“We have talked about enjoying at house, with the ability to win at house and enjoying clear baseball“.
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Here’s one takeaway after two games this week between the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros: If there’s a game to be played, either high-scoring or low, it’s going to be a long one.
Scott Kazmir took his first lost as an Astro, dropping his record to 6-6.
Nick Martinez got the win tonight and backed up his impressive start against the Giants with another impressive one today. He was also dealt from faltering Oakland to the middle of a playoff push in Houston prior to the trade deadline. “We didn’t play very well this series”. The bullpen, initially, wasn’t as effective. Starter Yovani Gallardo was just good enough with all three runs plated on four hits and a trio of BB through five innings with four relievers putting up zeros. Sam Freeman, after replacing Phil Klein, walked the first two batters he faced, including Conger with the bases loaded.
Spencer Patton and Jake Diekman each pitched a flawless inning to set up the closer.
It was the ninth cycle in Rangers history, and second this season. Dyson had to dance around the two runners he put on in the ninth before picking up his second save.
“It wasn’t pretty, regularly you don’t win a ballgame when you walk eight and hit one”, Railing said. “It’s nice to get thrown into the fire right away and get your feet wet”. “I think as these guys gain traction, they gain understanding and the gain confidence”. It’s kind of that theory of bend and do not break. Klien was only able to last 1/3 of an inning, walking two and giving up one hit and two earned runs.
Freeman wasn’t the only Rangers pitcher to make quality pitches when it counted, as the bullpen as a whole combined for four shutout innings. Then singles by Mitch Moreland and Elvis Andrus scored two more additional runs. “We simply didn’t get into the amusement”. The Gimenez solo shot matched the one earned run Kazmir allowed in July.
Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre fielded Carlos Gomez’s third-inning foul ball.
Houston got a run back in the fourth against Martinez. After getting Carlos Correa to bounce out to short, Jed Lowrie doubled, scoring Gomez easily and making it 4-1 Texas.
NOTES: Houston designated RHP Dan Straily for assignment and recalled RHP Asher Wojciechowski from Triple-A Fresno. The Rangers will turn to prized possession Cole Hamels (0-0 5.87 ERA) and the Seattle Mariners will hand the ball to Hisashi Iwakuma (2-2 4.47 ERA).
Astros: In Wednesday’s final game of the three-game series, LHP Scott Kazmir will try to continue last month’s success.
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Shawn Tolleson has 20 saves, but was unavailable for the Astros finale after pitching in six of the previous seven games. Manager A.J. Hinch and a trainer went on the field, but Gomez stayed in the game and homered on his next at-bat. He was hit by a pitch in the arm Tuesday.
