Astros declare share of first: ‘We would have liked a sport like this’

ARLINGTON — A disheartening sweep at dwelling by the hands of the Yankees prompted some Astros veterans to talk up in a workforce assembly Sunday for at the very least the second time this season. Houston wanted to snap out of its funk rapidly, contemplating it needed to journey to satisfy the Rangers for a Labor Day matinee to begin the most important sequence of the season.

The Astros’ offensive malaise traveled with them from Minute Maid Park via the primary 4 innings of Monday afternoon’s sport at Globe Life Field earlier than they erupted. Houston walloped 5 homers within the last 4 innings — with Mauricio Dubón and Jose Altuve going again to again twice — to crush the Rangers, 13-6, and snap a three-game dropping streak.

• Games remaining: at TEX (2), vs. SD (3), vs. OAK (3), at KC (3), vs. BAL (3), vs. KC (3), at SEA (3), at AZ (3).

• Standings replace: The Astros (78-61) moved right into a digital first-place tie with the Mariners (77-60), who misplaced to the Reds on Monday. The Astros now personal the tiebreaker over the Rangers (76-61), however the Mariners maintain the tiebreaker over the Astros. That means Houston wants to complete one sport forward of Seattle to win the division, and Texas would want to complete one sport forward of Houston.

“Obviously, we would have liked a sport like this and a win, as a result of we’re coming from dwelling and obtained swept by the Yankees,” said Altuve, who tied his career high with four hits, including his 11th and 12th homers. “And to begin over and be capable to win this sport and create some momentum for tomorrow is actual necessary.”

The Astros received the season sequence from the Rangers for the seventh 12 months in a row. Houston is 77-39 towards its Lone Star State rivals since 2017.

“Obviously, both of us, we’re fighting for playoff positioning, to make the playoffs in a tough division race,” third baseman Alex Bregman stated. “I thought it was a good way to start the series. I thought the guys showed up ready to compete today. They had every excuse to not show up ready to go with the late travel day. Guys showed a lot of energy, a lot of hard work prior to the game and a lot of guts to go down early and come back.”

Dubón and Altuve hit consecutive homers within the sixth and ninth innings, marking the primary time a nine-hole hitter (Dubón) and leadoff hitter (Altuve) went again to again twice in a sport, in keeping with OptaSTATs. The solely different time in Astros historical past the identical gamers hit back-to-back homers twice was when Craig Biggio and Lance Berkman did it on July 25, 2005, towards the Phillies.

“It’s actually because me and Jose talked yesterday, and I told him we’re going to go back to back, and we ended up doing it twice,” stated Dubón, who recorded his first profession multihomer sport. “Pretty crazy.”

The greatest swing of the sport, although, got here from rookie catcher Yainer Diaz, who blasted a Statcast-projected 453-foot three-run dwelling run to cap a six-run seventh inning that allowed Houston to take an 11-5 lead. Diaz has 21 homers in 337 plate appearances this 12 months.

“After yesterday’s game, the veterans stood up and talked and said how bad series are going to happen, but there’s baseball to play and to stay positive every series, every game,” Diaz stated.

Astros starter J.P. France allowed three homers, together with two to Corey Seager, via five-plus innings as Texas constructed leads of 3-0 and 4-3, earlier than Houston’s offense got here to life. Bregman (4-for-4) had a two-run single within the fifth, and Dubón and Altuve hit the primary of their back-to-back homers within the sixth to place Houston forward, 5-4.

“It was mostly the Seager show, but we came back and had some big offensive days out of guys,” Astros supervisor Dusty Baker stated. “You’re playing these guys, and the way that ball is flying in this ballpark, you’ve got to get all you can. The guys did a good job today.”

Facing Rangers reliever Josh Sborz within the seventh, Houston despatched 10 batters to the plate and scored six instances to interrupt it open. Seager’s bases-loaded fielding error on a ball hit by Chas McCormick allowed two runs to attain forward of Diaz’s homer.

“What can I say, I went up there just trying to make good contact,” Diaz stated. “I really wasn’t looking for a homer, even though the ball was flying. I went up and tried to get a good swing off and got the result.”