The Houston Astros have consistently been one of the best teams in baseball in recent years, but they have gotten off to a rough start this season. Coming into Saturday's game at home against the Texas Rangers, the Astros were 4-11. Fortunately for Houston, they were able to pick up a big win over the defending champs as they won 9-2, and they improved to 5-11 on the year.
Baseball season is long as there are 162 games and it is still very early in the season, but when the standings are tight in September, teams can't help but think about these April games that got away. Every game matters, and the Astros needed something to get some momentum. Perhaps Saturday's win will help with that.
After starting 4-11, momentum is what the Astros need, and they need it badly. This team is expected to compete for a World Series, but the way they have been playing won't cut it. Still, Jose Altuve is confident that this team will get it together, and Saturday was a step in the right direction.
“We as a team are very confident… this is the kind of team we are, we have done it before,” JoseAltuve said, according to an article from ESPN. “I don't see why we can't start doing it again.”
The Astros played an all-around great game on Saturday. The bats were on and the defense was sound, and it led to an easy win. That is the type of play that we expect to see from Houston day in and day out, and it is what Astros manager Joe Espada expects to see as well.
“That was great,” Joe Espada said. “That’s the offense that I’m used to seeing. When we get pitchers against the ropes, we've got to put them away and that’s exactly what we did today.”
Rangers react to difficult road loss
The Rangers fell on Saturday, but they are still off to a solid start this season, and they don't have much to hang their heads about. Texas won the World Series last season, and they are in first place in the AL West right now. The division isn't off to a hot start as their 8-7 record is good for first place, but it's still reason for optimism.
Andrew Heaney got the start on the rubber for the Rangers, and it certainly wasn't his best outing. He gave up two runs in three and 2/3 innings, and he also walked four batters. He knows that he has some work to do.
“I’m fighting myself a little bit right now, mechanically, mentally, just having a hard time getting some traction, getting going,” Andrew Heaney said. “So I’m just going to keep working.”
The Rangers and Astros are in the middle of a three game series, and Texas won game one. The rubber match will take place on Sunday at 2:10 PM ET.
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