HOUSTON —
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According to Elias Sports Bureau, it was also the longest home run drought snapped with a multihomer game in major league history.
“Eight years between home runs, that’s a long time,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “It’s a great story and, the fact that it happened here and he helped us win a ball game with a couple of homers and another hit and five RBI, that was a great night.”
It was a winding road for Singleton to return to the Astros. The 31-year-old appeared in 114 games for the Astros in 2014 and 2015 after signing a five-year, $10 million contract. He last appeared in a major league game for the Astros on Oct. 2, 2015.
Singleton returned to the majors earlier this season for the Milwaukee Brewers, playing 11 games before being released. Even then, he never imagined he’d end up back with the Astros.
“With the Astros, no, definitely not,” he said. “But I’m just grateful and thankful to be here.”
Singleton was in the Astros’ organization until before the 2018 season, when he asked for his release after being suspended 100 games for a third positive drug test while playing at Double-A Corpus Christi.
His home runs Friday were his first hits with the Astros this season. He had gone 0-for-4 with two walks in his first two games.
Singleton walked in Houston’s three-run fourth and singled in the eighth to tie a career high with three hits.
Justin Verlander (7-6), making his second start for the Astros since being traded from the New York Mets — and first at home — allowed six hits and three runs with seven strikeouts in six innings for the win on a night he became 50th player in major league history to start 500 games. He joins Zack Greinke (536) as the only active pitchers to reach the mark.
Friday was his 251st career win.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
