How Yordan Alvarez went from minor leaguer to major masher
POINT BLANK PRESENTED BY FITZ ROOFING
20 September 2019
POINT BLANK PRESENTED BY FITZ ROOFING
One of the best moves Astros GM Jeff Luhnow ever made was trading Josh Fields for Yordan Alvarez.
Luhnow certainly didn't think Alvarez would be this good this fast, but he must have seen something in the young Cuban power hitter.
ESPN 97.5's Joel Blank discusses how important this trade was for the Astros because it not only added a great hitter to Houston's lineup, but the move also kept Alvarez from being a big threat on another super team, the Dodgers. Point Blank is presented by Fitz Roofing.
Wyatt Langford homered with a career-high tying four hits and Adolis García added a solo shot to lead the Texas Rangers to a 7-3 win over the Houston Astros on Friday night.
The Rangers jumped on Lance McCullers Jr. (2-4) early. There were two outs with the bases loaded in the first when Evan Carter’s single to right field knocked in a pair to put the Rangers up 2-0.
The AL West-leading Astros cut the deficit to 2-1 when Cam Smith scored on a groundout in the bottom of the inning.
García homered for a second straight game with one out in the third that made it 3-1. Carter walked with two outs before a single from Jake Burger. Jonah Heim’s double to right field scored them both to extend the lead to 5-1.
McCullers allowed six hits and five runs in three innings as Houston’s losing streak reached a season-high four games.
Langford’s blast came with two outs in the seventh to push the lead to 7-3.
Jack Leiter (5-6) yielded five hits and three runs while striking out six in 5 1/3 innings.
Christian Walker singled to open Houston’s fourth before Victor Caratini’s home run to right field got the Astros within 5-3.Burger was replaced in the middle of the sixth inning with discomfort in his left quad.
Houston’s top prospect, second baseman Brice Matthews, went 0 for 4 with with three strikeouts in his major league debut.
Heim’s two RBI double in the third that pushed the lead to four.
The Rangers forced McCullers to throw 36 pitches in the first inning.
Houston LHP Framber Valdez (10-4, 2.90 ERA) opposes RHP Jacob deGrom (9-2, 2.29) when the series continues Saturday.