Series Recap: Astros @ Rangers 03/29-04/01

The defending World Series Champs started out their repeat season in enemy territory by winning the series against the South Oklahoma Ramgers 3-1.

Game 1 George Springer decided that getting a HR in your first AB of the season is neat & figured he’d do it again. I think that is smart. The four man outfield made its debut and worked. We also saw Joey Gallo & Cole Hamels channel the 2012 Astros with a collision near first base. Attempting to field a ball rolling along the foul line, Gallo & Hamels fell over each other & were unable to tag McCann before he made it to first base. Justin Verlander was Justin Verlander & Ken Giles kept things interesting in the 9th before securing the first win for the first game of the season.

Game 2 was a bit… annoying. The Astros managed only five hits and only one of them came during the nine times there were RISP. Keuchel usually has a good handle on the Rangers but was a little off the mark his six innings on the mound allowing three runs off of seven hits. The Astros lost 5-1 with Doug Fister (yep, that Doug Fister) getting the win for the other guys.

Game 3 saw Lance McCullers Jr. strike out ten batters in 5 1/3 innings (like a beast), while Jose Altuve & Carlos Correa both went 4 for 5. Jake Marisnick homered for the 2nd time in the 2nd game he has played this season. Will Harris, Tony Sipp & Collin McHugh took over in relief. Sipp struck out two & allowed one run, while Harris & McHugh kept runners off the base paths.

Game 4 Gerrit Cole took the mound for the first time in the regular season as an Astro and was outstanding. After giving up a homerun in the first to Joey Gallo, Cole handled the rest of the line up through seven innings, striking out eleven. The offense backed Cole up with eight runs on thirteen hits.

Baseball is back & I couldn’t be any happier starting off the season by winning the first series against the Rangers. Jake reminded us he can rake. Altuve had three multi-hit games. When Evan Gattis is on he is ON. The Astros were 10-43 w RISP.

The next series is in Houston for the Home Opener, where the Astros will face the Orioles in a three game series starting with Charlie Freakin’ Morton on the mound.

Series W-L: 1-0