Rangers Rally Late to Beat Astros

Texas had issues with runners in scoring position until a three-run eighth inning

The Texas Rangers needed nearly the entire game, but they cashed in on enough opportunities to beat the Houston Astros 5-3 on Monday at Globe Life Field.

The Rangers (29-31) were just 5-of-16 with runners in scoring position. But, finally, in the eighth, the Rangers got a rally going and took the lead.

Jonah Heim started the bottom of the inning with a line-drive single to right off Astros reliever Hector Neris. Charlie Culberson came on to pinch run for Heim. Culberson stole second and Nathaniel Lowe’s groundout to first allowed Culberson to move to third.

The Rangers tied the game at 3-3 when Ezequiel Duran squeezed a ground ball single under the glove of Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña, which scored Culberson. With Brad Miller hitting, Duran stole second, with the throw from Maldonado pulling Peña away from the bag. Neris then threw a wild pitch to allow Duran to move to third base with one out.

Miller poked a single between Peña and Astros third baseman Alex Bregman to bring home Duran and give the Rangers a 4-3 lead. That brought up Leody Taveras — just called up from Triple-A on Monday — who drew a walk. Astros manager Dusty Baker turned to the bullpen for Phil Maton.

Marcus Semien kept the Texas rally going with a single to left, loading the bases for Corey Seager. He hit a grounder to Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, who mishandled the ball but managed to get Seager out at first. Miller scored to put Texas up 5-3. Adolis García ended the inning with a deep fly ball to the right-center field gap that was caught by Astros center fielder Mauricio Dubón.

"That was just good baseball," Rangers manager Chris Woodward said of the eighth-inning rally. "The way it unfolded is exactly the way you want it. You don't have to hit a three-run home run."

The Rangers went with left-handed Matt Moore in the ninth, who retired the side for his first save of the season and his career. 

Brock Burke (4-1) threw two scoreless innings of relief for the win.

The Rangers struggled early to cash in on scoring changes, especially in the first five innings, as they went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position against Astros starter Cristian Javier.

The frame that really stung was the bottom of the third, as the Rangers loaded the bases with consecutive singles by Taveras, Semien and Seager with no one out. But Javier worked around the trouble and only gave up a sacrifice fly to Kole Calhoun, which scored Taveras. The Rangers were down 3-1 at the time.

Javier was making his third start against the Rangers this year. He won his first start against Texas 4-3 on April 27. He was the losing pitcher in Martin Pérez’s complete-game shutout in Houston on May 20. Javier went sent six-plus innings, giving up five hits and two runs, along with three walks. He struck out seven.

He lasted one hitter into the seventh inning, and after giving up a leadoff walk to Miller, Astros Baker replaced him with Ryne Stanek. He gave up a two-out single to Seager, but García beat the shift with a single up the middle of the infield to score Miller and make it 3-2. Stanek struck out Calhoun to end the inning and left the Rangers down 3-2.

The Astros (37-24) took a three-run lead early. Yordan Alvarez singled home Altuve after he led off the game with a double down the left-field line for a 1-0 lead.

The Astros made it 3-0 in the second. Peña doubled, followed by Dubón’s single, which scored Peña. Dubón later stole second and scored on Michael Brantley’s single to right field. García tried to throw Dubón out at the plate but was late. Heim, recognizing he had no play, threw to second to get Brantley, who was trying to advance. Seager’s tag was just in time, though the Astros asked for a replay. The play was allowed to stand.

Rangers starter Taylor Hearn gave up all three runs in 5 1/3 innings and threw 91 pitches, including a four-pitch fourth inning in which he retired Peña on a fly ball on the first pitch, Dubón on a line drive on one pitch and Maldonado on a ground out on the second pitch.

Hearn gave up seven hits and three walks, while striking out three. His earned run average went up to 5.37.

The Rangers continue their homestand against Houston at Globe Life Field on Tuesday. After the homestand ends on Wednesday, the Rangers travel to Detroit to take on the Tigers for a four-game set.

The Rangers return home quickly from that trip to the Motor City for interleague play, with two games against Philadelphia from June 21-22 and then 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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