GAME ON
How Astros are finding new, exciting ways to make Rangers feel the Houston heat
Jul 25, 2023, 1:10 pm
Chas McCormick and Yainer Diaz have come up huge. Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images.
If you want a snapshot of how this improbable, snakebitten, but still standing Astros season has gone so far, the defending World Series champs kicked off their most important regular-season series in years Monday night with Brandon Bielak on the mound.
Bielak wears jersey No. 64. He was followed by reliever Parker Mushinski, No. 67. Tonight’s starter for Game 2 of this showdown series against the first-place Rangers is J.P. France. He wears No. 68.
This isn’t the pitching rotation anybody expected. None of these hurlers was expected to play a critical role for the Astros this season. This looks more like “pitchers and catchers report early for spring training.” Players with Nos. 64, 67 and 68 are usually offensive linemen in the NFL.
But here we/they are. The Astros defeated the Rangers 10-9 Monday night in a rollicking, frustrating and ultimately glorious game that seemingly took forever. But you know what they say about good things come to those who wait. The Astros are only two behind and breathing down the Rangers’ necks for first place in the American League West and a likely first-round bye in the playoffs.
Monday night’s offensive heroics were provided by Chas McCormick (six RBI) and Yanier Diaz (two RBI and the game winner), two more players not expected to play leadership roles for the Astros this season.
These are not the star-studded Astros of years past, with Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Justin Verlander, Alex Bregman, Gerrit Cole, George Springer, Carlos Correa and more stocking the American League All-Star roster. This edition of Astros scratches out wins with McCormick, Diaz, Mauricio Dubon, Corey Julks, inherited pitching ace Framber Valdez and a supporting staff of guys maybe you never heard of a year ago. Kyle Tucker is the undisputed star of the 2023 Astros.
Minute Maid Park was electric Monday, packed with 38,000 screaming, standing fans. If they were expecting a tight, well played, playoff fever game, that’s not what they got. The Rangers jumped on Bielak for two runs in the first, three in the second and one more in the fourth. The Astros took the lead, briefly, with four runs in their half of the first inning, only to repeatedly fall behind. The Rangers had three multi-run leads in the game, only to watch each vanish.
It was a gut-punch loss for the Rangers. It remains to be seen if they can recover from the devastating defeat.
If the Rangers do fall behind the Astros, this will be the game when they walked the plank. They didn’t just snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, they went out of their way to blow it. Don’t think for a moment that the Rangers aren't feeling the Houston heat. They’ve got to be puckered up and desperate. If the Rangers lose tonight, timber! Look out below, where the Angels are playing their best ball of the season.
It wasn’t the Astros at their squeaky clean best, either. The Rangers treated Bielak like a kid playing the children’s Backyard Baseball video game set on “easy.” Bielak, coming off two solid starting efforts, gave up six runs, six hits, four walks, two homers and a wild pitch in 4-⅔ innings.
Reliever Phil Maton faced four batters in the seventh inning and didn’t record an out (two hits, two walks, three runs). Astros pitchers allowed seven walks. Astros fielders committed two errors. Astros batters left seven runners on base. It was sloppy for sure. But a win, especially a huge one like this, is a win.
The home plate umpire had a bad game, too. In the bottom of the ninth, with Tucker on first and nobody out, Jose Abreu struck out after the ump clearly missed a ball 4 pitch. Very upsetting. Later, and let’s keep this between us, I’ve watched 20 replays of Kyle Tucker scoring the winning run at home and I still don’t see his foot touching the plate. The play was reviewed and the safe call stood. Game over. Not complaining.
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Dec 13, 2024, 8:31 pm
Miami (6-7) at Houston (8-5)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS
BetMGM Odds: Texans by 3.
Against the spread: Dolphins 5-8; Texans 5-6-2.
Series record: Texans lead 8-3.
Last meeting: Dolphins beat Texans 30-15, on Nov. 27, 2022, in Miami.
Last week: Dolphins beat Jets 32-26 in OT; Texans were off, beat Jaguars 23-20 on Dec. 1.
Dolphins offense: overall (19), rush (24), pass (14), scoring (23).
Dolphins defense: overall (9), rush (7), pass (11), scoring (T14).
Texans offense: overall (18), rush (16), pass (17), scoring (11).
Texans defense: overall (5), rush (10), pass (7), scoring (T12).
Turnover differential: Dolphins minus-2; Texans plus-10.
Dolphins player to watch
QB Tua Tagovailoa, who has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL at throwing with anticipation and accuracy since he returned from a concussion in Week 8. Tagovailoa leads the NFL with a 73.8% completion rate and threw for 300 yards for the third straight game last week vs. the Jets. Tagovailoa is the first player in NFL history to have at least 40 pass attempts, multiple touchdown passes and no interceptions in three consecutive games within a single season.
Texans player to watch
QB C.J. Stroud has thrown for at least 225 yards in each of his six home games this season and is 11-4 in 15 starts in Houston, including the playoffs. He has thrown for 3,117 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season.
Key matchup
Houston RB Joe Mixon vs. Miami’s run defense. Mixon ran for 101 yards in Houston’s previous game for his seventh 100-yard game this season. He ranks third in the NFL by averaging 88.7 yards rushing a game. This week he’ll face a run defense that ranks seventh in the NFL by holding teams to 105.6 yards a game.
Key injuries
Miami LT Terron Armstead is dealing with a knee injury that limited him to just five snaps last week. He did not practice Wednesday… LBs Bradley Chubb (knee) and Cameron Goode (knee) could make their season debut, depending on how this week of practice goes, coach Mike McDaniel said. … WRs Tyreek Hill (wrist) and Jaylen Waddle (hamstring), RB Raheem Mostert (hip), and LB Anthony Walker Jr. (hamstring) were among those limited in practice Wednesday. … Houston S Jalen Pitre is expected to miss a second straight game with a shoulder injury. … DE Denico Autry was limited in practice Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Series notes
Houston won the first seven meetings in this series. … Miami didn’t get its first win against the Texans until a 44-26 victory in 2015. … The Dolphins have won the past two meetings. … These teams first met in the season opener in 2003 when Houston got a 21-20 win on a late field goal.
Stats and stuff
Three of Miami’s final four games of the season are on the road. … K Jason Sanders needs 13 points Sunday to reach 800. He also needs one field goal to reach 177, which would give him the second-most field goals made in franchise history. … TE Jonnu Smith needs 100 yards receiving to reach 792 and set a franchise record for most yards receiving by a tight end in a single season. Smith had three catches for 44 yards, including the game-winning TD vs. the Jets last week after having no receptions during regulation. … Tagovailoa needs a completion rate of 70% or better on Sunday to reach eight consecutive games completing at least 70% of his passes. That would tie him with Joe Montana (1989) and Drew Brees (2017-18) for the longest streak in NFL history. … The Dolphins gave up a season-high 402 yards to the Jets last week. Aaron Rodgers burned Miami’s pass defense for 319 yards, and Miami’s secondary allowed a combined 223 yards by Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams. … Houston can clinch the AFC South title for the second straight year with a win and a loss by Indianapolis Sunday. … The Texans rank second in the NFL with 84 tackles for loss. … Their 42 sacks also rank second. … WR Nico Collins had eight receptions for 119 yards for his fourth 100-yard game this season in Houston’s previous game. He has had at least 75 yards receiving and a TD reception in each of his four home games this season. … TE Dalton Schultz had five receptions for 61 yards and a score in Week 13. He has had at least five catches in two of his past three games. … LB Azeez Al-Shaai will serve the first game of a three-game suspension for an illegal hit to the head of QB Trevor Lawrence Sunday. … DE Danielle Hunter is one of two players in the NFL this season with at least 15 tackles for loss (15) and 10 sacks (10 1/2). It’s his sixth career season with at least 10 sacks. He has eight tackles for loss and five sacks combined in his past three games. … DE Will Anderson has had a sack in his past two home games. … LB Henry To’oTo’o has had at least five tackles in four straight games. … CB Derek Stingley had his third interception of the season in his previous game. … CB Kamari Lassiter had a career-high eight tackles, including a tackle for loss in Week 13. … S Jimmie Ward has had an interception in his past two home games. He also had an interception in his previous game against Miami in 2022 while with San Francisco.
Fantasy tip
Collins has 456 yards receiving and four touchdown receptions in four home games this season.