 gave up four hits, all singles, and struck out seven. He retired his last 15 batters following a leadoff walk in the second inning as the Astros won their second straight after losing the series' first two games.''For us to be able to flip the script and come out of a tough series with a split, that's what good ballclubs do,'' Verlander said.Verlander didn't allow a home run for the first time since June 6. He has given up a major league high 26 homers this season, including 12 in his previous five starts, and said last Monday he was ''100 percent'' sure the baseballs were juiced this season. Verlander remained four shy of his career high for homers allowed in a full season and said he hasn't changed his pitching style to avoid giving up homers.''I'm a fly-ball pitcher,'' he said. ''If I start trying to be a sinker baller, it doesn't work. My goal is to try to miss as many bats as I can. That's what the game's turned into.'' Once Verlander adjusted after the first inning, Rangers manager Chris Woodward said he was ''as close as it comes to being unhittable.'' Altuve, the Astros' leadoff hitter with George Springer given the day off, had three hits and scored three times after having four hits in Saturday's 11-inning win. In 20 games since activation from the injured list on June 19, Altuve is hitting .322 with 16 runs.''These guys are playing so good, and I don't want to be the one that's not helping the team,'' Altuve said.The grand slam came in a seven-run seventh inning that also included a home run by Yuli Gurriel.Ariel Jurado (5-5) gave up five runs in the first two innings pitching on six days' rest in making his first start since July 3. Jurado allowed seven hits and walked four, three of the walked batters scoring.The Rangers, vying for an AL wild-card spot, have lost eight of their past 12 games.The Astros handed Verlander a 3-0 lead in the first inning on three singles, two walks and a sacrifice fly. Jurado threw 28 pitches and received two mound visits before recording an out.''He was really fighting some mechanical issues,'' Woodward said.The Rangers answered with two runs in the bottom of the first on the four singles before Verlander shut them down.Verlander entered the game with a major league-low .168 opponents' batting average and was fifth in strikeouts with 153.SHORT HOPSAstros RHP Joe Smith, who ruptured an Achilles in December, made his season debut in the seventh inning. ... Michael Brantley's single and double gave him 37 multihit games, leading the American League. ... Texas pitching didn't record a 1-2-3 inning until the eighth. ... The July 1 Rangers home game against the Los Angeles Angels that was postponed by the death of Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs will be played Tuesday, Aug. 20 as part of a split doubleheader.TRAINER'S ROOMAstros: RHP Brad Peacock (shoulder) won't start Monday's series opener at the Angels as planned after experiencing soreness. Peacock was sent to Houston to see a doctor.Rangers: OF Hunter Pence (groin) is scheduled to return Tuesday for the first two games at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks after completing a rehab assignment on Sunday night with Double-A Frisco.UP NEXTAstros: LHP Framber Valdez (3-5, 5.28) will follow opener Josh James and pitch Monday on three days' rest after allowing four runs in 2/3 of an inning on Thursday.Rangers: RHP Lance Lynn (12-4, 3.69), 8-0 at home this season, will start Tuesday.---More MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
Astros suddenly eyeing series split with RangersFLMThere were enough moments of ragged play Saturday to yield belief that the Astros would indeed suffer their third series loss in as many series against the Texas Rangers in Arlington this season, with errors both mental and physical undermining every attempt Houston made to advance.Ultimately, however, the Astros overcame their own missteps, defeated the Rangers 7-6 in 11 innings, and set the stage for a win Sunday that would salvage a split of their four-game series. Houston committed three errors, all in the Rangers' two-run third inning, and had three runners eliminated on the basepaths -- playing a brand of baseball unbecoming a World Series contender.Yet, there were enough clutch performances sprinkled throughout to keep the Astros afloat. Houston had struggled on the road recently and has scuffled at Globe Life Park all season, so its ability to turn the tables late and pull out an extra-inning win proved doubly satisfying. That it was Jose Altuve who struck the decisive blow with two outs in the 11th, producing an RBI double on an 0-2 pitch to complete his 30th career four-hit game, came as little surprise."This is a team that no matter how we're playing, we're going to go out there and play hard," Altuve told reporters. "In the season there are going to be ups and downs but we're going to keep believing in us. Thank God we won (Saturday); let's get another one (Sunday)." Right-hander Justin Verlander (10-4, 2.98 ERA) will start the series finale Sunday. Verlander, who started for the American League in the All-Star Game last Tuesday, has allowed at least one home run in each of his previous five starts and 12 total during that stretch, posting a 1-2 record and 4.91 ERA. He is 15-8 with a 2.79 ERA over 28 career starts against the Rangers, including a 2-0 mark and 2.50 ERA in three starts this season.Right-hander Ariel Jurado (5-4, 4.23 ERA) will start for the Rangers as they attempt to win all three home series against Houston this season. Jurado had made eight consecutive starts, going 4-2 with a 5.24 ERA during that stretch, before appearing in relief on July 7 against the Minnesota Twins and working 2 1/3 scoreless innings. He is 1-0 with a 0.93 ERA over three career appearances (one start) against the Astros, appearing twice in relief against Houston this season and giving up four runs over 3 2/3 innings -- though all of the runs are unearned.Not only do the Rangers stand poised to win the four-game weekend series with a victory Sunday, they could even the season series with the division-leading Astros at 7-7 with five games remaining, all at Minute Maid Park in Houston."It's huge," Rangers reliever Adrian Sampson said of the win Saturday after working 2 2/3 scoreless innings in the game. "Our goal was to sweep these guys. That's the goal every day, just to win every game. I think coming in (Sunday) it's going to be a huge day for us, a huge day for the organization." --Field Level Media
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