Houston's celebration has to wait
Rangers get walk-off win over Astros who continue to wait for playoff berth
Sep 25, 2020, 10:29 pm
Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images
Astros George Springer
UPDATE: With the Angels loss on Friday night, the Astros have secured their playoff berth. They will be part of the MLB postseason for their fourth-straight season.
After the big offensive showing to take the opener on Thursday, the Astros entered Friday's game at Globe Life Field against the Rangers just one win or Angels loss away from securing their spot in the playoffs. Here is how the game unfolded:
Final Score (10 innings): Rangers 5, Astros 4.
Record: 29-29, second in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Brett Martin (1-1, 1.98 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Enoli Paredes (3-3, 3.05 ERA).
Urquidy goes seven while allowing two
The Rangers would strike first in Friday's game, getting a two-out solo home run against Jose Urquidy in the bottom of the second to grab the early 1-0 lead. Urquidy did relatively well on the night, though he would allow another solo homer in the bottom of the fifth. Those were the only two runs he allowed, working in and out of some trouble throughout the game on his way to finishing seven innings. His final line: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 2 HR, 98 P.
Houston grabs their first lead late
Unlike their hot night at the plate the night prior, it took the Astros until the fifth inning to get on the board. It came after Carlos Correa hit a leadoff single, then came all the way around to score on an RBI-triple by George Springer, making it a 1-1 tie at the time.
He's back. #ForTheH pic.twitter.com/U8oFCbV76d
— Houston Astros (@astros) September 26, 2020
After the Rangers went back in front 2-1 in the bottom of the inning on their second solo homer of the night, Alex Bregman would tie it up again with a solo home run of his own, making it 2-2. Houston would get their first lead of the night in the top of the eighth, with Altuve working a leadoff walk before scoring later in the inning on an RBI-single by Yuli Gurriel.
Rangers get the walk-off to keep Houston waiting for playoff bid
After Urquidy, Blake Taylor would take over on the mound in the bottom of the eighth, retiring the Rangers in order for a scoreless inning to hold the one-run lead. Still 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth, Houston turned to their closer, Ryan Pressly. After two quick outs, he would allow a game-tying solo home run, making it 3-3 to postpone Houston's celebration at least another inning as the game headed to extras.
In the top of the tenth, Jose Altuve was placed on second as the free runner. He advanced to third on a groundout to start the inning, then scored on a sac fly by Alex Bregman, making it a 4-3 lead for Houston. Enoli Paredes would load the bases before Texas would tie the game on a sac fly in the bottom of the inning, keeping runners on second and third. Houston made the change to Brooks Raley to try and extend the game another inning, but instead, the Rangers would get the walk-off win, spoiling Houston's chance to clinch their playoff spot themselves with a win.
Up Next: The third game of this four-game set will get underway at 6:05 PM Central on Saturday. On the mound for Texas will be Kyle Gibson (2-6, 5.87 ERA), and, as of now, the Astros still have Lance McCullers Jr. (3-3, 4.24 ERA) listed as their starter.
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The Astros will need a bounce-back performance Tuesday night in Detroit after dropping the series opener in lopsided fashion. Houston (69-56) has managed to stay atop the AL West (1.5 game lead), but recent struggles on both sides of the ball have left little margin for error as the season winds down.
Hunter Brown gets the ball for Houston, and few pitchers have been more reliable in 2025. The right-hander enters at 10-5 with a 2.45 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP and 164 strikeouts — numbers that have made him an anchor of an otherwise up-and-down staff. His challenge, however, is no small one. Across the mound, Detroit counters with Tarik Skubal, who is putting together one of the best seasons of any pitcher in the league with an 11-3 record, 2.42 ERA, and 190 strikeouts.
The Tigers (74-53) come in with momentum, owning a 40-24 record at home and winners of seven of their last ten. Their pitching has been a backbone all season, ranking fourth in the American League in ERA at 3.81. Detroit also holds a 1-0 edge in this series after Monday night’s rout, though the season set remains tied at two games apiece.
Astros' secret sauce
For Houston, the formula is simple — score early and often. The Astros are 41-7 when pushing across at least five runs, but they’ve been stuck in a rut lately, hitting just .212 over their last 10 games while their pitching staff has posted a 5.87 ERA.
Jose Altuve continues to be a steady presence in the lineup with 22 homers and 64 RBIs, while Jeremy Peña will look to build on flashes of power despite going just 7-for-36 over his past 10 games. For Detroit, Gleyber Torres and Riley Greene have carried the offense of late, with Greene driving in eight runs over his last 10 contests.
First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. EDT at Comerica Park, where the Astros will try to even the series and keep their hold on the AL West lead intact.
Betting odds
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Tigers -172, Astros +143; over/under is 7 runs
Roster moves
The Astros have recalled RHP Logan VanWey and designated RHP Tayler Scott for assignment after a rough outing against the Tigers.
We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/u8VC1GZJbc
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 19, 2025
Starting lineups
The first thing that jumps off the page is that the Astros are sending all right-handed hitters to face Skubal.
Diesel in Detroit.
⚾️: 5:40 PM CDT | 6:40 PM EDT
📺: @SpaceCityHN | @TBSNetwork (HOU blackout)
🎙️: @SportsTalk790 | Spanish: 93.3 FM#BuiltForThis x @reliantenergy pic.twitter.com/GqZth9VfJm
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 19, 2025
Nothing unusual with the top four being Pena, Correa, 'Tuve, and Walker. Yainer Diaz will catch and hit fifth, followed by Ramon Urias (2B), Mauricio Dubon (LF), Cam Smith (RF), and Chas McCormick (CF).
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