Bad weekend in Arlington
Astros swept by Rangers who get another extra-inning walk-off
May 23, 2021, 5:22 pm
A bad series all around for the Astros this weekend. Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
A bad series all around for the Astros this weekend.
With disappointing losses in the first two games of this series, the Astros tried to salvage a game to end this road trip on a positive note on Sunday at Globe Life Field against the Rangers. Instead, they would experience a repeat of Friday's game, losing to Texas in extra innings.
Final Score (10 innings): Rangers 3, Astros 2
Astros' Record: 26-21, second in the AL West
Winning Pitcher: John King (5-3)
Losing Pitcher: Ryan Pressly (2-1)
Quiet beginning at the plate for both teams
Neither team was able to provide many offensive highlights in the early parts of Sunday's finale. Both starters held the opposing bats scoreless through four innings, with Cristian Javier only allowing one hit and three walks over that span. Javier started to struggle to find the zone in the bottom of the fifth, walking the bases loaded while getting two outs before Dusty Baker would move to Brooks Raley to try and get out of the jam. Raley would also fight to get into the zone against his first batter, walking in the first run of the game before getting a strikeout to end the inning.
Astros rally late as another game goes to extras
Raley remained on the mound in the bottom of the sixth, erasing two singles by retiring the next three batters to keep it a one-run game. Bryan Abreu did not fare as well, allowing a single and RBI double to double Texas' lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the seventh. Houston put together their best offensive inning in the top of the eighth, loading the bases on three hits, one by Jose Altuve to extend his hitting streak to seventeen games.
The Astros put their first run on the board on a wild pitch, cutting the lead in half at 2-1. Michael Brantley then tied the game on an RBI groundout, also moving the go-ahead run to third in the process. They wouldn't be able to bring him in, with the game staying 2-2 as Ryne Stanek came in as the new pitcher in the bottom of the eighth. Stanek erased a leadoff walk, but Houston would not manage to reach base in the top of the ninth. Ryan Pressly took over in the bottom of the inning, trying to force extra innings. He made quick work of the Rangers, retiring them 1-2-3 on just eight pitches.
Astros come up empty in extras, Rangers finish the sweep
Jose Altuve started the top of the tenth by moving the free runner to third with a single. However, the following three at-bats were not as notable, all three resulting in outs to leave the go-ahead run at third. Pressly returned for the bottom of the inning to try and force another, but instead, Adolis Garcia would get the RBI single to complete the three-game sweep of the Astros.
Up Next: With this six-game road trip in the books, the Astros will return to Houston before a day off on Monday. Tuesday, they'll kick off a short two-game set with the Los Angeles Dodgers, with a fascinating pitching matchup between Zack Greinke (4-1, 3.77 ERA) and Clayton Kershaw (6-3, 3.18 ERA). It will also be the first time since 2019 that Minute Maid Park will be open to full capacity.
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Marcell Ozuna hit his major league-leading eighth homer and Orlando Arcia’s RBI single in the 10th inning lifted the Atlanta Braves to a 5-4 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday.
It completes a three-game sweep of the struggling Astros and is Atlanta’s fourth straight victory.
The Braves scored two runs in the eighth inning to tie it at 4-4. Michael Harris II started the 10th as the automatic runner on second and there was one out in the inning when Seth Martinez (1-1) intentionally walked Matt Olson.
Ozuna lined out to right field to send Harris to third base. Arcia then singled on a ground ball to left field to score Harris and put the Braves on top.
Pinch-runner Jake Meyers was on second when Kyle Tucker walked with no outs in the 10th. Meyers moved to third on a fly out by Yainer Diaz but Jeremy Peña grounded into a double play to end it.
A.J. Minter (3-1) got the last two outs of the ninth for the win and Raisel Iglesias earned his fifth save.
Reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. added his first homer of the season to help the Braves to the victory. Ozuna also leads the majors with 23 RBIs and he extended his hitting streak to 16 games, which ties his career best and is the longest active streak in the majors.
Yordan Alvarez and Mauricio Dubón both homered for the Astros, who fell to 6-14 and are last in the AL West.
There was one out in the first when Alvarez connected on his homer to the seats in left field to put Houston up 1-0.
Ozuna opened the second with his 432-foot shot to left field, which bounced off the wall and tied the game.
Acuña put the Braves up 2-1 when he sent the first pitch of the fifth inning to straightaway center field.
The Astros tied it on an RBI single by Alex Bregman in the fifth and Kyle Tucker’s RBI double came next to put the Astros up 3-2.
Dubón hit his first home run of the year off Jesse Chavez to start Houston’s sixth and push the lead to 4-2.
Harris singled to start the seventh before a ground-rule double by Austin Riley. Olson reached, and Harris scored on a fielding error by first baseman José Abreu when he couldn’t grab a routine ground ball.
There was one out in the inning when Riley scored on a sacrifice fly by Arcia to tie it at 4-all.
Houston starter J.P. France allowed four hits and two runs in five innings.
Max Fried gave up seven hits and three runs in five innings.
UP NEXT
Braves: Atlanta is off Thursday before opening a series against Texas on Friday night with LHP Chris Sale (1-1, 4.58 ERA) on the mound.
Astros: Houston is also off Thursday before ace Justin Verlander will make his season debut Friday night against Washington. The three-time Cy Young Award winner opened the season on the injured list with inflammation in his right shoulder.