BROWN VS. HEANEY
Houston Astros eye critical wins in clash with Rangers
Aug 5, 2024, 12:42 pm
Hunter Brown takes the ball for Houston Monday night. Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images.
Houston Astros (57-54, second in the AL West) vs. Texas Rangers (53-59, third in the AL West)
Arlington, Texas; Monday, 8:05 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Astros: Hunter Brown (9-7, 4.11 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 126 strikeouts); Rangers: Andrew Heaney (4-11, 4.12 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 107 strikeouts)
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Astros -125, Rangers +106; over/under is 8 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Texas Rangers host the Houston Astros to start a three-game series.
Texas has gone 30-25 at home and 53-59 overall. The Rangers are 38-19 in games when they record eight or more hits.
Houston is 57-54 overall and 25-28 in road games. The Astros are 43-5 in games when they scored at least five runs.
The teams meet Monday for the 11th time this season. The season series is tied 5-5.
TOP PERFORMERS: Josh Smith has a .279 batting average to lead the Rangers, and has 20 doubles, a triple and 11 home runs. Corey Seager is 14-for-41 with three home runs and five RBI over the last 10 games.
Yordan Alvarez has 26 doubles, two triples and 20 home runs while hitting .301 for the Astros. Yainer Diaz is 17-for-39 with four doubles, a triple and two home runs over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Rangers: 3-7, .236 batting average, 6.76 ERA, outscored by 28 runs
Astros: 5-5, .243 batting average, 3.50 ERA, outscored by one run
INJURIES: Rangers: Jake Latz: 15-Day IL (forearm), Max Scherzer: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Evan Carter: 60-Day IL (lumbar), Jon Gray: 15-Day IL (groin), Cole Winn: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Tyler Mahle: 60-Day IL (elbow), Jacob deGrom: 60-Day IL (elbow), Carson Coleman: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Astros: Kyle Tucker: 60-Day IL (shin), Justin Verlander: 15-Day IL (neck), Cristian Javier: 60-Day IL (forearm), Jose Urquidy: 60-Day IL (forearm), Oliver Ortega: 60-Day IL (elbow), Bennett Sousa: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Penn Murfee: 60-Day IL (elbow), Luis Garcia: 60-Day IL (elbow), Lance McCullers Jr.: 60-Day IL (elbow), Kendall Graveman: 60-Day IL (elbow)
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.