21-38 - Rangers win one for Chuck with 6-1 victory over Astros

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

Chuck Morgan was on the PA system for the 3,000th consecutive home game tonight and the Rangers rewarded his efforts with a win. Congratulations, Chuck!

Kyle Gibson continued his dominance over Houston in the contest this evening as he followed up a complete game shutout of the Astros in his last start against them a couple of weeks ago with six scoreless innings on 81 pitches to end his 2020 debut campaign with Texas.

Alas, with Texas only up 1-0 through six innings, the Astros scored the inning after Gibson vacated to end his shot at the victory. Jimmy Herget allowed the run and ultimately vultured the win but it was his first big league victory so I am happy for him.

Obviously spurred on by the shame of being unable to support Gibson, the Rangers scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh with the big hit being, of all things, a go-ahead three-run Jeff Mathis homer. Leody Taveras also hit a dinger in the frame for the fourth of his rookie season.

The win gives the Rangers four in nine games against the Astros with a chance to finish .500 against their intrastate division mates.

Bonus note: Should Boston and Detroit hold onto their late leads, the Rangers will select No. 2 overall in the 2021 MLB Draft barring some eventual Rob Manfred shenanigans.

Player of the Game:

Up Next: The end. Jordan Lyles will make the start against the Astros and then that will be that for the 2020 Rangers in one of the weirdest seasons in memory even for a franchise that bathes itself in the bizarre.

First pitch in the finale from The Shed is scheduled for 2:05 pm CT. Chuck Morgan will be there for one last ‘It’s baseball time in Texas!’ even if we will not be.