August 4, 2015
Rangers 4, Astros 3
W: Gallardo (8-9) L: Straily (0-1) S: Tolleson (20)
HR: Fielder (16), Gomez (9)
Game Zone: Is it “HOME run” or “home RUN”?
The Astros pissed away the type of game that young, improving teams tend to piss away on the road, losing 4-3 to the Rangers in a game they had no business losing.
This game boiled down to 3 innings:
BOTTOM 5:
After escaping with his neck intact for 4 innings, Straily can’t make it through the fifth. A single/triple/single opener to the inning gave up 2 runs, and then the 2 ground balls he produced couldn’t produce a double play. An ensuing walk to Moreland convinced AJ that it was time to bring on Sipp to face Hamilton, a leveraging decision I’m inclined to agree with. But it didn’t pay off, as Hamilton ripped a single to RF for an all-important insurance run.
TOP 6:
Gomez led off with his first homer as an Astro, and the good guys proceeded to then load the bases with one out. But Valbuena’s fly ball to left wasn’t deep enough to score Correa, and MARWIN! grounded out harmlessly to kill the threat.
TOP 9:
A Rasmus walk and a Valbuena single put the tying run on third with nobody out, but Castro and Altuve registered hideous strikeouts following Marwin’s sharp grounder that couldn’t bring Rasmus home.
The team went 1 for 9 with RISP on the night, a number that will inevitably relegate you to the loss column.
The Astros try to avoid the sweep tonight on ROOT Sports, MLB.tv, or the streaming service of your choosing.