Reds blank Astros behind Andrew Abbott to claim a series win
Fortunes change fast in baseball as the Cincinnati Reds have seen over the first 10 days of May. Around 6 p. m.
on Saturday, May 9, the Reds were still mired in an eight-game losing streak and at risk of seeing the streak extended as they trailed Houston Astros in the fifth inning. By about 5 p. m.
on May 10, Cincinnati had won the series against the Astros. After the May 9 comeback win, the Reds closed out the Astros series with a 3-0 victory Sunday at Great American Ball Park. Andrew Abbott continued a strong run of performances with his start of six innings and no runs allowed on just three hits.
Abbott ran his personal scoreless innings streak to 17 2/3 innings. He last allowed a run April 30 against the Colorado Rockies . Three of Abbott's five strikeouts came against Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez.
Cincinnati's bats rallied in the third inning against Houston starter Kai-Wei Teng, whose appearance was his 15th of the year but just his second start. In consecutive at-bats, Elly De La Cruz, Sal Stewart, JJ Bleday and Tyler Stephenson hit a single, double, triple and a single for a 3-0 lead. Bleday's triple made it 2-0 and Stephenson's single added another run.