The Houston Astros are MLB’s worst team, but the Texas Rangers will still file away the three wins after sweeping Houston in their home ballpark.
Right-hander Nick Tepesch tossed 6 innings of 1-run baseball while striking out 8 Astros, but it was their offense that propelled Texas to the easy 12-7 victory on Sunday afternoon. Adrian Beltre led all Texas hitters with a 4-for-5 day that included a 3-run home run in the 5th inning, and little-used second baseman Leury Garcia scored 4 runs after gathering 3 hits in his 6 at-bats.
It was the breakout game of the season for Beltre, who had gotten off to a slow start after several stellar campaigns in a row, but the offensive production for the Rangers was also extremely balanced. Every Texas starter notched at least one hit while Elvis Andrus (3-for-4 with 2 walks) and Leonys Martin (2-for-5 including a home run) also had good days at the plate.
It was another strong start for the aforementioned Tepesch, and the 12-7 score certainly wasn’t indicative of how well he pitched. Derek Lowe and Joe Ortiz combined to allow 6 earned runs in the final two frames, but with Texas leading 12-1 after 5 innings, it was simply a formality.
On the Houston side of the diamond, young pitcher Jordan Lyles was shelled unmercifully by the Rangers (4 innings, 11 hits, 8 ER) and by the time the bats awakened for the Astros, it was far too late. The loss brings Houston to a paltry 10-28 on the season, and their current winning percentage (.263) puts them on a pace that would “contend” with the worst seasons in MLB history.
Sunday’s win capped a dominant, three-game sweep for the Rangers, but at the same time, propelled Texas to the American League’s best record at 24-13. With Matt Harrison (their opening day starter) on the shelf and regulars like Craig Gentry and David Murphy struggling mightily, it has been a fantastic start to the year for Texas, and Rangers fans certainly have visions of another trip to the World Series when October arrives.