Lucroy homers twice as Rangers edge Astros
By MoiseKapenda Bower, The Sports Xchange
HOUSTON -- Jonathan Lucroy belted two home runs to support a relief corps that produced 5 1/3 strong innings in the Texas Rangers' 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday night at Minute Maid Park.
Lucroy smacked his 15th and 16th homers on the season in consecutive at-bats in the sixth and eighth innings. It marked his seventh career multi-homer game and first this season, a timely power surge as Texas (64-47) evened the three-game series to set up a rubber match Sunday.
Before departing with a left quad contusion in the seventh inning, Carlos Beltran produced an RBI single that scored Shin-Soo Choo and gave the Rangers the lead for good. Beltran and Lucroy were both acquired at the non-waiver trade deadline on Monday along with right-hander Jeremy Jeffress, who pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Beltran recorded his run-scoring hit off Astros right-hander Chris Devenski (0-3). Lucroy homered off Astros starter Doug Fister in the sixth inning before adding an opposite-field blast off lefty Tony Sipp.
Rangers right-hander Keone Kela (2-1) surrendered a pair of singles in the fifth inning but induced an inning-ending double play to preserve the 1-0 deficit. Jeffress and left-hander Jake Diekman worked perfect inning before closer Sam Dyson notched his 24th save despite surrendering an RBI single to Astros third baseman Alex Bregman.
The Astros (57-53) stranded 10 runners and finished 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position, with Bregman delivering that lone hit with his third hit of the game.
The Astros had Rangers right-hander Lucas Harrell on the ropes throughout his three-plus innings but repeatedly failed to deliver.
Harrell surrendered just one run despite allowing five hits and issuing five walks while recording 17 outs, and that lone run came with his bases-loaded walk to Preston Tucker with two outs in the first inning. Harrell struck out A.J. Reed to end that threat and left the bases full again in the third.
Harrell benefited greatly from the defensive work of Lucroy, who erased Jose Altuve when Altuve attempted to swipe second after he walked to lead off the third. Harrell then sidestepped hits from Evan Gattis and Preston Tucker, with the latter advancing Gattis to third with two outs.
Following a walk to Reed, Harrell induced a sharp grounder to third base off the bat of Jake Marisnick to end that threat. And while Harrell departed his start having thrown more balls (48) than strikes (44), he allowed just one run, setting the stage for the Rangers to rally late.
NOTES: Rangers LHP Derek Holland made his first rehab start for Triple-A Round Rock on Friday night against Oklahoma City. He allowed one hit and one walk with two strikeouts in two scoreless innings (28 pitches). Holland is scheduled to throw 45 pitches in his next outing on Wednesday against Nashville. He landed on the 15-day disabled list June 21 with left shoulder inflammation. ... The Astros honored 1986 National League Cy Young Award winner Mike Scott as part of their celebration of the 1986 NL West champions. He finished 18-10 with a 2.22 ERA and 306 strikeouts in 275 1/3 innings that season, famously pitching a no-hitter against the Giants to clinch the division title. ... Astros CF Jake Marisnick made his fourth consecutive start, a result of his slashing .327/.339/.466 with five doubles and 10 runs scored in 24 games since July 1. He has more hits in that span (19) than he did in his first 49 games this season (18).