Texas Rangers earn crucial win over Houston Astros

ARLINGTON, Texas — Things didn’t go as planned for the defending champion Texas Rangers in 2024, but at least they can say they fought hard at the end of the first half.

The final series wasn’t pretty or easy, but Texas played a game plan against Houston and managed to win the series against the team immediately ahead of them in the standings. A dramatic weekend in Houston was nothing less than what we’ve come to expect from two American League West contenders and their in-state rivals.

Even though it happened just days before the Midsummer Classic, the Rangers and Astros played in a playoff atmosphere around Minute Maid Park.

• Game 94: Texas 3, Houston 6 (W: Brown, 7-6, D: Heaney, 3-10, Sv: Hader, 18)

• Game 95: Texas 2, Houston 1 (W: Robertson, 3-3, D: Scott, 6-3, Sv: Yates, 15)

• Match 96: Texas 4, Houston 2 (W: Sborz, 2-0, D: Blanco, 9-4, Sv: Yates, 16)

Marcus Semien was voted an All-Star by his fellow players, but he was named the American League’s starting second baseman after fan vote winner Jose Altuve opted out of the Midsummer Classic.

Altuve had been hit in the left hand the week before by Josh Winder of the Minnesota Twins. Claiming his hand was still swollen and bruised, the Astros second baseman publicly said he would use the All-Star break to rehab his hand and prepare for the second half.

That didn’t stop him from playing the entire series against Texas, though. Altuve’s presence was a huge factor in the series opener. As reliable as Jose Urena is for the Rangers, both in the rotation and out of the bullpen, it’s hard to beat the .304/.368/.519 average that Altuve brings to the field.

Urena was brought in to hold the Rangers to a 3-2 deficit, the second baseman coming to the plate with two players on base and two outs — and a free base. The idea of ​​facing Altuve with a bad hand was more appealing than facing Alex Bregman with the bases loaded — but the end result was Altuve sending a ball into the back of the Crawford Boxes for a three-run home run to blow the opener.

That would be the difference in the game, as Texas would score just one more run against Houston’s bullpen.

In the 2023 ALCS between these two teams, Nathan Eovaldi earned two wins against the Astros while allowing five runs in 12 ⅓ innings, including just two in a crucial Game 6 victory.

On Saturday, when the stakes weren’t as high, Eovaldi was even better. The Rangers and Astros traded blows in the first inning of the middle game of the series. Texas hit a knockout blow with a leadoff home run by Semien and the Astros got a couple of body shots with a couple of hits in a row to tie the game.

From there, Eovaldi and Houston starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti began trading runs. Eovaldi lasted one inning longer than Arrighetti, seven in total, and allowed Texas to defend against the use of its middle relievers. Texas finally broke through in the 10th on a Nathaniel Lowe single, and All-Star relief pitcher Kirby Yates was able to tie the series in Houston.

Minnesota Twins all-arounder Willi Castro was named an All-Star alternate along with Baltimore Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg. Castro, who joined the Twins two years ago on a minor league deal, isn’t exactly a household name, but he’s a versatile and valuable player. However, in terms of stats, Josh Smith has been better in 2024.

Smith filled in admirably for Josh Jung at third base and offensively he showed in the finale what he’s shown all year – he should be an All-Star. Smith helped the Rangers win Sunday with a two-run home run in the first inning to give Max Scherzer a lead to work with.

As the Astros and Rangers continued to trade potential scoring opportunities, Smith made the difference for Texas again in the eighth inning with another two-run home run, contributing all of the Rangers’ runs and giving them some insurance with a 4-1 lead. Thanks to Smith, Texas was able to clinch a series against its division rivals to close out the first half.

The Rangers now return to Arlington to attend the All-Star festivities and watch Adolis Garcia in the home run derby and Semien and Yates in the All-Star Game. The Baltimore Orioles await them on the other side, but for now, the Rangers can enjoy a much-needed break.

Do you think Rangers will score in the second half? Share your thoughts with Matt on Twitter @FisherWritesMLB.