Texas scored four points in the first inning alone, winning two consecutive games against Houston.
The Texas Rangers beat the Houston Astros 5–4 in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series (best-of-seven series) at Minute Maid Park in Texas on the 17th.
Texas starter Nathan Ivoldi became a winning pitcher with five hits, two homers, one walk, nine strikeouts and three runs in six innings. Ivoldi has three wins and a 2.29 ERA in three games this postseason.
Houston starter Framber Valdez became a losing pitcher with seven hits, one homer, five runs and four earned runs in 2.2 innings. Valdez went winless in two postseason games in 2023, with an 11.57 ERA.
From the first inning, Texas’ bat fired. Texas had a chance at first and second bases with no outs with consecutive hits by Marcus Simion and Corey Seager.
Robbie Grossman then hit a ground ball in front of an ordinary pitcher. Valdez failed to catch the ball at once, and the throw also passed the first baseman, and second baseman Simian stepped home with all the runners advancing one more base.
With no outs and runners on second and third bases, Adolis Garcia and Mitch Garber hit back-to-back timely hits, Texas completed the big inning 3–0. Jonah Haim struck out and got his first out in the first inning. Nathaniel Low hit a timely hit to the left to make it 4–0. Josh Young and Leodi Tavares were out and a long, long inning ended.
Houston fought back in the second inning. Leadoff hitter Jordan Alvarez pulled a 95.3-mile (153.4km/h) fastball in the middle of Ivoldi to score Houston’s first run. Alvarez’s sixth home run of the postseason.
Texas ran away one more point in the third inning. Leadoff hitter Haim kicked Valdez’s cutter 83 miles (133.6 km/h) low to make it 5–1.
Houston trailed by one run in the sixth inning with Michael Brantley’s RBI double and Alvarez’s second home run, but lost after failing to score any more.
Alvarez hit six home runs in the postseason, including multiple home runs in the game. Alvarez has been runaway with a batting average of 0.391 OPS 1.701 so far today, but he has not prevented his team from losing.
Meanwhile, the two teams will play Game 3 of the ALCS at Globe Life Field in Texas on the 19th. 먹튀검증
