Astros take first game of the series
Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 3 hits from the 4-2 win
May 9, 2019, 10:09 pm
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
After winning the series against the Royals earlier in the week, the Astros turned the page to a four-game set with the Rangers starting on Thursday night. Here's how the first game of the series panned out:
Final Score: Astros 4, Rangers 2
Record: 23-15, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Wade Miley (3-2, 3.18 ERA)
Losing pitcher: Mike Minor (3-3, 2.68 ERA)
1) Six decent innings for Miley
Wade Miley added another good start to his 2019 season, going six innings and keeping the Rangers to two runs in that span. The two runs came on a two-run home run in the top of the fourth, which was one of just two hits he allowed on the night. Those two runs on two hits combined with two walks and seven strikeouts would add up to a good start. The seven strikeouts matched his season-best so far.
2) Offense backs him up
George Springer smashed his 13th home run of the early season in the bottom of the third which put Houston ahead 1-0 at the time. Down 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth, the Astros strung together some hits and a walk to load the bases before Alex Bregman hit a sac fly to tie the game at 2-2. They were unable to convert any more of those runners, though, keeping the game tied until the bottom of the next inning when Josh Reddick put Houston back ahead 3-2 on an RBI single.
Houston threatened again in the bottom of the eighth, looking to add some insurance runs to their one-run lead. They loaded the bases with one-out, then after a strikeout went to a pinch-hitting Michael Brantley who worked an RBI-walk to make it a 4-2 game. That's all they would come away with, but that was enough to get the win.
3) Another dominant showing from the bullpen
Will Harris took over in the seventh and worked around a one-out walk to keep the Astros in front by one run. Ryan Pressly pitched the eighth, just another ho hum scoreless inning to keep his record streak going. That set up Roberto Osuna for another save opportunity, which he converted thanks to a homer-robbing catch by Josh Reddick.
Up Next: Game two of this four-game series will get underway tomorrow night at 7:10 PM. The Astros will send out their ace, Justin Verlander (5-1, 2.86 ERA), to face off against Lance Lynn (4-2, 5.75 ERA) for the Rangers.
The Astros daily report is presented by APG&E.
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Lance McCullers Jr is to start Sunday for the Houston Astros against the Chicago White Sox in his first major league appearance since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series in Philadelphia.
“I’m really excited to have him on the mound on Sunday,” Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday. “He’s worked his tail off to get back to this point, and this whole entire team and this city should be excited to get Lance back.”
An All-Star in 2018, McCullers had surgery on June 13, 2023, to repair his right flexor tendon and to remove a bone spur. The 31-year-old right-hander threw a bullpen session last June but had a setback and was shut down for the year. He has made four minor league rehab starts this year, allowing four runs and 10 hits over 12 2/3 innings with 16 strikeouts and six walks.
In his last appearance, he struck out seven in five shutout innings for Double-A Corpus Christi on Saturday.
“My last two outings I’ve felt really good, my stuff has been pretty crisp,” McCullers said.
He is 49-32 with a 3.48 ERA in seven seasons, all with Houston. McCullers first injured his flexor tendon while pitching on short rest during the 2021 AL Division Series. He missed the first four months of the 2022 season.
“Been waiting for it for a long time,” McCullers said. “Almost feel like I’m making my debut in some aspects, but it’s been a really long road for me.”
McCullers has missed three full seasons since making his major league debut in 2015.
“It would’ve been a pretty sad ending to my story,” McCullers said.