless relief. Detroit has won nine of its last 11 games.
Mauricio Dubon’s two-run homer ended Houston’s 31-inning scoreless drought. The Astros were shut out in four of their previous five games.
Houston starter Framber Valdez (11-7) was charged with all seven Detroit runs. He gave up seven hits and four walks with two strikeouts in five innings.
Houston center fielder Taylor Trammell left the game in the first inning after crashing into the wall.
Valdez got into trouble in the first by walking Jahmai Jones and Gleyber Torres. Andy Ibanez drove in the first run with a single. Torkelson then slashed an opposite-field, ground-rule double to bring home Torres.
Ibanez scored on a wild pitch, and after Riley Greene drew a walk, Torkelson also scored on a wild pitch. Dingler’s triple to deep center scored Greene, and Dingler scored on Baez’s single against a drawn-in infield.
Jeremy Pena had a leadoff double in the third but a pair of popouts allowed Morton to keep the Astros off the board. Dingler ripped a one-out line drive double to left in the bottom of the inning and scored on Baez’s two-out single to center for a 7-0 lead.
Dubon ended the Astros’ scoring drought when he blasted a two-out sinker from Morton over the right-center field wall. Yainer Diaz, who walked two batters earlier, also scored on Dubon’s seventh homer this season.
Houston had runners in scoring position with one out in the fifth. Morton responded by striking out the next two batters.