18-31 - Rangers, Gibson shut down Astros 1-0 in ol’ fashion pitchers’ duel

The Texas Rangers scored one run and the Houston Astros scored zero runs.

There’s a generous way to describe this game. You can call it a pitchers’ duel. There’s a not so generous way to describe this game, also.

If you like hitting in your baseball game, well, this one wasn’t the game for you. The Rangers are bad at hitting and the Astros are likely not as bad at hitting but are mired in a deep slump at the plate right now. That unfortunate truth played out real hard as the teams combined for 17 total scoreless innings tonight.

So, after hours and hours, nothing much happened until Joey Gallo hit a two-out double to score Leody Taveras for the one and only run in the top of the ninth to give the Rangers a run and eventually a win.

Joey Gallo driving in Leody Taveras to win a baseball game is how you want it to go and I hope to see it happen often in 2021.

Player of the Game: Kyle Gibson spun the best outing of his Rangers tenure by allowing zero runs on four hits and three walks during his nine innings of work. That, my friends, is what we call a complete game shutout.

Gibson’s outing also included nine strikeouts in 114 pitches. For his effort, the Rangers eventually scraped together the run to give Gibson the well-deserved victory.

Up Next: The Rangers close out this series with the Astros with Jordan Lyles set to make the start for Texas against LHP Framber Valdez for Houston. First pitch in Thursday’s finale from Minute Maid Park is scheduled for 6:10 pm CT.