Houston Astros' Missed Opportunities, Texas Rangers' Big 10th Tie Series

The Houston Astros responded to each run from the Texas Rangers, until the American League West foe blew the contest open in the 10th inning.

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Runs came at a low rate Wednesday for both the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers, but extra innings were just what the visiting club needed to even the series with an 8-4 win after 10 innings.

Phil Maton entered the 10th with a tied contest. The righty faced five batters, and four of them reached, as his only out came on a sacrifice fly. Maton was tacked with four earned runs on three hits and a walk as his ERA climbed to 4.00 on the year.

Bryan Abreu relieved Maton for the final two outs. Yielding a double, the right-hander allowed two inherited runners to cross home as the Rangers grew their lead to five in the best offensive inning of the series.

The Astros had matched the Rangers' three runs prior to extras. Yordan Álvarez tied the contest in the seventh frame with a solo home run. The long ball isn't a surprise for the designated hitter, but his 31st shot of the season marked his first in August and only his second off a sinker.

Kyle Tucker also slapped a solo home run in the fourth inning, marking his 20th of the season, while the first run for Houston crossed in the second inning on a Jeremy Peña groundout. Tucker drove home Bregman in the 10th inning, but the Astros couldn't piece together four more runs, leaving 11 runners on.

Houston Astros Starting Pitcher Justin Verlander / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Verlander threw six innings en route to his 17th quality start of the season, and although only surrendering three runs on five hits and a walk, the right-hander would agree it wasn't one of his most eye-catching outings this year.

The 39-year-old continues to defy the odds, coming off Tommy John surgery. And as that narrative sounds like a broken record, Verlander seems to find his name on a multitude of all-time lists in a Cy Young contending season.

With seven strikeouts Wednesday, Verlander became the sole owner of 14th all-time, breaking a tie with the New York Mets' Max Scherzer. The two continue to be neck-and-neck in 2022 with Pedro Martínez's 3,154 nearing.

Behind Verlander, Ryne Stanek, Héctor Neris and Ryan Pressly combined for three-scoreless frames with five strikeouts combined. Stanek's recent velocity inconsistencies drew speculation, but the right-hander was clocked at 99 mph in his one inning Wednesday.

The Astros look for the series win and their sixth-straight Silver Boot trophy starting at 1:10 p.m. Thursday. Framber Valdez battles the hill with lefty Cole Ragans — who will be making his second-career start.

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