Yordan Alvarez extended his career-long hitting streak with an RBI double that ignited a four-run fourth inning, leading the host Houston Astros to a 7-3 interleague victory over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.
Alvarez finished 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs while extending his hitting streak to 13 games and his on-base streak to 36 games, the latter extending his franchise mark to start a season. His double in the fourth drove home Alex Bregman and started the uprising against Cubs left-hander Justin Steele (6-1).
Steele had his streak of 14 consecutive starts allowing two or fewer earned runs snapped in his previous outing when he surrendered three earned runs over six innings in a 10-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Steele allowed a run in the first Tuesday when Mauricio Dubon stroked a leadoff double and later scored on a wild pitch with Alvarez at the plate.
The fourth inning was an onslaught.
Alvarez snapped a 1-1 deadlock with his double and scored when Kyle Tucker followed with an opposite-field double to left field. The Astros added two more run-scoring doubles later in the inning, both with two outs, as Corey Julks drove home Tucker before scoring when Chas McCormick capped the uprising with a two-bagger that extended the lead to 5-1.
Steele allowed five runs on five hits and one walk with eight strikeouts over six innings. It marked the most earned runs he has allowed since June 23, 2022, when he surrendered six runs (five earned) on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Alvarez added an RBI single in the seventh inning that plated Dubon, who finished 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles. The Astros amassed six extra-base hits — all doubles.
Houston right-hander Cristian Javier (4-1) had no such issues. He did allow a solo home run to Cubs first baseman Matt Mervis, his first career dinger, with two outs in the second inning, but was otherwise sharp. The Cubs also managed base runners against Javier in the third, fifth and sixth innings but none reached scoring position.
Javier allowed one run on two hits and two walks with five strikeouts over six innings.
The Cubs have dropped their last four games and have lost four consecutive road series. Seiya Suzuki clubbed his third home run of the season, a two-run shot, with two outs in the ninth off Astros left-hander Matt Gage.
–Field Level Media
