ASTROS LOSE THE FINALE

Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 3 hits from the 9-8 loss

SportsMap Staff
Aug 29, 2019, 4:27 pm
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images

The Astros secured another series win after beating the Rays on Wednesday night. Houston was looking for a sweep on Thursday afternoon with Zack Greinke taking the hill. Here is a recap of the finale of the three-game series.

Final Score: Rays 9, Astros 8.

Record: 87-48, first in the AL West.

Winning pitcher: Jose De Leon (1-0, 3.00 ERA).

Losing pitcher: Chris Devenski (2-3, 5.28 ERA).

Not a great start for Greinke

Despite Zack Greinke not having his best performance on Thursday, the Astros still had a chance to win the game. Houston had a 6-5 lead going into the seventh inning when Chris Devenski gave up three earned runs giving the Rays an 8-6 lead.

Astros fight back

​The Astros added a run in the bottom of the seventh, making it a one-run game. That didn't last long when the Rays took that run right back in the top of the eighth making the score 9-7.

Toro homers in the ninth inning

Abraham Toro put the Astros within one run when he homered in the bottom of the ninth off Emilio Pagan, but that wasn't enough as the Astros lost the final game of the series.

Up Next: The Astros head to Toronto for a three-game series against the Blue Jays that starts on Friday at 6:07PM. Wade Miley (13-4, 3.13 ERA) takes the mound for Houston and will face RHP Trent Thornton (4-8, 5.34 ERA).

The Astros daily report is presented by APG&E.

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Astros win another against the Rangers

Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 2 hits from the 4-1 win

Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images

The Astros, after a day off on Monday, were back in action at home on Tuesday night for the two-game conclusion of the season series with the Rangers. At 98 wins, and with their magic number down to four, it was a timely night to get Carlos Correa back in the lineup and have Justin Verlander on the mound. Here is a quick recap of the game:

Final Score: Astros 4, Rangers 1.

Record: 99-53, first in the AL West.

Winning pitcher: Justin Verlander (19-6, 2.50 ERA).

Losing pitcher: Lance Lynn (14-11, 3.77 ERA).

1) Verlander goes six scoreless

It was a stout pitching matchup early in Tuesday's game, with both Justin Verlander and Lance Lynn tossing scoreless frames through the first half of the game. Verlander would win the battle, shutting out the Rangers through six innings while Lynn would allow three runs over that same span.

Although Verlander had managed his pitch count well through his six innings, he would not be asked to extend himself as Houston gears up for the postseason. That didn't keep him from putting up more strikeouts and efficiency to his season totals, though. His final line: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 0 HR.

2) Houston backs up JV with 3 home runs while the bullpen finishes it off

Meanwhile, Verlander's offense provided him with three runs of support. The first came on a solo home run by Yuli Gurriel to start the scoring for the night in the bottom of the fifth. In the bottom of the sixth, Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez hit two solo home runs as well, back-to-back shots to extend the lead to 3-0.

Hector Rondon was the first out of Houston's bullpen to take over for Verlander in the top of the seventh and would allow a solo home run to cut the lead to 3-1 before getting out of the inning. In the bottom of the inning, Robinson Chirinos hit a blooper into left field that the Rangers converged on but could not catch, and with Chirinos not stopping on the bases, was able just to beat out the tag for a triple. He would score on an RBI-single, pushing the lead back to three runs at 4-1.

Will Harris was the next pitcher for Houston and recorded a 1-2-3 inning to maintain the lead headed to the ninth. Roberto Osuna would enter in the top of the ninth, and he was able to close out the three-run lead to reduce Houston's magic number to three and move them to 99 wins on the year.

Up Next: The final game this season between the Astros and Rangers, since Texas has already been eliminated from playoff contention, will take place on Wednesday night at 7:10 PM. Kolby Allard (4-0, 4.34 ERA) is expected to get the start for the Rangers while Gerrit Cole (17-5, 2.62 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros.

The Astros daily report is presented by APG&E.

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