Houston's winning streak snapped
Astros crushed by Rangers as Houston comes up short of the sweep
Aug 29, 2021, 4:52 pm
The Astros had a forgettable day in Arlington on Sunday after getting handed a lopsided loss by the Rangers. Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
The Astros had a forgettable day in Arlington on Sunday after getting handed a lopsided loss by the Rangers.
Having secured the series victory already, the Astros tried to extend their winning streak to five games on Sunday against the Rangers if they could finish the three-game sweep. Instead, a slow start by their offense, along with a terrible day on the mound, allowed the Rangers to salvage a game and snap Houston's winning streak.
Final Score: Rangers 13, Astros 2
Astros' Record: 77-53, first in the AL West
Winning Pitcher: Taylor Hearn (4-4)
Losing Pitcher: Zack Greinke (11-5)
Greinke doesn't have it
Zack Greinke would have a start to forget, which became apparent in the bottom of the first inning. The Rangers jumped out a 3-0 lead that frame, tagging him with three straight singles to start the inning, the third bringing in a run, followed by a sac fly and RBI double before Greinke could get out of it.
He rebounded with a scoreless second but allowed another run in the third, watching a leadoff double score on a sac fly later in the frame, making it 4-0. He dealt with another lengthy inning in the bottom of the fourth, allowing a leadoff double then a one-out RBI double to make it 5-0. He finished the fourth, then tried to continue in the fifth, but a leadoff solo homer would end his day: 4.0 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, 76 P.
Rangers keep pouring it on
García grand slam.
The @Rangers have put up 12 runs, and it's only the 5th inning. pic.twitter.com/TxVBhlCzL7
— MLB (@MLB) August 29, 2021
The Astros, who went without a baserunner in the first four innings, tried to get back into it in the top of the fifth, putting together a two-run inning on a solo homer by Yordan Alvarez and RBI double by Jake Meyers. The Rangers would quickly push things back out of reach, though, as after Greinke exited with no outs in the bottom of the inning, Bryan Abreu would come in and have a disastrous appearance.
He struggled mightily, allowing two RBI singles and leaving the bases loaded for Adolis Garcia, who made it a ten-run lead with a grand slam. Blake Taylor would enter to finish the frame, but not before allowing Abreu's seventh earned run to make it 13-2. Taylor remained on the mound in the bottom of the sixth, working around an error for a scoreless inning.
Astros drop lopsided finale
Phil Maton was Houston's next reliever, coming in for the bottom of the seventh, which he would complete without allowing any more damage. The final pitcher on the afternoon was Brooks Raley, who tossed Houston's only 1-2-3 inning of the day. The Astros would not get the miraculous rally in the top of the ninth, instead going down scoreless as the Rangers finished the win to avoid the sweep.
Up Next: The Astros will travel to Seattle on Sunday evening before picking up a three-game set with the Mariners on Monday at 9:10 PM Central. In the opener, the expected pitching matchup is Luis Garcia (10-6, 3.21 ERA) for Houston and Chris Flexen (11-5, 3.54 ERA) for Seattle.
The Houston Astros wrapped up yet another series win this week, this time taking two of three from the struggling Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Despite missing several key players and a bullpen that wasn’t fully available, the Astros continued their recent run of success, pushing their record to 52-35.
Manager Joe Espada appeared to be playing the long game in the rubber match on Thursday. After Houston rallied to tie the game in the seventh inning, Espada stuck with reliever Jordan Weems instead of turning to his high-leverage arms. That decision, while frustrating to some fans hoping for the sweep, underscored the team’s cautious approach to workload management as they navigate a long season.
One bright spot continues to be rookie Cam Smith, who delivered again in the clutch with a two-run triple in the seventh inning on Thursday. Smith has been Houston’s most dependable bat with runners on base and is quickly settling into the cleanup role—a rarity for a first-year player but one he’s earned with his poise and production.
Astros cleanup hitter RBIs this season:
Cam Smith: 10 RBIs in 7 games
All others: 28 RBIs in 80 games
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) July 3, 2025
Off the field, the biggest storyline continues to be Yordan Alvarez’s injury. After reports surfaced that the slugger had experienced a setback in his return from a fractured hand, the team clarified that the issue is inflammation, not the fracture itself. Astros general manager Dana Brown said Alvarez received injections to address the irritation and is expected to rest for now. Encouragingly, the Astros say the fracture is no longer a concern, and while there’s still no definitive timeline for his return, the overall tone from the club was optimistic.
The transparency around Alvarez’s situation is part of a larger shift. After being criticized in recent seasons for vague injury updates, the Astros have begun issuing daily availability reports. It’s a move that signals the front office is trying to regain some trust with the media and fans after a stretch of frustrating ambiguity around player health.
Now, the Astros head to Los Angeles for a marquee matchup with the defending champion Dodgers. Friday’s opener will feature Lance McCullers Jr. making just his second start since returning from the injured list. McCullers gave up eight runs in his return against the Cubs and will be under the spotlight as he looks to settle back into form. Control will be the key, as walks have long been McCullers’ Achilles’ heel.
Saturday sets the stage for one of the most anticipated pitching matchups of the season: Framber Valdez versus Shohei Ohtani. With both teams fighting for positioning in their respective divisions, this weekend in LA should serve as a measuring stick—and perhaps a postseason preview.
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