The Houston Astros have been good enough offensively for one inning over the past two games, allowing them to pull even at the midway point of their four-game series with the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas.
Game 3 between the Lone Star State rivals on Saturday night will feature surging right-handers, with Houston’s Ronel Blanco (3-3, 4.04 ERA) taking the mound against Texas’ Tyler Mahle (4-1, 1.47).
The Astros posted a six-run seventh inning in a 6-3 win on Friday after being shut out 1-0 by the Rangers and Jacob deGrom in the series opener on Thursday. Clutch two-out hits in the deciding frame Friday from Cam Smith, Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker (the latter a three-run homer) backed the sterling pitching of Lance McCullers Jr. and five relievers.
Mahle has been fabulous this season, allowing a total of eight runs in 49 innings. He is 1-1 in his past three outings, with the loss a 3-0 setback against the Athletics on May 1 in a game in which he gave up just one run in six innings.
In his most recent start, Mahle went 6 1/3 innings in a 2-1 home victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday, surrendering one run on four hits while walking one and striking out five.
It’s his consistency over the last eight of his nine starts that’s been special for Mahle, whose ERA ranks third in the majors and leads the Rangers — who also have Nathan Eovaldi (1.61) and deGrom (2.29) in the top 10 in ERA.
Mahle has allowed no more than two runs in all nine of his appearances, the longest such season-opening span for the team since the Rangers franchise moved to Arlington from Washington, D.C., in 1972.
“I’m just living more over the plate,” Mahle said of his success. “I’m not trying to strike out everyone. Well, I still am, but I know I’ve got to be more over the plate. It’s just trusting my stuff.”
Mahle has yet to defeat the Astros, going 0-2 with a 3.50 ERA in three lifetime starts. He has pitched 18 innings against Houston, allowing seven runs in 17 hits with 15 strikeouts and three walks.
Blanco is 2-1 in his past four starts and has held the opposition to a combined seven runs over 25 2/3 innings in that stretch. He produced, by far, his best game of the season in his most recent start, going eight scoreless innings in a 6-0 win at home against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.
Blanco gave up just two hits and a walk in the victory while fanning a career-best 11 as he commanded his pitches and pounded the strike zone.
“(Romel) is starting to get in a groove with his confidence,” Astros manager Joe Espada said after the win. “That’s the Blanco that we saw all last year (when he went 13-6 with a 2.80 ERA). Sometimes it takes a little bit of time to get going, right? I think he’s got the feel for his pitches, his confidence is up, and we need outings like that.”
Blanco has faced the Rangers seven times in his career, four of those starts. He is 2-1 with a 3.08 ERA in 26 1/3 innings and has allowed 12 runs (nine earned) on 18 hits while walking 15 and striking out 20.
–Field Level Media
