<p>HOUSTON — Kyle Tucker had a season-best three hits and tied a career high with four RBIs as the Houston Astros beat former bench coach Alex Cora and the Boston Red Sox 11-2 on Monday.</p>
<p>This was the first time Cora, now managing the Red Sox, had faced the Astros since being suspended in 2020 for his role in Houston’s sign-stealing scheme while with the team in 2017. </p>
<p>Cora helped Houston win the World Series in 2017, then guided Boston to the 2018 title. He was fired by the Red Sox after his suspension, then rehired last November.</p>
<p>“I got suspended,” Cora said, reflecting on the scandal before the game. "That’s something that will always be on my resume and I think at the end, we all made a mistake. We all messed up, and we all are paying the price.”</p>
<p>Jose Urquidy (4-2) did his part in ending Boston’s three-game winning streak. He yielded three hits and one run, striking out nine in six innings in his return from the injured list.</p>
<p>Urquidy, who had been out since May 12 with shoulder inflammation, won his career-best fourth straight decision. </p>
<p>The recent struggles for Eduardo Rodriguez (5-4) continued when he allowed a season-high six runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings to extend his losing streak to a career-long four games. He struck out four and walked two pitching just four innings his last time out. </p>
<p>Jose Altuve hit a two-run homer and Alex Bregman drove in two runs for Houston.</p>
<p>The Astros got things going by hitting three consecutive singles with no outs in the second before taking a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Jones. Myles Straw then grounded into a double play that scored another run.</p>
<p>Martín Maldonado singled to start Houston’s third before Altuve homered into the seats in left field to extend the lead to 4-0. That homer was the 140th of Altuve’s career, moving him past Bob Watson and into sole possession of eighth place on the franchise’s all-time list. </p>
<p>Altuve singled with one out in the fifth and Rodriguez walked Bregman with two outs. Colten Brewer relieved and walked Carlos Correa to load the bases, and Tucker grounded a two-run single to center to make it 6-0.</p>
<p>Bregman’s two-run single highlighted a five-run sixth.</p>
<p>Alex Verdugo hit an RBI double in the Boston sixth. Hunter Renfroe homered in the eighth.</p>
<p>TRAINER’S ROOM</p>
<p>Astros: DH Yordan Alvarez missed his fifth straight game with a sore right wrist … 1B Yuli Gurriel was out for a third consecutive game with inflammation in his left middle finger. … LHP Blake Taylor (sprained right ankle) was activated from the 10-day injured list before Monday’s game. … RHP Andre Scrubb and RHP Ralph Garza Jr. were optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land to make room on the roster for Taylor and Urquidy. </p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Boston’s Garrett Richards (4-3, 3.83 ERA) opposes Luis Garcia (3-3, 2.93) when the series continues on Tuesday night. </p>
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