A fan waves a small broom with a Texas Rangers flag attached to it…
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By the seventh inning both starters – Colby Lewis for the Rangers and Lance McCullers for the Astros – were gone and the game was in the hands of the relievers.
The Rangers are now being considered, at least by Buster Olney, as front runners to win the American League.
The Rangers wasted no time in getting to Keuchel (17-8), scoring six times off him in the first inning, with left fielder Mike Napoli hitting a three-run homer and second baseman Rougned Odor adding a two-run shot. Then they are putting vast pressure on themselves to do something they’ve done only twice since April 29: win a series on the road. “The energy, the passion, the grit”. “I knew we were going to get a guy that was focused and ready to go and he showed it tonight with how he went about his business on the mound”. They are 48-24 in Houston, the best mark in the AL, and begin a nine-game home stand on Friday night against the Oakland Athletics.
The Astros finished a 2-8 trip and have a 1 1/2-game lead for the second AL wild card over Minnesota. “We’ve come this far, we’ve earned it, we’re still having a good time. They didn’t like it, tasted a little bit of their own blood and really came out with a vengeance there in May”, Banister said. Shin-Soo Choo had a one-out single and Prince Fielder walked before Moreland made it 3-0 against McCullers (5-6).
AL Central leaders the Kansas City Royals slipped to a 5-1 defeat to the Cleveland Indians as Francisco Lindor drove in four runs in his first three visits to the plate – including a home run in the first inning.
Lewis (16-8), Moreland and shortstop Elvis Andrus were part of the World Series teams in 2010 and 2011.
The Rangers had a rough opening to the 2015 Major League Baseball season, residing in last place until around mid-May. Chasing a pennant is never easy.
Fiers put together a quality start at the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday, surrendering three runs and six hits while striking out eight over seven innings, but did not factor in the decision. The left-hander struck out three. With two out, Fielder standing at first, Beltre laced a single down the foul line in left.
ORIOLES 4, RAYS 3 Adam Jones hit a go-ahead, two-run single with two outs in a four-run eighth inning, and visiting Baltimore beat Tampa Bay. Adrian Beltre fielded Jose Altuve’s one-hopper at third, stepped on the bag and threw to first for the double play.
Nelson (11-13) was struck in the back of the head by a liner from Tommy Pham in the third inning.
“It was definitely a complete series for us”, Moreland said.
And even mediocrity seemed ambitious in mid-May, when Texas was 9.5 games back in the A.L. West with a 16-23 record.
HOUSTON (AP) – Milo Hamilton, a Hall of Fame broadcaster who called Hank Aaron’s historic 715th home run in 1974, has died. Toronto won two of three games for its first series win over the Braves since 2008. It was his 27th career game with multiple homers. He missed 16 games with a right quadriceps strain….
“We’ve played some close games, and one-run losses or two-run losses are tough, especially this time of year,”Hinch told reporters Tuesday night”. He hopes to maybe pinch-hit by the end of the weekend.
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This Rangers ball club is fun, nasty, and they get after people.
