ASTROS DEFEAT RANGERS
Alvarez and Caratini homer as Astros beat Rangers for a series split
Apr 9, 2024, 9:31 am
The Astros are back in action Tuesday night versus the Royals. Composite Getty Image.
Yordan Alvarez homered for the second game in a row, among his three hits as Houston rallied from an early deficit to beat the Texas Rangers 10-5 on Monday night after Astros scheduled starter Framber Valdez was scratched because of elbow soreness.
No. 9 batter Victor Caratini added a three-run homer as the Astros earned a split in the four-game series that was the first this season between the AL West rivals.
Seth Martinez (1-0) worked 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief as the first of four pitchers after Blair Henley retired only one of the nine batters he faced. Henley's major league debut starting in place of Valdez, who returned to Houston to be evaluated by team doctors.
“We just tried to attack the zone, attack the hitters as best as possible,” said Caratini, the catcher who navigated all of those pitchers. “Then after we tied and took the lead, our biggest goal was for all the pitchers that came in to throw the least amount of pitches as possible.”
Tayler Scott and Brandon Bielak each worked two scoreless innings before Bryan Abreu pitched the ninth.
“Phenomenal job. That was a team win,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “We needed those guys to step up, and they did big time.”
The Astros led 2-0 before Henley threw his first pitch, but the 26-year-old from nearby Fort Worth allowed five runs before getting an out on his 34th pitch. His first seven pitches were balls before he allowed three consecutive singles, and then with the bases loaded walked a batter and hit another to force in two runs. Jared Walsh then blooped a two-run single to shallow left to give the World Series champions a 5-2 lead.
“Yeah, there were nerves ... tried to breathe as much as I could,” Henley said. “Just make adjustments is the main key. And when you don’t make adjustments, it ends up piling up on you.”
Alvarez got Houston within 5-4 with his fourth homer of the season, a two-run shot that he pulled 431 feet deep into the seats in right field off Texas starter Andrew Heaney (0-2). Alvarez greeted reliever Brock Burke with an RBI double in the fourth that tied the game at 5-5, and Kyle Tucker immediately followed with a tiebreaking two-run single.
Heaney was charged with six runs over 3 2/3 innings. The left-hander allowed four hits while walking three and striking out two.
“I felt a little off again, but physically I feel fine,” Heaney said. “It’s just frustrating.”
SEE YOU AGAIN REAL SOON
The Rangers and Astros open a three-game series Friday night in Houston, so will play seven of their 13 games against each other in the first 2 1/2 weeks this season. Both teams finished 90-72 last year, but Houston won the AL West title with the head-to-head tiebreaker by going 9-4. The Rangers won the AL pennant after a seven-game American Championship Series against the Astros when the road team won every game.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: Manager Joe Espada said RHP Justin Verlander (right shoulder inflammation) “woke up feeling well” a day after throwing 65 pitches for Triple-A Sugar Land in his first rehab start. Verlander will throw on the side Wednesday and make another rehab start in the minors this weekend before rejoining the Astros.
Rangers: Rookie INF Justin Foscue (left oblique strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list, and INF Davis Wendzel had his contract selected from Triple-A Round Rock. 3B Josh Jung (right wrist fracture) was transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL.
UP NEXT
Houston opens a three-game series at Kansas City with Cristian Javier (1-0, 0.00 ERA) on the mound Tuesday night.
Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 1.38) makes his third start of the season for Texas in the series opener at home against Oakland.
Houston (9-5) at Kansas City (13-1)
Saturday, 1 p.m. EST, NBC/Peacock
BetMGM NFL Odds: Chiefs by 3.
Against the spread: Texans 6-6-2, Chiefs 6-8.
Series record: Chiefs lead 9-5.
Last meeting: Chiefs beat Texans 30-24 in OT on Dec. 18, 2022, in Houston.
Last week: Texans beat Dolphins 20-12; Chiefs beat Browns 21-7.
Texans offense: overall (19), rush (17), pass (19), scoring (13).
Texans defense: overall (4), rush (10), pass (6), scoring (10).
Chiefs offense: overall (14), rush (16), pass (13), scoring (12).
Chiefs defense: overall (5), rush (3), pass (13), scoring (5).
Turnover differential: Texans plus-13, Chiefs plus-2.
Texans player to watch
Derek Stingley had two interceptions and two tackles for loss Sunday, becoming the first cornerback in NFL history with two of each in a game. Both interceptions came in the fourth quarter, including one with less than two minutes remaining that secured Houston’s victory. Stingley, the third overall pick in the 2022 draft, has started each game this season after being slowed by injuries in this first two years. He has four interceptions in the past four games and is second in the NFL with 17 passes defended.
Chiefs players to watch
Whomever is playing quarterback. The eyes all week have been on two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes, who sustained a high-ankle sprain late in last week's win in Cleveland. Carson Wentz finished that game, and while it appears that Mahomes will be able to start Saturday, the Chiefs feel confident in the veteran backup's ability to win a game should Mahomes be unable to play. Wentz completed his only two passes for 20 yards against the Browns, helping to run out the clock on the 21-7 victory.
Key matchup
The Texans defense against the Chiefs defense. There are stars galore on the other side of the ball — Mahomes and C.J. Stroud, Travis Kelce and Joe Mixon, DeAndre Hopkins and Nico Collins. Yet both teams have relied heavily on their defenses to clinch division titles. Houston has the league's fourth ranked overall and is No. 6 against the pass, while Kansas City is at No. 5 overall and No. 3 against the run. Both are in the top 10 in scoring.
Key injuries
Texans TE Cade Stover could miss a second straight game after having an emergency appendectomy last Saturday night. DT Foley Fatukasi (ankle) and WR John Metchie (shoulder) missed practice this week. ... Along with Mahomes' sore ankle, Chiefs CB Chamarri Conner (concussion) and LT D.J. Humphries (hamstring) missed practice this week.
Series notes
The Chiefs have won the past three meetings, beginning with a 51-31 win in the divisional round of the playoffs in the 2019 season. Houston has not beaten the Chiefs since a 31-24 victory at Arrowhead Stadium on Oct. 13, 2019. The teams also met in a wild-card playoff game in the 2015 season that Kansas City won 30-0.
Stats and stuff
Houston clinched its second straight division title and eighth in franchise history last week. … Texans QB C.J. Stroud needs 252 yards passing to become the ninth quarterback in NFL history with at least 3,500 yards passing in each of his first two seasons. … Houston RB Joe Mixon has had at least 100 yards rushing and a TD in each of his six road games this season. He had a TD reception against the Chiefs last season while with Cincinnati. He also needs 90 yards rushing for his fifth 1,000-yard season. … Texans WR Nico Collins had two TD catches last week and ranks second in the NFL with 94.3 yards receiving per game this season. … Houston TE Dalton Schultz has had five or more catches in his past two road games. … DE Danielle Hunter had 1½ sacks for Houston last week to give him 12 this season, which ranks second in the NFL. … Texans DE Will Anderson Jr. had a sack and his first career forced fumble last week. He has a career-high 10½ sacks this season. ... The Chiefs need one win to match the best regular-season total in franchise history, set in 2020 and matched two years ago. ... Mahomes needs one TD pass to pass Dan Marino (241) for the second-most TD passes in a player's first eight seasons. Mahomes only played in one game his rookie year. ... TE Travis Kelce needs one TD reception to pass Tony Gonzalez (76) for the most in Chiefs history. Kelce has 79 total TDs, four shy of Priest Holmes' franchise record. ... Kelce has 89 catches of 25 yards or more in his career. He needs 10 more to break Rob Gronkowski's record for a tight end. ... DT Chris Jones needs six sacks to pass Neil Smith (85 1/2) for the third most in Chiefs history. ... Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie had his first NFL interception last week against Cleveland. It came in his 48th game.
Fantasy tip
The Chiefs have shared carries between Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt since the former's return from an injury. That is unlikely to change Saturday. But given the uncertainty at quarterback for Kansas City, expect both of them to get more work, and perhaps find the end zone once or twice against the Texans.