Astros thump Rangers again to take series victory in final matchup of 2021

Houston Astros' Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker
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

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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Jeremy Pena and Isaac Paredes have been the Astros' best hitters. Composite Getty Image.

It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.

Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.

What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In ā€œlate and closeā€ situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.

His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.

The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at JosĆ© Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.

And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.

Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.

But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy PeƱa, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. PeƱa’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.

Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.

And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.

For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. PeƱa’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.

Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.

We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!

The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ā€˜Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!

*ChatGPT assisted.

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