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Swept Away! Astros Dominate Series, Leave Texas Rangers Lifeless
ARLINGTON, Texas – The Houston Astros dusted off a complete dismantling of the Texas Rangers Wednesday night.
The Astros' 12-3 win completed a three-game sweep in dominating and demoralizing fashion at Globe Life Field.
The Rangers (76-63), who had led the AL West for nearly the entire season until last week, are now sitting three games back in third place in the division, and trailing the Toronto Blue Jays by a half-game in the wild-card race. Texas has lost 15 of its past 19 games.
The Astros (80-61) hit 16 home runs in the series, including five on Wednesday, and outscored the Rangers 39-10, outhit them 50-22 and outhomered them 16-6. The 39 runs and 50 hits are Astros' records for a three-game series.
The luster of the matchup of future Hall of Fame pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander fizzled out quickly. At least from a Rangers perspective.
The Astros took a 2-0 lead on Yordan Alvarez's two-run homer in the first inning and kept barrelling up Scherzer. Michael Brantley homered in the second, and Jose Abreu's grand slam in the third knocked Scherzer from the game.
Scherzer (12-6) was charged with seven runs on six hits and two walks in just three innings.
Verlander (11-7) earned the win for the Astros. He held the Rangers to a first-pitch, leadoff homer by Marcus Semien in the first and an unearned run and that was it over seven innings.
Astros 12, Rangers 3
For Starters, It's Been Bad
Leadoff By Example
Max Mad
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