Astros Blast Rangers to Claim Series

Houston rings up six runs in the first inning off and never looked back

Houston chased Texas starter Tyson Miller less than an inning into the game with a six-run outburst, as the Astros cruised to a 9-2 win over the Rangers at Globe Life Field on Wednesday.

The Astros won the series 2-1. On Monday, the Rangers (29-33) victimized the Astros (39-24) with a three-run rally in the eighth inning to win 5-3. Then on Tuesday, the Astros rallied with four runs in the eighth inning to beat the Rangers 4-3.

The Rangers had little chance to make this one competitive, as they were down 6-0 after the first inning.

Miller joined the Rangers last Friday in Chicago after Glenn Otto went on the COVID-19 IL list. Miller took Otto’s regular turn in the rotation.

Miller was making his second appearance of the season and his first start since an Aug. 17, 2020 outing for the Chicago Cubs.

The former fourth-round pick of the Cubs was claimed on waivers last offseason by the Rangers and assigned to Triple-A Round Rock. Miller went 2-3 with a 5.02 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 12 games, including four starts.

The Astros made quick work of Miller, whose only other appearance for Texas was a relief appearance on Friday in which he gave up a run in 2 1/3 innings.

Yordan Alvarez’s two-run double made it 2-0 after three straight Astros reached base. Kyle Tucker’s RBI ground out made it 3-0. Aledmys Díaz walked and Jose Siri singled, the latter scoring Alvarez to make it 4-0.

Miller’s last hitter, catcher Martín Maldonado, doubled to bring in Díaz and Siri to make it 6-0. After that, the Rangers turned to reliever Jesus Tinoco.

Miller (0-1) gave up four hits and six earned runs, along with two walks, in just 2/3 of an inning.

The Rangers bullpen was so taxed that reserve outfielder Charlie Culberson threw the ninth inning.

Texas scores its runs early in the game. Kole Calhoun hit a grounder to Díaz and the ball went through the webbing of his glove for an error and Adolis García scored. In the third inning, Corey Seager hit his 13th home run of the season.

But that was the extent of their offense.

Astros starter Luis Garcia (4-5) went six innings, giving up four hits and striking out nine. He was one of two Astros pitchers to pull off an "immaculate inning," which is striking out three hitters swinging in just nine pitches. Garcia did in the second inning, striking out Nathaniel Lowe, Ezequiel Duran and Brad Miller.

Astros reliever Phil Maton did it in the seventh inning, and, oddly enough, did it against the same three hitters — Lowe, Duran and Miller.

The Rangers travel to Detroit to take on the Tigers for a four-game set beginning Thursday. The Rangers scheduled to start Martín Pérez on Thursday, Jon Gray on Friday, Taylor Hearn on Saturday and Dane Dunning on Sunday.

The Rangers return home from that trip to the Motor City for interleague play, with two games against Philadelphia from June 21-22 and a three-game series with Washington from June 24-26.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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