GAME UPDATES: Texas Rangers End Series at Houston Astros

The Texas Rangers will conclude their seven-game, two-city road trip at the Houston Astros at 7:10 p.m. Wednesday.

The Rangers (59-76) finally ended their nine-game losing streak Tuesday night. Thanks to an Astros error, a Nathaniel Lowe single, an Adolis García fielder’s choice and a wild pitch by Houston starter Framber Valdez, the Rangers won 5-4.

That stops the bleeding, and the Rangers can try and salvage a horrible road trip with a series win in Houston. The Astros (87-49) own the best record in the American League.

Texas, which got a bit of a boost after the managerial change from Chris Woodward to Tony Beasley, is now 8-12 under the interim skipper.

The Rangers have plenty going on. Two young players — outfielder Eli White and pitcher Spencer Howard — are headed to Triple-A Round Rock for rehab assignments. Pitcher Jon Gray is throwing batting practice before Wednesday's game in hopes of getting off the injured list. And rookie Cole Ragans is being activated to start the series finale.

A much-needed off-day is coming for the Rangers, who host Toronto for a three-game set starting Friday.

Scroll down to get ready for today’s game.

Texas Rangers (59-76) at Houston Astros (87-49)

Sept. 7, 2022, Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas, 7:10 p.m. (CDT)

Starting Pitchers

TEX: LHP Cole Ragans (0-2, 4.42)

Vs.

HOU: RHP Cristian Javier (8-9, 3.07)

Rangers Pre-Game Transactions:

Activated P Cole Ragans from the 15-day injured list; Optioned P A.J. Alexy to Triple-A Round Rock.

Rangers Injury List:

P Jon Gray (15-day, left oblique strain), placed on Aug. 2. He is eligible to return and pitched a batting practice session on Wednesday in Houston.

P Spencer Howard (15-day, right shoulder impingement), placed on Aug. 10 (retroactive to Aug. 8), eligible to return. He will begin a rehab stint at Triple-A Round Rock this weekend.

P Joe Barlow (15-day, right index finger blister), placed on Aug. 19 (retroactive to Aug. 18). Eligible to return. Barlow will throw off a mound on Wednesday.

OF Eli White (60-day, right wrist fracture), placed on June 13. He begins a rehab stint at Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday.

C Mitch Garver (60-day, right forearm flexor tendon repair surgery), placed on July 11. He is not expected to return this season.

P Josh Sborz (15-day, right elbow sprain), placed on Aug. 30. Moved to 60-Day IL on Sept. 1. He is out for the season.

Follow the Game

Rangers – Bally Sports Southwest

Astros – ATT SportsNet-SW

Radio/Internet

Rangers –105.3 The Fan, KRLD 1080-AM, KFLC 1270

Astros – KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM, KTRH 740 AM/99.1 FM, KLAT 1010

Texas Rangers Starting Lineup

2B Marcus Semien

SS Corey Seager

1B Nathaniel Lowe

RF Kole Calhoun

CF Leody Taveras

3B Ezequiel Duran

C Sam Huff

DH Nick Solak

LF Bubba Thompson

Houston Astros Starting Lineup

2B Jose Altuve

SS Jeremy Peña

DH Yordan Alvarez

3B Alex Bregman

RF Kyle Tucker

1B Yuli Gurriel

LF Trey Mancini

C Christian Vázquez

CF Mauricio Dubón

Game Updates

Top of First

RHP Cristian Javier (HOU) Pitching

2B Marcus Semien – popped out to third base in foul territory

SS Corey Seager – struck out swinging

1B Nathaniel Lowe – home run to right field (24), on a 2-2 pitch. Rangers 1, Astros 0

RF Kole Calhoun – struck

Rangers 1, Astros 0

Bottom of First

LHP Cole Ragans (TEX) Pitching

2B Jose Altuve – grounded out to second

SS Jeremy Peña – struck out swinging

DH Yordan Alvarez – grounded out to third

Rangers 1, Astros 0

Top of Second

CF Leody Taveras – struck out swinging

3B Ezequiel Duran – struck out swinging

C Sam Huff – struck out swinging

Rangers 1, Astros 0

Bottom of Second

3B Alex Bregman - walked

RF Kyle Tucker – flew out to center field; Bregman remained at first

1B Yuli Gurriel – struck out swinging

LF Trey Mancini – lined out to third base.

Rangers 1, Astros 0

Top of Third

DH Nick Solak – reached first on throwing error by Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña

LF Bubba Thompson – sacrifice bunt to third, moved Solak to second base

2B Marcus Semien – singled to right field, scored Solak. Rangers 2, Astros 0

SS Corey Seager – struck out looking; Semien stole second on strike three

1B Nathaniel Lowe – singled; Semien advanced to third; mound visit to Javier

RF Kole Calhoun – singled to center field; Semien scored; Lowe advanced to second. Rangers 3, Astros 0

CF Leody Taveras – flied out to left

Rangers 3, Astros 0

Bottom of Third

C Christian Vázquez - walked

CF Mauricio Dubón – popped out to second; Vázquez stayed at first

2B Jose Altuve – walked; Vázquez advanced to second

SS Jeremy Peña – struck out swinging; Vázquez remained at second; Altuve remained at first

DH Yordan Alvarez – Vázquez thrown out stealing at third by Rangers catcher Sam Huff.

Rangers 3, Astros 0

Top of Fourth

3B Ezequiel Duran – struck out swinging

C Sam Huff – grounded out to third

DH Nick Solak – struck out swinging

Rangers 3, Astros 0

Bottom of Fourth

Rangers pitching change: Brett Martin for Cole Ragans

Ragans pitching line: Three inning, no runs, no hits, three walks, three strikeouts, 49 pitches, 26 strikes.

DH Yordan Alvarez – grounded out to second

3B Alex Bregman – flew out to right field

RF Kyle Tucker – walked

1B Yuli Gurriel – Tucker advanced to second on wild pitch; Gurrield singled to center, Tucker scored. Rangers 3, Astros 1

LF Trey Mancini – flied out to center

Rangers 3, Astros 1

Top of Fifth

LF Bubba Thompson – lined out to center field

2B Marcus Semien – lined out to center field

SS Corey Seager – lined out to second base

Rangers 3, Astros 1

Bottom of Fifth

Rangers pitching change: Dennis Santana for Brett Martin

Martin pitching line: One inning, one hit, one run (earned), one walk, no strikeouts, 24 pitches, 13 strikes.

C Christian Vázquez – popped out to second base

CF Mauricio Dubón – lined out to center field

2B Jose Altuve – struck out swinging

Top of Sixth

1B Nathaniel Lowe - walked

RF Kole Calhoun – flew out to right field; Lowe remained at first

CF Leody Taveras – walked; Lowe advaned to second

Astros Pitching Change: Seth Martinez for Cristian Javier

3B Ezequiel Duran – fielder’s choice groundout to catcher. Duran thrown out at first. Lowe advanced to third; Taveras advanced to second

C Sam Huff – flied out to left

Javier Pitching Line: 5 1/3 innings, four hits, three runs (one earned), two walks, eight strikeouts, 96 pitches, 62 strikes

Rangers 3, Astros 1

Bottom of Sixth

SS Jeremy Peña – struck out looking

Rangers Pitching Change: John King for Dennis Santana

Santana Pitching Line: 1 1/3 innings, no hits, no runs, no walks, two strikeouts, 21 pitches, 14 strikes.

DH Yordan Alvarez – grounded out to third base

3B Alex Bregman – singled to left

RF Kyle Tucker – home run to right field, Bregman scored. Rangers 3, Astros 3

1B Yuli Gurriel – flied out to center

Rangers 3, Astros 3

Top of Seventh

DH Nick Solak – single to center field

LF Bubba Thompson – walked; Solak advanced to second

Astros pitching change: Bryan Abreu for Seth Martinez

2B Marcus Semien – grounded into 4-3 double play; Solak advanced to third

SS Corey Seager – grounded out to second base

Rangers 3, Astros 3

Bottom of Seventh

LF Trey Mancini – singled to center

C Christian Vázquez – lined out to right field; Kole Calhoun threw out Mancini at first for a double play

CF Mauricio Dubón – lined out to center field

Rangers 3, Astros 3

Top of Eighth

1B Nathaniel Lowe – grounded out to second

RF Kole Calhoun – struck out swinging

CF Leody Taveras – struck out swinging

Rangers 3, Astros 3

Bottom of Eighth

Rangers Pitching Change: Jesus Tinoco for John King

King Pitching Line: 1 1/3 innings, three hits, two runs (earned), no walks, no strikeouts, 19 pitches, 15 strikes.

2B Jose Altuve - walked

SS Jeremy Peña – grounded to shortstop Corey Seager; Seager threw out Altuve at second; Peña safe at first

DH Yordan Alvarez – grounded out to Tinoco; Peña advanced to second and took third on the play at first

3B Alex Bregman – walked; Peña remained at third; mound visit to Tinoco

RF Kyle Tucker – flied out to center

Rangers 3, Astros 3

Top of Ninth

Astros Pitching Change: Rafael Montero for Bryan Abreu

Abreu Pitching Line: Two innings, no runs, no hits, no walks, two strikeouts, 18 pitches, 12 strikes.

3B Ezequiel Duran – grounded out to third base

C Sam Huff – popped out to first base

DH Nick Solak – ground out to second

Rangers 3, Astros 3

Bottom of Ninth

Rangers Pitching Change: Jonathan Hernandez for Jesus Tinoco

Tinoco Pitching Line: One inning, no hits, no runs, two walks, no strikeouts, 30 pitches, 16 strikes.

1B Yuli Gurriel – struck out looking

LF Chas McCormick (pinch-hitting for Trey Mancini) – flied out to right field

C Christian Vázquez – flied out to left field.

Rangers 3, Astros 3

Top of 10th

Astros Pitching Change: Hector Neris for Rafael Montero

Montero Pitching Line: One inning, no runs, no hits, no walks, no strikeouts, 12 pitches, six strikes.

Rangers Ghost Runner: DH Nick Solak at second base

LF Bubba Thompson – popped out bunt to Neris; Solak remained at second

2B Marcus Semien – popped out to right field in foul territory; Solak remained at second

SS Corey Seager – struck out

Rangers 3, Astros 3

Bottom of 10th

Astros Ghost Runner: C Christian Vázquez at second base

CF Mauricio Dubón – sacrifice bunt, out at first; Vázquez advanced to third

2B Jose Altuve – intentionally walked; Vázquez remained at third

SS Jeremy Peña – grounded to third base; 6-2-5 rundown of Vázquez for an out; Altuve advanced to second; Peña reached first

DH Yordan Alvarez – intentionally walked; Altuve advanced to third; Peña advanced to second

3B Alex Bregman – Hernandez throws wild pitch; Altuve scores.

Final: Astros 4, Rangers 3

You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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