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Chase DeLauter hit a go-ahead three-run triple in the eighth inning, leading the Cleveland Guardians to an 8-5 victory over the Houston Astros. This hit may help DeLauter recover from a recent slump, improving the Guardians' record to 4-2 on their homestand.
CLEVELAND (AP) â 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 Clevelandâs home opener on April 3. Before Tuesday nightâs 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 Houstonâs 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 MartĂnez, Bryan Rocchio and Steven Kwan scored as DeLauter slid into third with his first career triple. âAt the end of the day, trying to be myself. But big situation, one out, trying to get a ball forward,â DeLauter said about the game-winning hit. âI was looking for a heater. I got a couple there that I fouled off, but just trying to battle and get something out there. I got the pitch to hit.â The hit was huge for DeLauter and the Guardians, who were 0-10 when trailing after seven innings before scoring six in the eighth to improve to 4-2 on their current homestand. âItâs no secret he hasnât gotten results, but this kidâs a good hitter,â manager Stephen Vogt said. âGood hitters use the whole field, and cool moment for him. Obviously, a huge hit for us. We needed a comeback win like that tonight.â DeLauter was the first Cleveland player to make his major league debut in last yearâs AL Wild Card series against . In his first seven regular-season games, he batted .346 (9 for 26) with five home runs and eight RBIs. Things got more difficult as opposing pitchers changed their strategy against DeLauter, whose batting average had dropped to .211 when he came up in the eighth inning. Despite the rough stretch, Vogt kept confidence in DeLauter and didnât remove him from the lineup. The third-year manager also kept DeLauter in the two spot, between AL All-Stars Steven Kwan and . âThe game moves fast. You get off to a hot start and teams want to figure out how to shut that down,â DeLauter said. âI think the big thing is not falling into those adjustments and wondering why itâs happening and whatâs going wrong. âI feel like a lot of guys, younger guys start to have those thoughts roll in and to hear from the team that they believe in you to have you out there, itâs a good feeling.â The one thing DeLauter has been consistent with is producing in the eighth inning or later. He is 6 for 19 with two homers and seven RBIs in the late innings. Despite hitting in front of RamĂrez, DeLauter said that it hasnât been a hindrance. âOf course I want to get JosĂ© up there with runners on as much as possible, I mean, thatâs the goal, but I think when Iâm putting too much pressure on myself, or Iâm ignoring some of this stuff too, it doesnât put me in the best spot. So I think the best thing I can do is go up to the plate with all the confidence and just be myself in any situation in the game,â DeLauter said. \\_ AP MLB:
Chase DeLauter hit a go-ahead three-run triple in the eighth inning, contributing to the Guardians' 8-5 victory.
Chase DeLauter started strong with five home runs in his first seven games but struggled with a batting average that dropped to .211 before his recent hit.
DeLauter's hit was crucial as it marked the Guardians' first comeback win after trailing in the eighth inning, improving their record to 4-2 during the homestand.
Manager Stephen Vogt maintained confidence in DeLauter, keeping him in the lineup and batting him second despite his recent slump.
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