The Texas Rangers are running out of time if they expect to successfully defend their World Series championship.
The Rangers are third in the American League West, five games out, and are 8 1/2 games out of the final wild-card spot as they close a three-game series with the Houston Astros on Wednesday in Arlington, Texas.
Texas has dropped eight of its past 11 games overall entering its final contest against the rival Astros this year. The season series is level at 6-6.
The Rangers had just one hit in a 4-2 loss to the Astros on Tuesday, albeit a well-timed one. Corey Seager belted a two-run homer to end Framber Valdez’s no-hit bid with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
“You’re aware of it all game that you haven’t got a hit yet,” Seager said. “Everybody’s going up there to try to do it. Just fortunate enough it happened.”
Seager’s 24th homer of the year was his fifth in the past five games. However, his teammates aren’t clicking at his level, and that was particularly true on Tuesday against Valdez.
“That’s baseball,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “The guy goes out there and you have your hands full. We couldn’t get anything going until the ninth.”
Houston ended a three-game skid behind Valdez’s gem.
Valdez was closing in on his second career no-hitter when he walked Josh Smith with two outs in the ninth. Seager then clobbered the next pitch into the right-center-field stands.
“I try to always go out there trying to have fun,” Valdez said through an interpreter. “Obviously, sometimes I have got to get serious. Went out there and do what I try to do every single time, try and throw strikes on all my pitches and just try to help the team win.”
Yordan Alvarez smacked a two-run homer for the Astros in the top of the ninth to provide a four-run cushion. Jake Meyers had two run-scoring singles for Houston, which won for just the third time in its past nine games.
The second-place Astros are a half-game behind the Seattle Mariners in the AL West.
Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (4-9, 4.67 ERA) will get the ball for Houston on Wednesday, making his second start since being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays at the trade deadline.
Kikuchi, 33, struck out 11 in 5 2/3 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays in his team debut as part of a no-decision on Friday. He gave up two runs on three hits and three walks.
Kikuchi is winless since June 11, as he went 0-4 with a 7.75 ERA over his final eight starts for Toronto.
His last start for the Blue Jays was against the Rangers, and he allowed five runs and eight hits over 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision on July 26. He is 3-1 with a 5.64 ERA in seven career outings (six starts) against Texas.
Adolis Garcia has two homers against Kikuchi, with Robbie Grossman, Nathaniel Lowe and Marcus Semien each taking him deep once.
Right-hander Jose Urena (3-6, 3.70 ERA) will make his eighth start of the season for the Rangers.
His last turn didn’t go well: He was torched for seven runs and eight hits in four-plus innings against the Boston Red Sox in an 11-6 loss on Friday.
Urena is 0-1 with a 9.82 ERA in four appearances against the Astros this season, all in relief. He gave up five runs and six hits in 1 1/3 innings while taking a loss vs. Houston on April 13.
Overall, he is 0-3 with a 7.02 ERA in six career appearances (two starts) against Houston. Jose Altuve is 6-for-7 with three doubles, two triples and one homer against Urena, while Alex Bregman is 3-for-7.
–Field Level Media
