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 streak Jake Smolinski Jersey , the Houston Astros failed time and again to get a big hit when they needed it.They didn’t have that problem Wednesday night.Evan Gattis and Tyler White hit two homers each, Yuli Gurriel added a two-run shot and the Astros broke out of their offensive slump in a huge way with a 12-1 win over the Colorado Rockies to end their skid.“We needed to have a little fun,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “Obviously, nights like this produce that and the hits produce it. Hitters love nothing more than hits and runs.”Gerrit Cole struck out 12 and the defending World Series champions stopped a nine-game home losing streak with their first win in Houston since July 14, their last game before beginning a 10-game road trip. Houston’s five home runs were a season high, and the run total was more than the Astros managed in their last four games combined.The win, combined with Oakland’s loss to Seattle, helped the Astros extend their lead in the AL West to two games, with a series against the Athletics coming up next to start a nine-game trip.“It’s nice to finish a homestand that was disappointing on a high note,” Hinch said. “Happy flight (Thursday) for a really important and really long road trip.”Carlos Correa, who entered the game 1 for 15 since coming off the disabled list on Friday http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-khris-davis-jersey , added a three-run double for the Astros, who have been struggling to find their offense with AL MVP Jose Altuve on the DL for the first time in his career.“For me at least it was a relief, coming in from the DL … to come out with a double and three RBIs and give us the lead early, I think it was huge,” Correa said.The Rockies had trouble stringing hits together against Cole (11-5), who yielded five hits and one run in six innings to end a three-game losing streak and get his first win since July 14.After managing just three hits in a 5-1 loss on Tuesday, the Astros got going immediately in this one. Alex Bregman hit a leadoff double before Tyler Anderson (6-5) walked the next two batters to load the bases. Correa followed with his double to make it 3-0.Bregman drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the second before Gurriel’s homer extended the lead to 6-0.The first homer by Gattis came with two outs in the third to make it 7-0.Cole had allowed just one single with two outs in the fourth when three straight singles, capped by one from Trevor Story, cut the lead to 7-1.White’s two-run shot pushed Houston’s advantage to 9-1 and chased Anderson with one out in the fifth.Anderson allowed a career-high nine runs on seven hits, all for extra bases, in 4 1/3 innings. He remained winless since July 4.“When he missed in the strike zone Chad Pinder Jersey , he missed down the middle. That’s a bad combination,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “You’re throwing balls and your strikes are sort of middle. That’s a tough night for Tyler.”Gattis sent one just over the short wall in right field with two outs in the fifth off Harrison Musgrave to put the Astros up 10-1.White added a second two-run homer when he connected off Musgrave with one out in the seventh.TRAINER’S ROOMAstros: Hinch said OF George Springer (sprained left thumb) will come off the disabled list Friday when he’s eligible, barring any setbacks between now and then. … Altuve, who has been out since July 25, took batting practice on the field for the first time since he’s been out. Hinch said that was an encouraging step, but he still isn’t sure when Altuve will return. … C Brian McCann, out since June 30 with a knee injury that required surgery, will begin an extended rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Fresno on Thursday.Ks ALL DAYCole’s 12-strikeout performance was the franchise-record 25th game this season in which a Houston pitcher struck out at least 10 batters. The previous record was 24 set in 1968, and the 25 double-digit strikeout games tie several teams for the second-most in AL history. The 1973 Angels hold the record with 32. Cole has 219 strikeouts this season, tied with Boston ace Chris Sale for most in the AL — and the most by an Astros pitcher since Nolan Ryan fanned 228 in 1988.UP NEXTRockies: RHP Jon Gray (9-7, 4.81 ERA) will start against Atlanta RHP Julio Teheran (8-7 http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-khris-davis-jersey , 4.33 ERA) in the opener of a four-game series Thursday night. Gray is 3-0 with a 1.04 ERA in his career against Atlanta.Astros: Off on Thursday before Charlie Morton (12-3, 2.88) starts the opener of a three-game series at Oakland. Morton took his first defeat since July 1 in his last start when he allowed seven hits and three runs in six innings of a 3-2 loss to Seattle. PHOENIX (AP) — Ender Inciarte failed to execute a sacrifice bunt in the ninth inning. It worked out just fine for the Atlanta Braves.Facing a 3-2 count with two men on, Inciarte swung away and hit a go-ahead, three-run homer during a six-run rally, and the Braves went on to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-5 and increase their NL East lead to 4½ games.The Braves took advantage of a loss by Philadelphia to match their biggest division edge of the season. Atlanta took three of four in the series.“I was just trying to hit it hard up in the air somewhere, because I wanted to move the runners however I can and I didn’t want to hit a ball into a double play,” Inciarte said. “I got a good pitch to hit and I was able to hit the ball like that.”The third-place Diamondbacks have lost seven of nine. They stayed 2½ games behind NL West-leading Colorado.Atlanta didn’t have a hit until Ronald Acuna Jr. homered off Robbie Ray in the sixth. The Braves trailed 4-3 going into the ninth before Tyler Flowers and Ozzie Albies opened with singles off Brad Boxberger (2-7) and Inciarte, a former Diamondbacks fan favorite, went deep.“Fastball, just pulled it over the plate a little bit, and (Inciarte) was on it Blake Treinen Jersey ,” Boxberger said. “It’s definitely frustrating. Nothing is kind of going my way. Balls are being hit just out of the reach of our defenders and the ball is kind of bouncing the opposite direction of where I want it to go.”Braves manager Brian Snitker was glad he canceled the bunt order.“Bunting is easier said than done,” Snitker said. “After two strikes, the last thing I wanted him to do was foul a ball off. So I just took it off and thank God I did.”After Boxberger left to boos from the crowd at Chase Field, Lucas Duda greeted reliever Yoan Lopez with a long home run to right. Acuna then tripled and Johan Camargo hit his 18th homer.Lopez failed to record an out in his major league debut as Arizona’s bullpen imploded. Manager Torey Lovullo elected not to use a group of his preferred relievers to give them rest.“I know we have a very capable group down there who has pretty much done it all year long,” Lovullo said. “I believe in that group. They are going to get some big outs for us down the stretch.”Sam Freeman (3-5) got the win with an inning of scoreless relief.The Diamondbacks led 4-3 going into the ninth after Nick Ahmed and David Peralta delivered key hits in a four-run sixth inning.Acuna scored three runs and Touki Toussaint pitched 5 2/3 innings for Atlanta. Toussaint left with a 2-0 lead against the team that originally drafted him.“Had a lot of walks, but other than that felt pretty good,” Toussaint said.Ray lost his no-hit bid when Toussaint singled sharply to left with one out in the sixth. Acuna followed with an opposite-field homer to right.Braves reliever Luke Jackson faced four hitters and didn’t get an out, allowing two runs charged to Toussaint to score and two of his own.The Braves made it 4-3 in the eighth against reliever Jake Diekman. Freddie Freeman’s two-out single drove in Acuna.WALKING TO A RECORDArizona star Paul Goldschmidt drew a walk in the third inning, surpassing Luis Gonzalez for the Diamondbacks’ all-time record for walks with 651. Goldschmidt made it 652 with another walk in the seventh.POSITIVE SPINThe Diamondbacks are in the midst of a tough stretch, with the next five series against postseason contenders Colorado, Houston Chris Hatcher Jersey , the Chicago Cubs, the Rockies again and the Los Angeles Dodgers.“I still believe we’re in a really good spot,” Lovullo said. “We’re not that far off. We’re 2½ games out of first place? Sign me up. I would take that every day of the week.”TRAINER’S ROOMDiamondbacks: Peralta has a minor left ankle injury and was originally held out of Sunday’s lineup until coming off the bench to pinch hit.UP NEXTBraves: LHP Sean Newcomb (11-8, 3.92 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game set at San Francisco on Monday night. The Braves are 14-13 in his 27 starts this season.Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Godley (14-8, 4.51) opens a four-game series at Colorado on Monday. Godley is 4-0 with a 2.56 ERA in five career starts against the Rockies, including three wins at Coors Field.