\u201cWhen you put the ball in play, good things happen,\u201d Rangers manager Bruce Bochy<\/a><\/strong> said of the early scoring. He said his team had good at-bats before adding, \u201cIt\u2019s always good to get a crooked number up there, especially early.\u201d<\/p>\n Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi<\/a><\/strong> put up a quality start, allowing three runs on five hits across six innings, walking one and striking out nine. His effort gave his team a 2\u20130 series lead as it heads home for the next two or, if necessary, three games. \u201cIt\u2019s huge,\u201d Eovaldi said of the series lead. \u201cThe momentum is in our favor, but we can’t let our guard down.\u201d<\/p>\n The Rangers\u2019 dismantling of Valdez began on the first pitch of the game, which second baseman Marcus Semien<\/strong><\/a> stroked to center for a single. Shortstop Corey Seager<\/a><\/strong> hit the next pitch into left for another single. Left fielder Robbie Grossman<\/a><\/strong> hit a dribbler between the mound and the third-base line. Valdez bobbled it before scooping it up. His desperation throw to first sailed wide, rolling into foul ground outside shallow right. Semien scored on the overthrow, with Seager reaching third and Grossman reaching second.<\/p>\n Right fielder Adolis Garcia<\/a><\/strong> and designated hitter Mitch Garver<\/a><\/strong> singled to right and left, respectively, to bring Seager and Grossman in. After catcher Jonah Heim<\/a><\/strong> struck out, first baseman Nathaniel Lowe<\/a><\/strong> hit yet another single, this one to left. That brought in Garcia, making the score 4\u20130. A strikeout by third baseman Josh Jung<\/a><\/strong> and fly to his counterpart by center fielder Leody Taveras<\/a><\/strong> ended the frame.<\/p>\n Semien also got a hit on the first pitch of the second inning. After the game, Semien said his strategy against Valdez was \u201cto get the ball up in the zone\u201d while not falling behind in the count. Semien did not score, as Valdez struck out Seager, got Grossman to ground into a 6\u20134 force, hit Garcia, and struck out Garver. The pitch that hit Garcia hit him in the foot as he tried to scoot backwards to avoid the pitch. He lost his balance but recovered by turning a cartwheel towards first in a humorous moment.<\/p>\n The Astros scored their first run of both the game and the series in the bottom of the second when designated hitter Yordan Alvarez<\/a><\/strong> ripped a second-deck leadoff homer, making the score 4\u20131. But the Rangers got the run back in the top of the third when Heim led off with a blast off the billboards in left field. It became a 5\u20132 game in the bottom of the fourth when Astros third baseman Alex Bregman<\/a><\/strong> crushed a drive off the left-field foul pole for a leadoff home run.<\/p>\n The Astros squandered a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fifth. Singles to left-center by left fielder Michael Brantley<\/a><\/strong> and center by center fielder Chas McCormick<\/a><\/strong> put runners on first and second. Shortstop Jeremy Pena<\/a><\/strong> squibbed one off the end of the bat toward third. Jung charged in to make the play but muffed it, loading the bases on the error. With light-hitting catcher Martin Maldonado<\/a><\/strong> due up, Baker pinch-hit for him with reserve catcher Yainer Diaz<\/a><\/strong>. Strikeouts by both him and Jose Altuve<\/strong><\/a> brought up Bregman, who grounded meekly to third and stranded all three runners.<\/p>\n Bochy said Eovaldi\u2019s ability to escape jams like this one makes him one of the \u201celite pitchers in the game.\u201d He added that this escape was the turning point of the game. \u201cBases loaded, nobody out in the fifth. (Eovaldi) found a way to get through it. Terrific job by him. He had good stuff today, pitched very well.\u201d<\/p>\nRangers Take Charge of Astros Early<\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Astros Score, but Rangers Get It Back<\/h3>\n