Astros thump Rangers again to take series victory in final matchup of 2021
Sep 16, 2021, 10:36 pm
The Astros' offense couldn't be stopped in Thursday's finale against the Rangers. Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images
The Astros' offense couldn't be stopped in Thursday's finale against the Rangers.
After a disappointing loss in the second matchup of this four-game series, the Astros won the third, giving them a chance for the series victory in the fourth and final game. They would hold all the momentum in the finale, getting a rout of the Rangers on Thursday.
Final Score: Astros 12, Rangers 1
Astros' Record: 86-50, first in the AL West
Winning Pitcher: Luis Garcia (11-7)
Losing Pitcher: Glenn Otto (0-2)
Garcia does well in the unexpected start
After a late scratch to Framber Valdez with a cut on his finger, Luis Garcia would make his start a day early in the finale against the Rangers. He did well, getting a 1-2-3 first then working around some traffic in the second. In the second, he kept Texas off the board, again erasing runners after a walk and a single.
A double play erased a one-out walk in the fourth, and then he followed that with a 1-2-3 fifth. He kept going in the bottom of the sixth, but Dusty Baker would lift him in favor of Yimi Garcia after a leadoff single and one-out double. Garcia allowed one of the inherited runs to score but finished the inning to finalize Garcia's line: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 0 HR, 87 P.
Houston's offense rolls
Correa crushed it. š¤ pic.twitter.com/jetier7Dzg
ā MLB (@MLB) September 17, 2021
Garcia would leave in line for the win, thanks to a tremendous amount of offense behind him. The Astros put together a seven-run fourth inning to start the scoring for the game, putting two on base for a three-run homer by Carlos Correa, then loaded the bases with walks to set up a two-RBI single by Alex Bregman. Yordan Alvarez made it 6-0 with an RBI double after that, then Yuli Gurriel put a bow on it with an RBI single in the next at-bat, and just like that, the Astros were in front 7-0.
They didn't stop there, as a walk and a double to start the top of the sixth gave Alex Bregman a chance for some more RBI, and he took advantage with a two-run single to extend the lead to 9-0, giving him 4 RBI for the night. Yimi Garcia remained in the game in the bottom of the seventh and erased a single and a walk to keep the score 9-1.
Astros finish domination of Rangers in 2021
A one-out walk in the top of the eighth presented Houston with the chance for more runs, and Chas McCormick took advantage, launching a two-run homer to make it a ten-run game, then a two-out RBI ground-rule double by Jake Meyers made it 12-1. Phil Maton was Houston's next reliever in the bottom of the eighth, and he sat down the Rangers 1-2-3.
Josh James came on to finish things off in the bottom of the ninth, which he did with a scoreless inning to finish off the eleven-run win. The victory also gave Houston fourteen wins in the nineteen-game season series, continuing their domination of Texas in recent seasons.
Up Next: With this quick Arlington road trip completed, the Astros return home to face the Diamondbacks at Minute Maid Park on Friday at 7:10 PM Central. Due to Framber Valdez being a late scratch on Thursday, resulting in Luis Garcia starting, Houston has not yet figured out their rotation for the series or their starter for the opener. Madison Bumgarner (7-10, 4.66 ERA) is slated to be on the hill for Arizona.
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NFL insiders hint at eye-opening future for Houston Texans offense
Dec 7, 2024, 2:38 pm
C.J. Stroud faced criticism in Houston's last few games as the Texans hit a rough patch after losing just two of their first eight games.
But the second-year quarterback remained confident and his strong performance last Sunday helped the Texans (8-5) to a 23-20 win over the Jaguars to enter their bye with a two-game lead atop the AFC South.
āWhen he is leading and playing the way he is playing, our entire team feeds off of him,ā coach DeMeco Ryans said. āI am excited for his second year. I think he is showing a ton of growth, he is in a really great spot for us physically, mentally. I really love where he is and I am excited to see how he comes back after the break.ā
Stroud threw for 242 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville to leave him ranked fourth in the NFL with 3,117 yards passing this season. That game came after he threw two interceptions in a 32-27 loss to Tennessee a week before for the teamās third loss in four games.
Those two interceptions brought his season total to nine, which are four more than he threw in 15 games a rookie. But the Texans arenāt worried about that statistic and believe he has grown in his second year.
āHeās made a lot of progress,ā general manager Nick Caserio said. āThere are some plays, like all of our players, that we probably wish he could have back, but happy heās our quarterback, happy with what he brings to the table. ... Wouldnāt want anyone else leading this team.ā
The Texans are in position to win their division for a second straight season despite dealing with several significant injuries on offense. Running back Joe Mixon missed three games early with an ankle injury and leading receiver Nico Collins was sidelined for five games with a hamstring injury.
They also lost four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs for the season when tore an ACL in Week 8.
Mixon leads the team with 887 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns and has added four touchdown receptions. His work in his first season in Houston after a trade from Cincinnati has helped the team deal with those significant injuries to the receiving corps.
Mixon ranks third in the NFL by averaging 88.7 yards rushing a game and has had at least 100 yards rushing in seven games.
Stroud has continually raved about Mixonās contributions on and off the field.
āHeās a servant, a helper,ā Stroud said. āThatās ultimately what I want to be as well. Who can I serve and how can I help? Thatās ultimately what the game of football is.ā
While Mixon has been the teamās most important new acquisition on offense, Danielle Hunter has been Houstonās new defensive star. The defensive end spent his first eight seasons in Minnesota before joining the Texans this year.
He has helped Houston lead the NFL with 84 tackles for loss after piling up 15 this season, which is tied for third most in the league. He also leads the Texans with 10Ā½ sacks to help them rank second with 42.
Hunter been a great addition to a team that already had defensive end Will Anderson Jr., last yearās AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Anderson ranks second to Hunter on the team with 13 tackles for loss and 9Ā½ sacks.
Ryans said this weekās break is much needed for a team that opened the preseason on Aug. 1 in the Hall of Fame game.
āItās here and weāre going to take advantage of it,ā he said. āWeāve been going at it for a long time.ā
The Texans need to recharge this week with a brutal stretch of three games in 10 days when they return from their bye. Houston hosts Miami on Dec. 15 before a trip to Kansas City on Dec. 21 and a visit from the Ravens on Christmas Day.
āItās Christmas and all that, but we canāt worry about that. All we can do is focus on Miami,ā Caserio said. āAnd then when we get through the Miami game, then we kind of turn the page to the next. ... Weāre either going to earn it or weāre not. Not to oversimplify it, but thatās the truth.ā
The Texans will play those game without starting linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after he received a three-game suspension for his violent hit to the head of Jacksonvilleās Trevor Lawrence, which led to a concussion.
Al-Shaair will be eligible to return for Houstonās regular-season finale against Tennessee.