SERIES PREVIEW
Astros-Rangers series breakdown: Take care of business
Sep 15, 2020, 11:52 am
Composite photo by Brandon Strange
Probable starters
Tues, Sept. 15 - TEX: Kyle Cody (0-1, 0.93) vs. HOU: Jose Urquidy (0-1, 3.72)
Wed, Sept. 16 - TEX: Kyle Gibson (1-5, 6.14) vs. HOU: Lance McCullers Jr. (3-2, 5.79)
Thurs, Sept. 17 - TEX: Jordan Lyles (1-4, 7.80) vs. HOU: Framber Valdez (3-3, 4.08)
Storylines
Take Care of Business: The Astros have been awful on the road, going 7-18 away from Minute Maid Park, but 16-6 in their friendly confines. The Astros have been similarly putrid against above .500 teams, while performing well against below .500 teams. Houston needs that trend to continue if they want to hold onto a playoff spot.
McCullers Returns: Lance McCullers is returning from his stint on the IL. His health will be paramount if the Astros want to make a playoff run. It's a delicate balance, as you don't want to handle him with kid gloves too much, but you don't want to risk injury to him again.
Streaky Seattle: Seattle sits just 1.5 GB of the Astros for 2nd place in the AL West after they ripped off a six game winning streak while the Astros struggled on their West coast road swing. The pressure is on Houston to fend off the Mariners.
Prediction
Jose Urquidy, Lance McCullers, and Framber Valdez are three quality MLB arms. Combine the ideal starting pitching matchups with a return to Minute Maid Park, and the Astros sweep the Rangers.
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Christian Walker singled home the go-ahead run in the ninth inning and the Houston Astros beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-3 on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.
WALKER FOR THE LEAD!#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/WDf7uZKB9C
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 23, 2025
Zack Short and Taylor Trammell started the ninth with bunt singles against Kevin Ginkel (1-4). One out later, Walker, a former Diamondback, hit a grounder up the middle to score Short.
Josh Hader pitched the ninth for his 27th save and the Astros, who have won four in a row took a six-game lead in the AL West.
Arizona trailed 3-1 entering the eighth, but Geraldo Perdomo led off with a double off reliever Bennett Sousa (4-0). Ketel Marte singled to drive in Perdomo, Corbin Carroll doubled to right sending Marte to third. Marte scored the tying run on Josh Naylor’s single.
Brandon Walter had held the Diamondbacks to one run and four hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out five, throwing just 82 pitches.
Walter doing the job. #BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/4kamv3p1oj
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 23, 2025
Marte hit Walter’s first pitch of the game for a home run, his 20th of the season.
The Astros scored twice in the sixth. Walker led off with a double off Brandon Pfaadt, then advanced to third when Yainer Diaz also doubled. But Walker scored when shortstop Perdomo booted Brice Matthews’ grounder for an error. Diaz scored the go-ahead run on reliever Andrew Saalfrank’s wild pitch.
Houston made it 3-1 when Diaz doubled off Trevor Richards leading off the eighth and scored on Mauricio Dubón’s single.
Perdomo went 4 for 4.
Postgame reaction
Walker joined Space City Home Network after the game and discussed sweeping his former team and much more!
Christian Walker drives in the winning run in the 9th as the #Astros win 4-3 and sweep the Diamondbacks
Walker talked with @Lo_Callender after the @astros WIN#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/A3LvmK9JCy
— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) July 23, 2025
Key moment
Sousa got Arizona’s Randal Grichuk to hit into a double play with the bases loaded to end the eighth.
Key stat
Walter has only walked four batters in 53 2/3 innings this season.
Next
Arizona is off Thursday before beginning a nine-game trip Friday in Pittsburgh. Houston returns home to play the Athletics; the Astros have not announced a Thursday starter.