Guardians' rookie Chase DeLauter hopes go-ahead 3-run triple vs. Astros gets season back on track
Chase DeLauter has gone through extremes during his first month in the majors. The Cleveland Guardians rookie started the season on fire with five home runs in his first seven regular-season games. DeLauter went into a slump after a seventh-inning, two-run homer against the Chicago Cubs during Cleveland’s home opener on April 3.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Chase DeLauter has gone through extremes during his first month in the majors. The Cleveland Guardians rookie started the season on fire with five home runs in his first seven regular-season games. DeLauter went into a slump after a seventh-inning, two-run homer against the Chicago Cubs during Cleveland’s home opener on April 3.
Before Tuesday night’s game against the Houston Astros, he was mired in a 7-for-47 slump. DeLauter might have gotten his season back on track with a go-ahead, three-run triple in the eighth inning that propelled Cleveland to an 8-5 victory . DeLauter was 0 for 3 when he came up with one out and the bases loaded, with the Guardians trailing 4-3.
On a 2-2 count, he lined a fastball over the middle of the plate from Houston’s Bryan King down the left-field line. Brice Matthews tried to make a diving stop on the ball, but it was beyond his glove and dropped before rattling into the left-field corner. Angel Martínez, Bryan Rocchio and Steven Kwan scored as DeLauter slid into third with his first career triple.
“At the end of the day, trying to be myself. But big situation, one out, trying to get a ball forward,” DeLauter said about the game-winning hit. “I was looking for a heater.