The Houston Astros and Texas Rangers will both be looking to jump-start their offenses Monday when they open a three-game series in Arlington, Texas.
Monday’s game will kick off a nine-game road trip for the Astros, who are coming off a 1-0 loss to Tampa Bay in which they were held to three hits. Houston scored four runs and hit one home run in the three-game series against the Rays.
The Astros have scored one run in the last 19 innings and are averaging 3.3 runs per game in 15 games since the All-Star break.
“I think we’re going through a little funk,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “I don’t necessarily call it pressing. We’ll start getting some big hits here pretty soon.”
Yordan Alvarez collected two of Houston’s three hits Sunday, all of which were singles. The Nos. 5 through 9 hitters in Houston’s batting order went 0-for-16 with eight strikeouts, after going 2-for-15 in a 6-1 loss Saturday.
Spender Arrighetti, a 24-year-old rookie, was the highlight for Houston in Sunday’s loss. Arrighetti struck out 12 batters and limited Tampa Bay to a run on five hits in six innings.
Arrighetti’s 12 strikeouts were the most by an Astros pitcher this season. Houston pitchers have struck out at least 10 batters in 10 straight games, which matches a franchise record set in 2022.
“Spencer was phenomenal,” Espada said. “He couldn’t do a better job. Twelve punchies, pounded the zone. … That was a great performance.”
Texas was also held to three hits Sunday, when they dropped a 7-2 decision to Boston in the rubber game of a three-game series. Two of the Rangers’ three hits were solo home runs by Corey Seager and Josh Jung. Seager had three home runs in the series.
“It looked like we were going to have a pretty good day offensively, but then things just went flat there the last six or seven innings,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “We got three hits, a couple runs. That usually doesn’t work too well.”
Texas was without outfielder Wyatt Langford for the second consecutive game Sunday. Bochy said Langford is dealing with back tightness.
Right-hander Hunter Brown (9-7, 4.11 ERA) is scheduled to start on the mound for Houston on Monday. He will be opposed by Texas lefty Andrew Heaney (4-11, 4.12).
Brown has a 3-2 record and a 3.46 ERA in five career starts against Texas, with 24 strikeouts in 26 innings.
Heaney is 4-6 with a 3.87 ERA in 18 career starts against the Astros. He allowed six runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings and took the loss in Wednesday’s 10-1 setback against St. Louis. Entering that game, Heaney had a 2.78 ERA in his previous six starts.
The Rangers have lost seven of their last nine games and have failed to score more than three runs in five of the seven losses.
“They’re all important series at this point,” Bochy said. “At this stage of the season, you gotta win ball games. That’s where it’s at right now.”
–Field Level Media
