Inside The Rangers

Lowe And Behold! Texas Rangers Hold Off Astros, Even Series On Nathaniel Lowe's Slump-Busting Single In 10th

Texas Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi pitched seven strong innings, David Robertson and Kirby Yates were outstanding in relief, and Nathaniel Lowe came up huge with a clutch RBI single in the 10th to beat the Houston Astros.

Stefan Stevenson

Jul 13, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim (28) congratulates pitcher Kirby Yates (39) after the final out against the Houston Astros during the tenth inning at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 13, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim (28) congratulates pitcher Kirby Yates (39) after the final out against the Houston Astros during the tenth inning at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports / Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
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HOUSTON — The defending World Series champion Texas Rangers are fighting to remain relevant ahead of the July 30 trade deadline.

On Saturday afternoon at Minute Maid Park, they reached back for some of that postseason mojo from a season ago to outlast the Houston Astros 2-1 in 10 innings.

Nathaniel Lowe, who was mired in an 0 for 14 stretch since a three-hit on Monday, busted out by serving a 3-2 pitch to the opposite field in left-center to score Josh Smith with the go-ahead run with two outs in the top of the 10th.

"I've been beating myself lately. I feel like I'm trying to do more because you see the All-Star guys doing their thing and guys around the league who are having a lot of success, so you feel like the tides gonna turn a little bit," said Lowe, who is batting .264. "Instead of sticking to my approach, I've tried to do more. And [that at-bat], I just got back to being comfortable and just hit the ball."

Closer RHP Kirby Yates threw a scoreless 10th to earn his 15th save. He hasn't allowed an earned run in 10 consecutive appearances and in 17 of his past 18.

It's Lowe's ninth-career hit to give his team the lead in extra innings.

"Intense game. No getting around it. Both sides had to make a lot of pitches with the game on the line," Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. "For Nate, rough day for him until that at-bat. "He's been out of sync. He hasn't been seeing the ball well, that was pretty obvious. You just keep grinding, and with two strikes, great job of two-strike hitting."

Three thoughts from Saturday's game:

1. Evo The Magnificent

Nathan Eovaldi struck out five consecutive Astros between the fourth and sixth innings on Saturday.
Jun 15, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Texas Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi (17) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports

Nathan Eovaldi put together one of his best outings of the first half, holding the Astros to a run on eight hits and no walks over seven innings. Eovaldi struck out seven, including five consecutive batters between the fourth and sixth innings. Eovaldi allowed four of the eight hits and his lone run in the first inning. He retired 14 of the next 15 batters into the sixth inning.

2. Walk This Way

Josh Smith scores the go-ahead run on Nathaniel Lowe's single in the 10th in the Rangers 2-1 win over the Astros.
Jul 13, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Smith (8) crosses home plate to score a run against the Houston Astros during the tenth inning at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports / Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

The Rangers walked a season-high nine times on Saturday. Their previous high was seven walks, which they've done three times, the last of which was May 18 against the Angels. Seven of the nine walks came between the sixth and ninth innings.
Nine walks issued by Houston tied a season-high for Astros pitchers.

3. Up Next

Max Scherzer starts the series and first-half finale against Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco at 1:10 p.m. Sunday.
Jul 9, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) delivers to the plate in the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Max Scherzer (1-2, 3.09) faces Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco (9-3, 2.53) in the series and first-half finale at 1:10 p.m. Sunday. It's Scherzer's fifth start since returning from injury on June 23. Right-hander Jon Gray, who is also on normal four-days rest, is available out of the bullpen if necessary, Bruce Bochy said

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Stefan Stevenson
STEFAN STEVENSON

Stefan Stevenson worked as a journalist and editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for 25 years, covering sports, concerts, and general news. His beats have included the Dallas Cowboys, the Texas Rangers, and Texas Christian University football.

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