Rangers Can't Solve Greinke In 3-1 Loss; Losing Streak Hits 12
Astros starting pitcher Zack Greinke offered six concrete innings and was assisted by the offense of Abraham Toro as Houston beat the Rangers Sunday afternoon in Houston, 3-1.
Texas' losing streak is now tied for the second-longest in team history, and it's the first time the Rangers have dropped 12 in a row since 1982.
The club record for consecutive losses is 15, from September 1972, the team's first in Texas after moving from Washington, under manager Ted Williams.
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"It's gut-wrenching. It's the toughest situation that I've ever been a part of, and I know a lot of these guys can honestly say the same thing. We cannot stop fighting, we cannot stop believing that we will get out of this." Rangers manager Chris Woodward said after the game.
Woodward and Rangers' third baseman Brock Holt were tossed out of the game by home plate umpire Tim Timmons in the fifth after arguing a called third strike.
Greinke gave up one run on five hits with four strikeouts on Sunday, and at one stretch retired 13 of 14 Rangers.
Cristian Javier threw two perfect innings and Ryan Pressly pitched the ninth for his 18th save of the season.
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Toro gave the Astros a 2-1 lead in the fifth with a two-run shot off Rangers reliever Danny Santana, who took the loss and falls to 0-1.
Kyle Tucker increased the Astros lead to 3-1 on an RBI single in the sixth.
Rangers outfielder Eli White hit a solo home run in the fifth to put Texas on the board. It was the first Rangers lead since a 2-0 advantage over Oakland after the first inning on July 10.
Texas now has not led after an inning in a franchise-record 104 innings.
The bright spot of the day was Rangers starting pitcher Taylor Hearn, who made his second start of the year and struck out three over three hitless innings.
Comparing Sunday's start to his two previous starts of the season, starts in which he struggled, Hearn said, "I don't really think there was a difference other than just trying to get out of the first inning. I guess a little adrenaline kicked in during the first. I was amped up and ready to go. I've been making some mechanical changes so it's been paying off."
Hearn approached his start today as he would a relief appearance. "Honestly, I kind of just took it as ok, I don't know if I'm getting any more starts, so I'll just take it as if I'm coming out of the 'pen," said Hearn after the game.
Up next, the Rangers head back to Arlington for a two-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks Tuesday and Wednesday.
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