Castillo wins 7th straight as Reds squeak past Astros

Luis Castillo overcame errant command of the strike zone and the host Cincinnati Reds held on through some tense moments in the later innings for a 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Monday. Castillo (7-1) walked a career-high six batters, including Robinson Chirinos and Tyler White to open the top of the seventh inning.

Chirinos and pinch-hitter Jake Marisnick ultimately scored to slice Houston's deficit to 3-2, but reliever Amir Garrett induced a fly out from Yordan Alvarez to stifle the Houston rally and strand a pair of runners in scoring position. Houston stranded two more runners in scoring position in the eighth when Tony Kemp rolled a grounder to the right side with Josh Reddick on third base and pinch-runner Jack Mayfield on second.

Houston finished 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, woes that started when White hit into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the fourth inning of a scoreless tie. Castillo allowed two hits and fanned seven while working six-plus innings. Like his mound counterpart for the Astros, left-hander Wade Miley (6-4), Castillo returned to the mound following a 52-minute rain delay. Despite the walks, he won his seventh consecutive decision.

Miley was sharp early before suddenly unravelling in the bottom of the fifth. Castillo played a vital role that inning with a sacrifice bunt that pushed Curt Casali and Kyle Farmer into scoring position after they opened the frame with a single and a walk, respectively. Rookie centre fielder Nick Senzel followed with a two-run single to centre off a 1-0 cutter. Two batters later, Eugenio Suarez grounded a seeing-eye single to right that scored Senzel, who advanced into scoring position when Joey Votto worked a walk. Miley departed after a walk to Yasiel Puig.

Three Reds pitchers combined to issue nine walks, including two from closer Raisel Iglesias, who was pulled with one runner on base and one out in the ninth. Michael Lorenzen entered and notched his third save, capping the victory with a strikeout of Alvarez. The Astros have dropped consecutive games for the first time since May 22-23 against the Chicago White Sox.