Final
Rangers-Astros Preview
Jun 18, 2010 - 5:12 AMVideo
Texas (37-28) at Houston (26-40), 8:05 p.m. EDT
Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero are big reasons why the Texas Rangers are one of the hottest teams in baseball.
The two sluggers look to guide the AL West-leading Rangers to their longest road winning streak in more than four years Friday night when they visit the Houston Astros in the first Lone Star Series of 2010.
Hamilton is hitting .449 with seven homers and 19 RBIs during a career-high 13-game hitting streak, with the Rangers (38-28) winning 10 of those contests.
Guerrero has also put together a 13-game hitting streak - his longest since hitting safely for 16 in a row with the Los Angeles Angels from June 8-27, 2008.
The sluggers kept their respective streaks alive with a hit apiece Thursday, when Guerrero's was a solo homer as Texas beat Florida 6-4 to complete a three-game sweep. The designated hitter's 15 homers are second on the team to Hamilton's 16, and he's among the league leaders with a .335 average and 55 RBIs.
The Rangers opened their nine-game road trip with a 6-2 loss at Milwaukee last Friday, but have won five in a row since - their longest road winning streak since a six-game run April 29-May 15, 2006.
"We just have to keep grinding," second baseman Ian Kinsler told the team's official website. "We understand we're a good team. We talked about it at the beginning of the road trip. We had to step up for the challenge, and so far we have."
A three-game series with the Astros (26-41) could keep Texas rolling.
The Rangers won five of six against Houston last year, including all three games at Minute Maid Park as Hamilton collected five hits with a solo homer.
Texas probable starter Scott Feldman (4-6, 5.28 ERA) is still struggling to resemble the right-hander who won a career-high 17 games last year.
He's 3-2 with a 4.45 ERA in his last five starts, and overcame command issues in Saturday's 4-3 win at Milwaukee. Feldman allowed four hits with a season-high six strikeouts in six scoreless innings, but also walked three, hit a batter and plunked the home plate umpire twice.
He's 1-0 with a 4.22 ERA in two career starts in Houston.
The Astros have dropped five of six, including a 5-2 loss Thursday at Kansas City.
Similarly to Feldman, Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez (3-9, 5.60) is still trying to recapture his form from 2009, when he led the Astros with a career-high 14 victories and posted a personal-best 3.02 ERA.
The left-hander hasn't come close to that effectiveness lately, compiling a 6.55 ERA while dropping five of his last six starts.
Rodriguez was battered again Saturday, surrendering eight runs and seven hits - including two homers - with five walks in five-plus innings of a 9-3 loss to the New York Yankees.
"I don't know what to say about that," Rodriguez told the Astros' official website. "Sometimes I throw a good one and I lose the game, and sometimes I throw a bad one and lose the game, too. I need to keep working."
Rodriguez has been dominant in winning both of his previous home matchups with Texas, posting a 1.29 ERA, 16 strikeouts and two walks in 14 innings.
The teams will meet again for three games in Arlington next weekend.
- Astros 3, Rangers 9 - FINAL
TEXAS ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
E Andrus ss 4 1 0 1 1 0 0 .282
M Young 3b 4 0 1 0 1 0 0 .317
I Kinsler 2b 2 1 1 0 3 0 1 .278
V Guerrero rf 3 1 0 1 1 1 4 .331
D Murphy rf 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .261
J Hamilton lf 5 2 3 2 0 1 0 .327
J Smoak
Jun 18 11:03 PM - ML
AT HOUSTON - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JASON MICHAELS SCORED GEOFF BLUM
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, J MICHAELS ON FIRST, T MANZELLA ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 9
HOUSTON 3 BOTTOM,6TH
DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: M BOURN (.255, 0-FOR-3)
Rangers 9, Astros 3 Bot 6, 0 OutsJun 18 10:10 PM - ML
AT HOUSTON - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY GEOFF BLUM SCORED HUNTER PENCE
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, G BLUM ON FIRST, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 9
HOUSTON 2 BOTTOM,6TH
DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: H QUINTERO (.257, 0-FOR-2)
Rangers 9, Astros 2 Bot 6, 0 OutsJun 18 10:03 PM - ML
AT HOUSTON - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY HUNTER PENCE SCORED CARLOS LEE
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, H PENCE ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 9
HOUSTON 1 BOTTOM,6TH
DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: G BLUM (.223, 0-FOR-2)
Rangers 9, Astros 1 Bot 6, 0 OutsJun 18 10:02 PM - ML
AT HOUSTON - SCORING UPDATE
GROUND OUT BY ELVIS ANDRUS SCORED JULIO BORBON
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, NONE ON, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 9
HOUSTON 0 TOP,6TH
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: M YOUNG (.315, 0-FOR-2, BB)
Rangers 9, Astros 0 Top 6, 0 OutsJun 18 9:49 PM - ML
AT HOUSTON - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY JUSTIN SMOAK (7) TO LEFT WITH 2 OUT IN
THE 5TH OFF WESLEY WRIGHT SCORED JOSH HAMILTON.
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 8, HOUSTON 0
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: M TREANOR (.235, 1-FOR-2, RBI)
Rangers 8, Astros 0 Top 5, 0 OutsJun 18 9:35 PM - ML
AT HOUSTON - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY MATT TREANOR SCORED JUSTIN SMOAK
SITUATION: 6 RUNS IN, M TREANOR ON FIRST, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 6
HOUSTON 0 TOP,3RD
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: J BORBON (.280, 0-FOR-1)
Rangers 6, Astros 0 Top 3, 0 OutsJun 18 8:58 PM - ML
AT HOUSTON - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY JUSTIN SMOAK SCORED JOSH HAMILTON AND VLADIMIR
GUERRERO
SITUATION: 5 RUNS IN, J SMOAK ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 5
HOUSTON 0 TOP,3RD
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: M TREANOR (.230, 0-FOR-1)
Rangers 5, Astros 0 Top 3, 0 OutsJun 18 8:56 PM - ML
AT HOUSTON - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JOSH HAMILTON SCORED IAN KINSLER AND ELVIS ANDRUS
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, J HAMILTON ON FIRST, V GUERRERO ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 3
HOUSTON 0 TOP,3RD
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: J SMOAK (.204, 0-FOR-1)
Rangers 3, Astros 0 Top 3, 0 OutsJun 18 8:55 PM - ML
AT HOUSTON - SCORING UPDATE
BASES LOADED WALK TO VLADIMIR GUERRERO SCORED SCOTT FELDMAN
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, V GUERRERO ON FIRST, I KINSLER ON SECOND, E
ANDRUS ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 1
HOUSTON 0 TOP,3RD
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: J HAMILTON (.320, 0-FOR-1)
Rangers 1, Astros 0 Top 3, 0 OutsJun 18 8:53 PM
Related News
- Tuesday Morning Texas Rangers Update Dec 26
- Astros Crawfish Boil: December 26, 2023 Dec 26
- Christmas Morning Texas Rangers Update Dec 25
- Garver to the M’s, per reports Dec 24
- Everystros LV Dec 24
- Christmas Eve Rangers things Dec 24
- Saturday morning Rangers things Dec 23
- Astros Crawfish Boil: December 23, 2023 Dec 23
- LSB Offseason Community Prospect Rankings — #15 Dec 22
- Friday morning Rangers stuff Dec 22
- Astros Minor League Position Review: Third Base Dec 22
- Astros Crawfish Boil: December 22, 2023 Dec 22