Rangers batter Astros behind two three-run HRs
ARLINGTON, Texas — Adolis Garcia homered and drove in four runs, Texas left-hander Cody Bradford allowed only two singles pitching into the eighth inning and the World Series champion Rangers beat the Houston Astros 10-2 on Friday night in the first meeting of the instate rivals since last year in the American League Championship Series.
The Rangers led 5-0 in the second after Garcia’s three-run shot, his AL-leading fourth home run in seven games this season. He pushed his RBI total to 10 with a two-out single that made it 7-0 in the fifth, an inning before Marcus Semien also hit a three-run home run.
Semien had three hits and walked twice for the Rangers, who finished with 16 hits and six walks.
Behind Bradford’s brilliance, Rangers blow out Astros in ALCS rematch
ARLINGTON — Cody Bradford shook hands with Bruce Bochy and walked off the mound at Globe Life Field to a standing ovation of the 34,583 fans in attendance.
Bradford had never pitched into the sixth inning in any of his previous nine big league starts. But on Friday, the Aledo, Texas, native did all that and more, pitching 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball as the Rangers cruised to a 10-2 win over the Astros to open the four-game set at Globe Life Field.
Including last year’s American League Championship Series, Houston had won eight consecutive games at Globe Life Field dating back to July 1, 2023, the longest win streak by an opposing club at this ballpark (opened in 2020). Behind Bradford’s career night, the Rangers put that business to rest.
“It’s good to set the tone against the Astros and they kind of worked our butts here last year,” Bradford said. “It means a lot. I grew up in the area and there’s a lot of emotions from my hometown and and my family. We want to beat the Astros just as much as everybody else does. It’s just really special and I feel really honored to give the team so many innings tonight.”
Bradford allowed a leadoff single to Jose Altuve to start the game, but from there, he didn’t allow another baserunner until Yainer Diaz reached via Jared Walsh’s throwing error in the fifth. He was removed at 97 pitches in the seventh after surrendering a two-out single to Jeremy Peña, just Houston’s second hit of the game.
Bradford said he realized he was in a groove around the third or fourth inning as he started hitting all his spots and keeping the hitters off balance. He then pointed to an at-bat against José Abreu in the fifth.
With a runner on first and one out, Bradford had Abreu in a 3-2 count. Catcher Jonah Heim called for a cutter. Bradford’s offering, which Baseball Savant tagged as an 85.5 mph slider, hit the location down in the zone, getting Abreu looking for the second out of the inning.
