Houston Astros Game Summary, Scores & Highlights

ARLINGTON, Texas — Nathan Eovaldi pitched seven scoreless innings to become the second 10-game winner in the American League as the AL West leaders Texas Rangers edged No. 2 Houston Astros 5-2 on Saturday. broke with

Iovaldi (10-3) struck out five and held the Astros to two singles, but threw 58 of 97 pitches for strikes and recorded a season-high four walks. The right arm kept no runs in the fifth start of the season and lowered the ERA to 2.64.

Three Rangers infielders, Marcus Semien, Corey Seager and Josh Jung, who were named All-Star starters by the fans, each had an RBI. Switch-hitter catcher Jonah Haim also had 3 hits and 1 RBI this week when he voted for the American League starting lineup on July 11 in Seattle.

After Josh Suboltz made an eighth inning perfect, reliever Joe Barlow allowed Kyle Tucker’s two-run homer in the ninth inning with two outs. The 12th home run of the season came right after Alex Bregman hit a double, which flew off to the right field line and hit first baseman Nathaniel Lowe’s glove.

Will Smith then came on and scored the final out on his 15th save of 16 chances.

Newly acquired hard-throwing reliever Aroldis Chapman, who joined the Rangers the day after being traded from Kansas City, was in the bullpen but never warmed up.

Astros rookie starting pitcher Hunter Brown (6 wins, 5 losses) allowed 6 strikeouts, 10 hits and 3 runs in 4 innings, the shortest record among right-handed pitchers in 16 starts this season. The 10 hits were a season-high, seven of which came from Semien, Seager and Haim combined.

With two games left in the four-game series, the Rangers (50-33) regained the five-game divisional lead they held before losing the season opener 5-3 on Friday night.

Two-time National League Cy Young Award winner and then injured Jacob deGrom was the most high-profile addition to the Rangers’ rotation last winter, but Texas native Eovaldi is a conditional player for the 2025 season. He signed a two-year, $34 million contract with options. . Eovaldi currently shares the second-most wins in the majors behind Tampa Bay lefty Shane McClanahan’s 11 wins.

Texas won the game with a single by Seager in the third inning, and scored his 49th RBI in 51 games.

Haim hit the first double in the fourth, scored on Travis Jankowski’s single, stole a base, and homered Semien’s second of three singles. Adris Garcia and Jung hit back-to-back RBI doubles to open the seventh inning and make it 4-0.

Astros: LHP Flamber Valdez will miss Sunday’s starting lineup. Manager Dusty Baker says Valdez (7-6, 2.49 ERA) has been troubled since he sprained his right ankle on June 20 against the New York Mets despite being scheduled to start in St. Louis. said there is. … SS Jeremy Peña has been sidelined for the second straight game due to stiff shoulders.

Texas starter LHP Andrew Heaney (5-5, 4.38 ERA) pitched five scoreless innings on April 16 against the Astros. It was a no-brainer for Heaney, who left when the Rangers were still scoreless in a 9-1 victory.