Josh Smith hit two home runs and drove in four runs to lead the Texas Rangers to a 4-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Smith’s first home run, a two-run shot in the first inning, set the tone early. He then added another two-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning to extend the Rangers’ lead to 4-1. This marked the first time in his career that the 26-year-old had hit multiple home runs in a game.
After losing the series opener, the Rangers bounced back to win the final two games. Nathaniel Lowe’s RBI single in the 10th inning secured a 2-1 victory on Saturday.
The Astros, the defending champions, had won seven of their last 10 games leading up to the All-Star break but fell to 50-46 after Sunday’s loss.
Manager Bruce Bochy praised his team’s performance, stating, “They should feel good about how we finished up here. We have a lot of baseball left and we have to make up ground, we know that. But if we play that type of ball, good things can happen.”
Jake Meyers hit a solo home run in the third inning to cut the Rangers’ lead to one run. Despite opportunities, the Astros struggled with runners in scoring position, going 0 for 9 in such situations.
Texas starter Max Scherzer had a strong outing, allowing one run on four hits with six strikeouts in four-plus innings. Reflecting on his performance, Scherzer said, “I’m pleased with how I’m progressing and executing. My pitches are improving every time out. This win is a positive way to head into the break.”
The Astros mounted a late rally in the ninth inning with a run scored on a groundout by Joey Loperfido, but Kirby Yates closed out the game to earn his 16th save of the season.
