pow!
Late home run lifts Astros to dramatic win over Rangers
May 18, 2025, 7:28 pm
The Astros beat the Rangers, 4-3. Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images.
Isaac Paredes hit a go-ahead, three-run homer off reliever Robert Garcia in the eighth inning after Texas rookie Jack Leiter lost a no-hit bid in the seventh, and the Houston Astros rallied for a 4-3 victory over the Rangers on Sunday.
ISAAC. PAREDES. LET'S. GO. pic.twitter.com/Nh3cWZ51P1
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 18, 2025
Leiter gave up Yainer Diaz's solo homer with two outs in the seventh as Houston trimmed its deficit to 3-1.
Yainer goes yard! #BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/VxlwHikeaY
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 18, 2025
The 25-year-old right-hander was replaced after consecutive soft singles from Jake Meyers and Cam Smith to start the eighth.
Texas reliever Chris Martin came on for Leiter but threw just one pitch before leaving with what the team said was right shoulder discomfort.
Lefty Robert Garcia (1-2) got two outs before Paredes' drive — his seventh homer — barely cleared the wall and the glove of a leaping Wyatt Langford near the foul line in left.
Josh Hader struck out two in a perfect ninth for his 11th save as the Texas rivals split a four-game series.
Houston left-hander Framber Valdez (3-4) opened with three perfect innings in his first meeting with the Rangers since losing a no-hitter with two outs in the ninth on the same mound last August.
The Rangers started the fourth with consecutive singles from Sam Haggerty, Langford and Josh Jung, who drove home Haggerty in a three-run inning for Texas.
Key moment
Jonah Heim hit a deep drive to right-center with two outs and two on in the eighth with Texas trailing by a run, but Meyers ran it down on the warning track.
Key stat
Leiter, the son of retired major league pitcher Al Leiter, pitched into the eighth for the first time in 13 big league starts over two seasons.
Up next
Houston rookie LHP Colton Gordon (0-0, 6.23 ERA) is set for the opener of a series at Tampa Bay on Monday. Texas lefty Patrick Corbin (3-2, 3.35) is set for the opener at the New York Yankees on Tuesday.
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.