ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kyle Tucker hit a tiebreaking pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning and the Houston Astros beat…
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kyle Tucker hit a tiebreaking pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning and the Houston Astros beat the Texas Rangers 3-2 in a sequence finale that started as a formidable duel between beginning pitchers.
Tucker’s two-run blast got here off Matt Bush (0-1), the primary reliever for Texas after left-hander Martin Perez took an ideal sport into the seventh inning earlier than giving up his solely run.
Two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander (2-0) struck out eight and allowed one run over seven innings in solely his fourth begin since Tommy John surgical procedure. The right-hander threw 64 of 91 pitches for strikes and didn’t have a stroll whereas reducing his season ERA to 1.73.
Blake Taylor pitched an ideal eighth for the Astros. Rafael Montero then labored the ninth with normal nearer Ryan Pressly nonetheless on the injured record and obtained his first save regardless of Corey Seager’s one-out homer to straightaway heart.
Perez retired the primary 18 batters he confronted earlier than Chas McCormick lined a double into the right-center hole on a full-count pitch main off the seventh. The lefty obtained out two extra batters out earlier than Yordan Alvarez lined an opposite-field single to left to drive in McCormick.
Before McCormick’s double, the closest the Astros had gotten to successful was when Jose Siri had a one-out comebacker in the sixth that ricocheted off the pitcher. Perez scrambled off the mound and made a powerful throw to first for a bang-bang play that was dominated out — and stood after a replay problem by Houston.
Texas obtained even at 1 in the underside of the seventh, when Adolis Garcia had a sacrifice fly to heart after the Rangers loaded the bases with three consecutive one-out singles off Verlander. That included a checked swing from Mitch Garver that was a groundball hit in opposition to a shifted infield.
The solely Rangers hit, and solely baserunner, earlier than then was No. 9 hitter Andy Ibanez with a pointy single up the center in the third.
PERFECT THROUGH SIX
Perez was the primary Rangers pitcher to retire the primary 18 batters in a sport since Mike Minor in opposition to San Diego on June 27, 2018. He was the second MLB pitcher to try this this season. Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw retired all 21 batters he confronted at Minnesota on April 13 earlier than being pulled from his first begin of the season after 13 strikeouts and 80 pitches.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: 2B Jose Altuve (strained hamstring) is scheduled to play rehab video games for Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday and Saturday and may very well be activated from the injured record when Houston returns dwelling Monday to begin a sequence in opposition to Seattle. Altuve has been on the IL since April 19 and will have been activated as early as Friday. General supervisor James Click says Altuve needed to play a few video games to get his timing again earlier than rejoining the Astros lineup.
Rangers: Catcher Jonah Heim was placed on the paternity record after the beginning Thursday morning of his second baby, a daughter born simply earlier than 8 a.m.
UP NEXT
Astros: Jose Urquidy (1-1, 3.15 ERA) is the the scheduled starter when Houston opens a three-game sequence Friday evening in Toronto.
Rangers: After dropping three of 4 to the defending American League champions, the Rangers open a three-game weekend sequence Friday in opposition to the reigning World Series champion Atlanta Braves.
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