HOUSTON — The Texas Rangers whiffed on an opportunity to win the Silver Boot Series for the first time in nine seasons.
Their playoff chances might’ve gone out the window with it.
The Rangers were swept by the Houston Astros at Daikin Park, capped off by a 5-2 loss Wednesday night, to drop the season series against their in-state rival. The Astros, who went 7-6 against the Rangers this season, have won the Silver Boot Series every year since the 2016 season, except for 2020 when the teams split the season series.
Texas is now five games back of the Astros for the second American League Wild Card berth, four games back of the Seattle Mariners for the Wild Card berth and two games back of the Cleveland Guardians for the first spot out. There are nine games left to play.
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Right-hander Jacob deGrom, the club’s lone All-Star selection this season, was tagged for five earned runs on five hits, two home runs and a walk in five innings. The 37-year-old’s five earned runs tied a season high and the 25 home runs he’s allowed this year are the second-most he’s given up in his career.
The Texas rotation of right-hander Jack Leiter (three earned runs in Monday’s loss), right-hander Merrill Kelly (six earned runs in Tuesday’s loss) and deGrom combined to allow 14 earned runs in three games against the Astros.
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It’s the most amount of earned runs that the Rangers starters have allowed in any series — be it three games or four games — this season. That doesn’t include the three unearned runs that scored while Leiter was on the mound in the series opener.
Wednesday, in a 35-pitch first inning, deGrom allowed two runs on a bases-loaded single from Houston catcher Yainer Diaz. He threw an eight-pitch second before second baseman Jose Altuve jumped on a high fastball for a two-run home run into the left field Crawford Boxes and a 4-2 lead in the third. Shortstop Jeremy Peña hit deGrom’s fastball into the right field seats for an opposite field home run to start the fifth off and give the Astros a 5-2 lead.
The Rangers scored twice in the second inning. Third baseman Josh Jung hit a moonshot double into left field off of right-hander Cristian Javier that scored left fielder Alejandro Osuna to make it a 2-1 game. Second baseman Cody Freeman, two at bats later, hit a two-out, two-strike single that scored Jung to tie the game at 2-2. They stranded a runner in scoring position in the first, third and eighth innings.
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