Three takeaways from Astros’ drubbing of Rangers: Pitching duel was no contest in sweep
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ARLINGTON — Three takeaways from the Rangers’ 12-3 loss to Houston Wednesday that completed the Astros’ three-game sweep and left the Rangers three games back in the AL West.
Standings: The best that could be said Wednesday is the Rangers didn’t lose ground to Toronto, the team they trail by a half game for the final AL wild card spot. The Blue Jays lost at Oakland, 5-2. Toronto, like the Rangers, is off on Thursday before hosting Kansas City for the weekend. The Rangers and Blue Jays play four games in Toronto next week that loom very, very large.
Arms battle: The expected pitching duel between former rotation-mates Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander never developed. It was no contest. Scherzer fell behind by two runs three batters into the game, later allowed a grand slam and went only three innings. Verlander allowed a first-pitch home run to Marcus Semien in the bottom of the first, but allowed only three other singles (two of them by Semien) over seven innings of work.
Insult & injury: When Michael Brantley’s fly ball to right just cleared the fence over the glove of leaping Adolis García, it gave the Astros 13 homers in the series, tying the mark for most ever allowed by the Rangers in a three-game stretch. Insulting. But then García landed awkwardly on his right knee, which appeared to hyperextend when he landed. Injury. Garcia left the game with a trainer. Things got more insulting when José Abreu hit a grand slam an inning later off Scherzer to set a new record. The Astros finished the series with 16 homers.
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