Astros complete series sweep of Rangers with 5-1 victory
Houston finishes seven-game road trip with six wins as Texas manager Skip Schumaker misses game for family event
The Houston Astros secured a 5-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Thursday night in Arlington, Texas, completing a three-game series sweep of their in-state rivals. The win concludes a seven-game road trip for Houston, during which the team posted a 6-1 record, winning six of their last seven contests.
Jeremy Peña and Isaac Paredes provided early offensive support by hitting first-inning home runs. Peña’s blast, his second of the season, came off his fourth pitch from Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi. Paredes ended an 0-for-10 hitting skid with his own home run to left field following a walk to Yordan Alvarez.
Spencer Arrighetti pitched six effective innings for Houston, allowing only one run and three hits. The right-hander’s earned run average increased marginally from 1.32 to 1.34. Eovaldi, who permitted four hits and two walks over seven innings, saw both runs score after walks.
Defensive highlights included a leaping catch by Cam Smith in the first inning, who removed Brandon Nimmo over the eight-foot wall in right field. Taylor Trammell and Smith also contributed RBI hits in the third inning to extend the Astros' lead to 5-1.
Rangers manager Skip Schumaker was absent from the dugout to attend his son’s high school graduation in California. Bench coach Luis “Pipe” Urueta managed the team in his absence. The Rangers have now lost six of their last seven games, having been no-hit by Houston pitchers earlier in the week.
Both teams return home for weekend series starting Friday. The Astros will face the Milwaukee Brewers with RHP Kai-Wei Teng (3-3, 2.19 ERA) on the mound against RHP Coleman Crow (0-0, 2.61). The Rangers will host the Kansas City Royals, with LHP MacKenzie Gore (3-4, 4.42 ERA) starting against RHP Stephen Kolek (3-0, 2.77).
