Texas Rangers Win Crucial Series Against Houston Astros
ARLINGTON — Realistically, if the Texas Rangers wanted to keep themselves afloat in the American League Wild Card race, they needed to do something this weekend that they hadn’t done in over four years. Take a series from the Houston Astros. At home. Done and done.
Rangers
Related
Series Win Against the Astros
The Rangers beat the Astros 4-2 at Globe Life Field Sunday afternoon to clinch a crucial series win behind a strong start from left-hander Patrick Corbin, a timely spark from right fielder Cody Freeman and a big swing from first baseman Jake Burger.
Texas, now 74-70, has not lost a series vs. the Astros this year. They split a four-game series vs. their rivals at Globe Life Field in May and won two of three at Daikin Park in June. The two teams will play once more this season Sep. 15-17 in Houston. The Rangers need to win one of those games to clinch their first regular season Lone Star Series win in nine years.
First Home Series Win Since 2021
It marked the club’s first home series win vs. the Astros since May 21-23, 2021.
Key Players in the Series Win
Freeman — an energetic rookie who’s provided an emotional spark since he was called up for a second time on July 18 — slapped a below-the-zone Framber Valdez curveball into left field for a two-out single in the sixth. He scrambled around the bases to score the go-ahead run on a Josh Jung double in the next at bat. Burger, who homered in Friday’s win, then drilled a middle-middle Valdez changeup into the right field seats to give the Rangers a 4-1 lead.
Performance of Valdez and Corbin
Valdez, one of baseball’s top left-handed pitchers, had a 2.73 ERA in his first 19 career starts against the Rangers and had only allowed four or more runs in two of them. The one run he allowed prior to the sixth inning Sunday came when second baseman Dylan Moore (who singled and stole second base) scored on a dropped third strike that resulted in an error from Houston first baseman Christian Walker in the second inning.
Corbin held the Astros hitless through 4 1/3 innings before Houston’s Jake Meyers singled up the middle with one out in the fifth. He allowed hits on consecutive pitches to start the sixth and surrendered the lead. Nine-hole hitter Mauricio Dubón doubled off of a middle-middle sinker to lead off the inning and scored on a first-pitch Jeremy Peña single in the next at-bat.
Conclusion
The Texas Rangers’ series win against the Houston Astros is a significant step forward for the team, especially considering their performance at home. With this win, the Rangers have shown that they can compete against tough opponents and come out on top. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how the team builds on this momentum and whether they can continue to make a push for the playoffs.
Find more Rangers coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What was the final score of the game between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros?
A: The final score was 4-2 in favor of the Texas Rangers.
Q: Who were the key players in the series win for the Texas Rangers?
A: The key players in the series win were Patrick Corbin, Cody Freeman, and Jake Burger.
Q: What is the current record of the Texas Rangers?
A: The current record of the Texas Rangers is 74-70.
Q: When will the Texas Rangers play the Houston Astros again?
A: The Texas Rangers will play the Houston Astros again on September 15-17 in Houston.
