Astros 3 - 4 Rangers
Final
  for this game

Rookie lifts red-hot Rangers past Astros

Sep 23, 2014 - 6:53 AM Arlington, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Guilder Rodriguez collected his first two major league hits, the last an RBI single in the seventh inning that provided the difference in the Texas Rangers' 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros.

Rougned Odor had a three-run triple earlier for Texas, which continued its late-season surge by posting its ninth triumph in 10 games. Derek Holland (2-0) pitched into the eighth inning, allowing three runs -- two earned -- to record the win.

Nick Tropeano (1-2) pitched well in his third major league start for Houston, but was still saddled with the loss after being reached for four runs on five hits over 6 2/3 innings.

"Overall, I felt good," Tropeano said. "My command was a little bit better today than it has it has been in the past since I got called up here."

Jose Altuve delivered an RBI double for the Astros, while Robbie Grossman went 2-for-3 with a run scored.

Tropeano had set down eight consecutive batters prior to plunking Jake Smolinski with a pitch to begin the bottom of the seventh with the score knotted at 3-3. The young righty retired the next two hitters around a wild pitch before being instructed to intentionally walk Robinson Chirinos and bring Rodriguez, a 31-year-old rookie, to the plate.

The move backfired, as Rodriguez lined a sharp single into left center to send in Smolinski with the go-ahead run.

"It was one of the best moments of my life," said Rodriguez. "My first big league hit, my first RBI with my father in the stands and my wife."

Holland departed after giving up a leadoff single to Grossman in the eighth, but Roman Mendez preserved the one-run edge and Neftali Feliz stranded the tying run at second in the ninth to register his 12th save.

Until the seventh, Tropeano had pitched impressively except for a rough third inning in which he permitted singles to Chirinos and Rodriguez and walked Leonys Martin to load the bases. He jammed Adam Rosales to get a pop-up for the second out, but Odor drilled a pitch deep into the gap for a sacks- clearing triple that put Texas up 3-0.

Holland kept the Astros off the board until the fifth, when Jake Marisnick singled and advanced a base on a wild pitch prior to eventually crossing the plate on a Matt Dominguez groundout.

Jonathan Villar then led off Houston's half of the sixth with a double and Rodriguez mishandled Grossman's sac bunt attempt in front of Altuve's double to left center that pulled the Astros within 3-2. A deep fly to right from Chris Carter brought home Grossman with the tying run.

Game Notes

Texas prevented a potential 100-loss season with the win ... The series marked the first meeting between teams that have switched managers in a season since Washington (Davey Johnson) and the Marlins (Jack McKeon) squared off in September of 2011 ... Holland surrendered more than one run for the first time in five starts since coming off the disabled list earlier this month ... The win was just the Rangers' third in their last 13 matchups with Houston.






Related News