Astros start the homestand with a win
Altuve returns, Urquidy deals as Astros take opener against Rangers
Sep 15, 2020, 10:10 pm
Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images
Astros Jose Altuve
With a disappointing road trip behind them, the Astros set their sights on the final two-week stretch of games leading up to the end of the regular season. They started this week, and their last homestand, with the opener of a three-game set against the Rangers. Here is how the game unfolded:
Final Score: Astros 4, Rangers 1.
Record: 24-24, second in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Jose Urquidy (1-1, 2.70 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Nick Goody (0-1, 7.45 ERA).
Springer homers while Urquidy carves up the Rangers
Hi, Cactus Jack sent me. #ForTheH pic.twitter.com/MBiSZW7YyB
— Houston Astros (@astros) September 16, 2020
George Springer felt right at home in the bottom of the first, as he would demolish a ball 455 feet for a leadoff solo home run to put the Astros ahead 1-0. Houston had a chance to expand their lead exponentially in the bottom of the second by loading the bases with no outs but grounded into a double play then popped out as the Rangers would navigate through the jam without allowing any damage.
It looked like the one run may go a long way through the first four innings, as Jose Urquidy was carving up the Rangers' lineup through four perfect frames. The Rangers would get their first hit in the top of the fifth, then back that up with two more, one an RBI-single to tie the game 1-1. That would be the only blemish on Urquidy's night, as he would follow that one-run fifth with two more perfect innings. His final line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 0 HR, 90 P.
Astros start the homestand with a win
Just like in the second, the Astros found themselves in a prime spot to do some damage against Texas in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases again with no outs. After a force out at home for the first out, Alex Bregman would finally break through, dropping a two-RBI single into left field to give Houston a 3-1 lead.
Brooks Raley took over for Urquidy to start the top of the eighth and sat down the bottom of Texas' order for a 1-2-3 inning. Martin Maldonado provided an insurance run in the bottom of the inning, hitting a two-out solo homer into the Crawford Boxes to extend the lead to 4-1. Ryan Pressly would take over for the save opportunity in the top of the ninth and converted it as Houston moved back up to .500 on the year at 24-24 with the win to start the series.
Up Next: The middle game of this series will start at 7:10 PM Central on Wednesday. Lance McCullers Jr. (3-2, 5.79 ERA) will attempt another start for the Astors after a stint on the IL, while Kyle Gibson (1-5, 6.14 ERA) will be on the mound for the Rangers.
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Jacob deGrom went eight innings to win his fourth consecutive start for the Texas Rangers, who got Jake Burger's solo home run off Hunter Brown in a 1-0 win over the Houston Astros on Thursday night in an anticipated pitchers' duel that certainly lived up to expectations.
Two-time Cy Young Award winner deGrom (4-1) is having quite a comeback after missing most of the last two seasons following Tommy John surgery. The 36-year-old right-hander struck out seven, two of those to end innings with two runners on base, while walking one and giving up five hits.
Brown (6-2), who is 10 years younger that deGrom, struck out nine without a walk while scattering three hits in his first career complete game. The righty was tied for the major league lead in wins and retired the first 12 batters he faced before Adolis García lined a double to left to start the fifth.
Shawn Armstrong worked around a two-out walk in the ninth for his second save.
Burger went deep leading off the sixth, a 394-foot drive into the Texas bullpen in right-center for his fourth homer of the season.
Key moment
Rangers right fielder García made a sliding catch of a sinking liner by Mauricio Dubón for the final out of the seventh when Houston had a runner at second base. García had several nice plays, including a sliding catch near the line after running a long way to open the fourth.
Key stat
Bruce Bochy got his 2,195th career win to break a tie with Sparky Anderson for the sixth-most by an MLB manager. Bochy, who turned 70 last month, is in his 28th season as a manager, his third in Texas.
Up next
Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (4-2, 1.78 ERA) goes into Friday night having allowed only two earned runs over 25 innings in his last four starts (3-0). Right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (0-1, 15.75) makes only his third start for Houston since the 2022 World Series.