Game Notes: Astros 5, Rangers 3
TEXAS lost 4 straight games to finish this homestand, club’s longest losing skid since the All-Star break and one loss shy of matching longest losing streak of the season (0-5, 4/15-20)…finished August with 12 wins, T2nd-most in any month this season (17-May, 12-June/August)…will begin a 7-game road trip to BOS (4 G) and HOU (3 G) on Thursday night at Fenway Park.
MARTÍN PÉREZ took 3rd loss in his last 5 starts after allowing most runs (5 R-ER) in any home start this season…has 3 losses since the end of a career-best 9-game winning streak, with 2 of those defeats coming at the hands of the Astros (also 8/9 at Minute Maid)…posted his 24th straight start with 5.0+ IP.
NATHANIEL LOWE went 2-for-2 with a double, RBI single, and 2 walks, raising his season BA to .301…tied his season high with 4 times on base, most at home in '22 as previous 3 were on the road…finished August with the following totals: .389/.450/.649/1.098 (42-108), 7 HR, 5 2B, 3B, 21 RBI...this month has seen his season BA rise from .275 to .301 and OPS rise from .774 to .850…marks the highest monthly hit total (42) by a Ranger since Elvis Andrus had 43 hits in August 2017 and highest monthly OPS by a Ranger (min. 50 PA) since Joey Gallo in June 2021 (1.105).
COREY SEAGER hit his 29th home run to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead in the 1st inning, now just one HR shy of tying teammate Brad Miller (30 HR in 2016 w/ TB) for the MLB record for home runs by a left-handed hitting shortstop (min. 50% games played at SS)…has 21 home runs at home, the highest single-season home total of his career and most by a Ranger since Joey Gallo hit 23 at Globe Life Park in 2018.
MARCUS SEMIEN recorded his 20th stolen base in the 1st inning (1st since 7/31 at LAA) for his 1st career season with 20+ home runs and 20+ stolen bases…he and Adolis García are the 2nd duo in Rangers history to have 20/20 campaigns in the same season, joining Nelson Cruz and Ian Kinsler in 2009.
HOUSTON went 2-0 against Texas this week and has won all 5 series between the clubs this season, going 12-4 against the Rangers overall…has an A.L.-best 84-47 (.641) record and MLB best 35-13 (.729) record in day games…overall record matches the best mark over first 131 G of a season in franchise history (also 84-47 in 2019)…each of last 5 G have been decided by exactly 2 runs (3-2 in that span).
CRISTIAN JAVIER earned his 8th win of the season (now 8-9) after he allowed 3 runs (all earned) on 4 hits and 3 walks over 5.0 innings…today’s start marked a return to the starting rotation following a brief stint in the Astros’ bullpen over which he made just one appearance (3.0 IP on 8/26 vs. BAL)…allowed 2-run HR to the 2nd batter he faced (Corey Seager) but held Texas hitters 3-for-their-next-18, holding the Rangers scoreless until Nathaniel Lowe’s RBI single in the 5th…Javier remains undefeated (4-0) over 6 G/5 GS in his career at Globe Life Field.
DAVID HENSLEY went 3-for-4 with 3 singles and a walk this afternoon in his 3rd career Major League game, becoming just the 10th player in Astros history to record 3+ hits in one of his first 3 career MLB appearances (last Jeremy Peña, 3 H on 4/8 at LAA)…Hensley is 4-for-7 with a double over his last 2 G following an 0-for-3 showing in his MLB debut on Sat. vs. BAL.
JOSE ALTUVE reached base safely via hit or walk in 4 of his 5 plate appearances today (2B, 1B, 2 BB)…went 4-for-8 w/ HR, 2 2B, 3 RBI, and 2 BB in this brief 2-game series at TEX, finishing with a .330/.412/.540/.952 (33-100) slash line over 27 G in August…Altuve’s 12 doubles this month led HOU batters, while his 33 hits were one behind Bregman (34) for the team lead in August.
MISCELLANEOUS: Adolis García went 0-for-4 to end his career-best on-base streak at 25 games, which tied Nathaniel Lowe (2021) for the longest streak by a Ranger in the last 2 seasons…Houston batters combined for 7 walks this afternoon, highest BB total in August and most since 7/29 vs. SEA (also 7)…Christian Vázquez is batting .340 (16-47) over his first 17 G with the Astros (all hits are singles).
