Astros take game 1 from Rangers
Astros daily report: Astros 2, Rangers 1
Apr 1, 2019, 9:46 pm
Astros take game 1 from Rangers
The Astros started a three-game series with the Rangers in Arlington tonight. Here's how game one shook out:
Final Score: Astros 2, Rangers 1
Record: 2-3, fourth in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Brad Peacock (1-0).
Losing pitcher: Adrian Sampson (0-1).
Star of the game: Brad Peacock made a big impact in his return to the starting rotation, throwing about as efficient and effective of a game as he could. Peacock went six and two-thirds innings, giving up just one run on two hits with five strikeouts on 86 pitches in his 2019 debut.
Notes: George Springer wasted no time, starting the game off with a leadoff solo home run to put the Astros up 1-0 before Drew Smyly could record an out. They stranded a few runners in the following innings, setting up the Rangers to tie the game with a solo homer of their own in the bottom of the third. Robinson Chirinos, in his return to Globe Life Park, broke the tie in the top of the sixth, driving in Carlos Correa on an RBI-double to put Houston ahead 2-1. A.J. Hinch pulled Peacock two outs into the seventh, going to Ryan Pressly to get the final out of that inning. Pressly would continue on in the eighth, keeping the 2-1 lead intact for Roberto Osuna who closed things out in the ninth for his first save of the year.
Up next: Game two of this three-game series will get underway at 7:05 PM tomorrow night. Justin Verlander will get his second start of the season for the Astros, while the Rangers will send out newly signed Shelby Miller for his first start with his new team.
The Houston Texans have a big challenge in store as they look to start the season with a win against the Colts this Sunday. When these two teams met in Week 2 last year, the Colts dominated the Texans, despite losing their QB Anthony Richardson to a concussion after the first quarter.
Keeping Richardson contained on Sunday will go a long way in increasing the Texans' chances of coming home with a win. The Texans defense will have their hands full containing the Colts backs and tight ends in the passing game.
Scoring touchdowns with their wide receivers could prove difficult, as the Texans allowed the second-fewest TDs (10) to the receiver position in 2023.
Limiting running back Jonathan Taylor will also be a top priority. While the Texans had an elite defense against the run last season, they struggled with Taylor in Week 18 as he almost rushed for 200 yards.
Houston's D allowed only four carries to running backs in 2023 that went for 20 or more yards. Two of which were to Taylor in the final game of the regular season.
Finally, DeMeco Ryans and company have to find a way to get pressure on the QB. They only had one QB hit and zero sacks on Richardson and Garner Minshew the first time they faced off last year.
On offense, the Texans have two big x-factors to watch for on Sunday. The offensive line that suited up to play the Colts in Week 2 last season is completely different from this year.
The o-line was ravaged with injuries to start the 2023 campaign, so we expect a big jump in productivity in the trenches this year.
Another big addition in 2024 is the presence of running back Joe Mixon. The running game only produced 2 yards per rush in Week 2 against Indy last year, so there's clearly room for improvement.
Be sure to watch the video above for our in-depth preview of Texans-Colts!
And catch Texans on Tap (a Texans podcast) live on our SportsMapTexans YouTube channel following every game this season!