29-31 - Rangers chip away to take opener from Houston 5-3

The Texas Rangers scored five runs while the Houston Astros scored three runs.

Before folks had even settled into the seats, the Astros had an early 1st inning lead against Taylor Hearn and Texas. Two more Houston runs in the 2nd and it appeared as though the Rangers were in for a long night.

However, from there, Hearn settled in and gritted his way through 5 ¹⁄₃ innings before the bullpen shut down the Astros over the remaining frames. In total, after Houston scored their final run, Hearn and a trio of Jesus Tinoco, Brock Burke, and Matt Moore combined to allow just one more Astros hit, and none after the 3rd.

Meanwhile, the game also had the dubious appearance of missed opportunities at the plate. Texas had a bases loaded, no-out chance in the 3rd but collected only one run on a sac fly. The Rangers had runners on second base in the next two innings but couldn’t bring them home.

The scored remained 3-1 until the 7th when Texas scored a run to get to within one but they missed out on evening things up with the tying run on third base.

However, in the grand tradition of John Blake’s Peck-away Theory, the Rangers pecked and pecked and pecked until eventually, in the 8th, they rallied for three runs to grab a lead they would not relinquish as they look to put a dent in Houston’s AL West lead.

Player of the Game: Adolis Garcia drove in the Rangers’ second run with a nice at-bat that gave Texas hope in the 7th inning and he also casually robbed Yordan Alvarez of a home run earlier in the game that had the makings of a dagger shot.

Without El Bombi haunting Houston once again, the Rangers likely don’t have a chance at their late-innings heroics.

Up Next: More Silver Boot series with RHP Dane Dunning next up for Texas against RHP Jose Urquidy for Houston.

Tuesday night’s first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 7:05 pm CDT.