DENVER (AP) — Wade Miley tossed six strong innings and Yuli Gurriel and Alex Bregman homered to lead the Houston Astros to a 4-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night.
Miley (7-4) struck out six and retired 11 of the last 12 batters he faced. He walked the first two Rockies he faced but settled down to get out of the inning after Ian Desmond’s RBI single.
Roberto Osuna pitched the ninth for his 19th save.
Bregman hit his team-leading 23rd homer, a solo shot in the first. Gurriel led off the second with his 11th of the season and third of the series.
The Astros added two more in the fourth on Josh Reddick’s bases-loaded double, but Gurriel was thrown out at home to end the inning.
Charlie Blackmon had two hits, including an RBI single in the seventh, for Colorado. Rookie right-hander Peter Lambert (2-1) went five innings in his first major league loss.
HAPPY 4TH
Neither the Rockies nor the Astros play on Thursday, marking a rare day off on Independence Day.
“It’s going to be the first 4th of July where I don’t have a reason to go to the ballpark,” Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. “It will be weird. Having a number of teams having the off day, I don’t think many of us know what to do. We’re just so used to coming here and letting the game be our celebration.”
The two-game series at Coors Field included postgame fireworks each night, which helped remind Colorado manager Bud Black about the holiday.
“The actual July 4th is the day we always play,” he said. “But with fireworks on July 2nd and fireworks (Wednesday) night it feels like July 3rd is July 4th.”
DOUBLE HONOR
Blackmon was named the NL Player of the Month for June after hitting .412 with 10 homers in 22 games and his former teammate, New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu, won the award in the AL after hitting .395 with six homers, 29 RBIs and 26 runs scored.
Black, who managed LeMahieu in 2017 and ’18, spoke highly of him.
“Wherever DJ landed he was going to be the same steady, dependable player he was with us,” Black said. “It’s good to see guys you feel close to do good things. I’m always pulling for the good guys.”
UP NEXT
Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (10-3, 2.86) will open a three-game home series against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday.
Rockies: RHP Antonio Senzatela (7-5, 4.83) will make his third start of the season against Arizona in Phoenix on Friday.
