Gurriel singles, strains hamstring in debut

BALTIMORE — It was a dream more than 15 years — plus nearly five hours — in the making, but borders and politics always stood in the way. Yulieski Gurriel, at 32 years old, knew he was running short on time if he wanted to reach the pinnacle of the sport and play in the big leagues, which is why he took a chance and defected from Cuba with his brother earlier this year.

Gurriel, who defected following the Caribbean Series in February and signed with the Astros in July for $47.5 million, finally stepped onto a Major League field Sunday and made an immediate impact. He singled in his first at-bat and finished 1-for-2 with a walk before leaving with a strained right hamstring in the Astros’ 5-3 win over the Orioles. He’s day to day.

“This is a dream of mine for years, and not only for me to make it, but a Cuban player to make it into the big leagues, is a big deal,” he said through a translator before the game. “I’m just going to be very excited.”

Gurriel and the Astros waited out two separate rain delays — the first over four hours before the first pitch — before Gurriel’s first at-bat. Gurriel worked the count to 3-1 in the second inning before singling to center off Yovani Gallardo for his first Major League hit.

“I was very excited, obviously, stepping to the plate, but I was able to control my emotions and stay focused on the task at hand,” Gurriel said.

Astros manager A.J. Hinch has been peppered with questions about Gurriel for weeks, and was finally able to write his name in the lineup card.

“I thought he was good,” Hinch said. “He was very calm for his …

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