Kyle Tucker hit two doubles and drove in three runs, while Jose Altuve had three hits and two RBIs as the Houston Astros had a big seventh inning to break a tie and win 9-2 against the Texas Rangers on Saturday.
The Astros ended a four-game losing streak and rebounded after allowing the Rangers to score their highest run total of the season in a 12-8 loss in the series opener.
Altuve expressed his hope that this game could kickstart the Astros after their early struggles. “We are a confident team… this is who we are, we’ve done it before,” Altuve said. “I don’t see why we can’t do it again.”
The game was tied at 2 with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh, when pinch-hitter Victor Caratini’s RBI single to right field off José Ureña put the Astros in the lead.
Altuve then hit a double to left field, driving in two more runs to extend the lead to 5-2. Austin Pruitt came in and intentionally walked Yordan Alvarez before Tucker’s double to center field scored two more runs.
Houston increased their lead to 9-2 when Alvarez scored on a sacrifice fly by Yainer Diaz. Manager Joe Espada praised the team’s offensive performance, saying, “That’s the offense that I’m used to seeing. When we get pitchers against the ropes, we’ve got to put them away, and that’s exactly what we did today.”
Ronel Blanco, who had pitched a no-hitter in his season debut and threw six scoreless innings in his last outing, gave the Astros another solid start on Saturday.
He allowed two runs in the first inning, but then settled down to pitch five scoreless frames.
It was a much-needed performance after Houston’s starting pitchers had struggled in recent games. Texas starter Andrew Heaney gave up four hits and two runs in 3 2/3 innings, struggling with his mechanics and mental approach.
The Rangers loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh inning, but Bryan Abreu struck out Evan Carter to end the threat before the Astros took the lead in the bottom of the inning.
Rookie Wyatt Langford had two hits and an RBI for Texas, while Adolis García added two hits. Houston’s José Abreu, who had been struggling at the plate this season, had two hits, including a double, for his first multi-hit game of the year and his first extra-base hit.
Blanco gave up two runs in the first inning but then settled in, while Tucker’s double in the fourth inning tied the game at 2-2.
