Rangers shut out Astros
The Texas Rangers open the American League Championship Series with a victory over the Houston Astros and are living a dream that some of their players don’t want to wake up from, at least for the next two weeks.
HOUSTON — Few, if anyone, would have believed the Texas Rangers would be undefeated at 6-0 in the postseason, and even fewer that they would be after Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.
But it is a reality for the Rangers or perhaps a dream they are living and from which, as several players said in the clubhouse, no one wants to wake up, at least for the next two weeks.
The Rangers beat the Houston Astros 2-0 in front of 42,872 paying fans at Minute Maid Park in Houston to put the Fall Classic ticket series 1-0 in their favor and take home-field advantage. that Houston’s own team took from them in the last game of the season.
Starter Jordan Montgomery gave the opportunity to compete, with six and a third innings of work, which for many could have been more, in which he avoided runs and only allowed five hits, with one walk.
“Jordan is pitching unbelievable,” Rangers outfielder Leody Taveras said. “When your starter does the job he’s been doing, he gives you a lot of motivation and hope to win.”
Tavera drove in the Rangers’ second run in the fifth inning, which practically clinched the game on offense, after in the second, Jonah Heim drove in the first run with a single for rookie Evan Carter to score.
It’s not that the offense has hurt Astros starter Justin Verlander that much. But enough to produce two earned runs in his six and two-thirds innings of work.
The rest was taken care of by a defense that seemed insurmountable, in particular Carter, 21, who cut off a hit in the fourth inning, which prevented what seemed like a run from second base, and then in the eighth inning he stole an extra. . base in the far corner of the ball park, which turned into a double play because José Altuve stayed at second running first, since he always thought the ball was going to bounce.
“That guy in left field made a lot of plays, especially that hit by Alex Bregman that I thought was going to come out,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “If the ball hadn’t come out, it would have bounced off the wall and at least we would have had runners on second and third with no outs.”
“That guy scored a run, had a hit and played the best defense.” He added. “What game.”
The Rangers bullpen also kept pace with the postseason, in which they have become completely different, after experiencing the worst regular season for a team that reaches the playoffs.
The Texas bullpen has an ERA in these playoffs of 1.86 earned runs allowed, after 4.77 in the regular season. Josh Sborz, Aroldis Chapman and José Leclerc combined for 2 2/3 hitless, runless innings.
“There’s a long way to go,” Chapman said. “It’s important to win away from home, at home, to win no matter what… But today we won; tomorrow we have to try again to beat a good team.”
This Monday, the Astros will try to tie the series at home with Framber Valdez (0-1, 10.38) starting, against Nathan Eovaldi (2-0, 1.32), for the Rangers.
