SILVER BOOT, BABY!
Alvarez hits 117 mph homer, Astros beat Rangers 6-4 to take season series again
Aug 7, 2024, 4:56 pm
Astros defeat the Rangers, 6-4. Composite image by Brandon Strange.
Yordan Alvarez hit a 117 mph homer for the Houston slugger's hardest shot of the season, Yusei Kikuchi struck out eight pitching into the sixth inning and the Astros beat the Texas Rangers 6-4 on Wednesday.
The victory clinched the season series for the Astros for the eighth consecutive year in a decisive final regular-season meeting between last season's AL Championship Series opponents and the past two World Series champions. The Texas rivals split the first 12 meetings, including the first two in this series.
The Silver Boot trophy actually meant something last year when Houston had the tiebreaker and avoided the wild card after tying Texas atop the AL West. The Rangers took the longer postseason route to the franchise's first championship.
Victor Caratini also went deep while Jeremy Peña, Mauricio Dubón, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman drove in a run apiece for Houston, which started the day a half-game behind Seattle in the division with Texas five back.
Kikuchi (5-9) held Texas scoreless through five innings before Marcus Semien's 17th home run, a solo shot, leading off the sixth.
The Japanese left-hander gave up four hits and two runs in 5 1/3 innings a day after Framber Valdez lost a no-hitter with two outs in the ninth inning on Corey Seager’s two-run homer in the Astros’ 4-2 victory.
It was the first start for Kikuchi since tying a franchise record with eight consecutive strikeouts in his Houston debut following the trade that brought the 33-year-old from Toronto. His previous victory was June 11 with the Blue Jays.
Houston closer Josh Hader, pitching on a third consecutive day for the first time this season, struck out Seager to start a perfect ninth for his 24th consecutive save, tying Brad Lidge's single-season franchise record from 2005.
Alvarez's solo shot for his 22nd homer and second in as many games was a liner into the Texas bullpen in deep right-center field for a 2-0 lead in the third.
Peña's fielder's choice scored Bregman in the first against José Ureña (3-7), who gave up two runs on six hits and three walks in four innings.
Houston's Zach Dezenzo doubled leading off the second for his first major league hit while playing first base a day after going 0 for 4 in his big league debut as the designated hitter.
The 24-year-old singled and scored from first on Dubón's double after Caratini's solo shot, his sixth homer, in a three-run sixth inning against José Leclerc. Dubón scored on Altuve's single.
Dezenzo reached base a third time on an eighth-inning walk and scored on Bregman's single.
Nathaniel Lowe had an RBI triple for Texas, and Jonah Heim drove in a run with a single.
UP NEXT
Both teams open three-game series on the East Coast on Friday. The Astros haven't announced any starters for their Boston series. Rangers LHP Cody Bradford (3-0, 3.96 ERA) is set to face the Yankees in his second start and third appearance since missing 3 1/2 months with a rib stress fracture that was originally listed as a low back strain.
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
The Houston Astros have looked like one of baseball’s most dangerous teams in recent weeks, riding a hot streak fueled by dominant starting pitching and a red-hot offense that’s erupted for double-digit runs in four of their last eight games. But behind the current success, there are fair questions about whether this pace is truly sustainable as the grind of the season continues.
Yes, the Astros are winning — and winning big — but context matters. Many of their recent victories have come against struggling clubs like the White Sox and Athletics. Even matchups against the Twins and Guardians, while respectable, don’t exactly represent championship-caliber tests. That soft stretch of the schedule has certainly helped Houston pad its win column, but it may not be the best predictor of long-term performance. Houston will be tested in the upcoming series against the Phillies and Cubs.
On the pitching side, the numbers have been impressive, but how repeatable is it? With Lance McCullers Jr. sidelined for at least a couple of weeks, the Astros are relying on a patchwork rotation that includes unproven arms like Colton Gordon, Ryan Gusto, and Brandon Walter. While each has shown flashes, asking them to shoulder the load deep into the summer may be a tall order.
Offensively, Houston is firing on all cylinders. But scoring 10 or more runs every other game simply isn’t sustainable over a 162-game season. Regression is inevitable; the question is how the team responds when the bats cool down or the bullpen is asked to carry more weight.
Amid all this, rookie third baseman Cam Smith continues to shine. Just a few months into his major league career, Smith is producing at a level that suggests he’s not just a key piece of the future — he’s already one of the team’s most valuable players. His batting average sits just a point behind Jose Altuve’s, and his OPS is even higher. If the Astros were forced to choose two players to build around long-term, factoring in youth and contract status, the logical duo might be Smith and breakout pitcher Hunter Brown.
So what about the big picture? Is this team a true World Series contender?
Oddsmakers currently have Houston with the seventh-best odds to win it all, and only the Yankees and Tigers rank higher among American League teams. The core is still there, the experience is undeniable, and if the pitching continues to hold — especially with the anticipated return of Spencer Arrighetti and a healthy McCullers — the Astros have every reason to believe they’ll be in the mix deep into October.
But that’s a big “if.” The ceiling is still high, and with Cam Smith emerging as a star in real time, this team might just have another gear. Whether they can reach it when the competition stiffens, that remains to be seen.
There's so much more to cover! 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 ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
___________________________
*ChatGPT assisted.
Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!