The Rangers dropped the opening game against the AL West-leading Astros on May 19, going 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position while stranding seven baserunners in the 5-1 loss.
The Rangers got a solid effort from starting pitcher Glenn Otto. The 26-year-old went six innings, allowing seven hits and two earned runs while walking two and striking out seven.
Unfortunately for the Rangers and their faithful fans, Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez was on top of his game, throwing seven innings while giving up six hits and one earned run, walking two and fanning seven. Valdez worked his record to 3-2 with the win.
“He was probably throwing harder in the seventh inning than any other time in the game,” Astros skipper Dusty Baker told MLB.com of his pitcher’s day. “He emptied the tank. He wanted that victory bad.”
Otto earned the loss for Texas, dropping his record to 1-2 on the season with an ERA of 5.55.
Houston second baseman Jose Altuve went 4-for-5 at the plate on the night — nearly outhitting the entire Rangers roster, who only managed six hits as a team in the loss — and scored a run.
No Rangers player could collect more than one hit in the game, and the only extra-base knock in the contest for Texas came off the bat of Marcus Semien, a double in the seventh.
The Rangers scored first in the game – Corey Seager hit a line drive to center that scored Eli White – batting .187 in the loss (the Astros batted .326 in the win and were 5-for-13 with runners in scoring position.)
With Otto departing the game in the seventh, Josh Sborz came on in relief and yielded three runs on one hit with two walks and two strikeouts. His ERA ballooned to 10.80 after his eighth outing of the season.
Matt Moore worked mop-up duties on the mound for Texas, hurling two innings while allowing two hits and striking out two.
The second game of the Rangers’ 10-day road trip is May 20, again against the Astros. The game at Minute Made Park starts at 7:10 p.m. with Martín Pérez on the hill for the Rangers (2-2, 2.01 ERA) and Cristian Javier (2-1, 3.20 ERA) handling hurling duties for Houston.