ARLINGTON, Texas – Adolis García kept up his home run barrage, connecting twice Saturday and helping power the Texas Rangers past the Houston Astros 8-4.
García, who hit a three-run, walk-off drive in the 10th inning to beat the Astros 7-5 on Friday night, had a solo homer in the fifth. The 28-year-old Cuban rookie added another solo shot in the seventh off Andre Scrubb (1-1).
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“Adolis keeps doing his thing,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. “He loves being in those moments.”
García has 14 home runs this year, one behind major league leader Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Braves.
“I was excited a little bit,” García said through an interpreter, “but no more than usual. I feel this is the most focus I’ve had in my career. I’m adjusting to what they’re trying to do so far.”
Jose Trevino hit a two-run double during a five-run seventh inning as the Rangers overcame a 4-3 deficit.
“They have a couple hot hitters,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “García’s got three home runs in two games and (Isiah) Kiner-Falefa’s tough every time we play him.”
Kiner-Falefa was 3 for 4 and drove in two runs. He is 5 for 8 in the series, helping the Rangers to two wins coming off a 1-9 stretch.
Kolby Allard (1-0) entered the game with a runner on second base with two out in the top of the seventh and held the Astros scoreless for 1 1/3 innings.
Houston supported starter Lance McCullers Jr. with three runs in the first two innings and another in the fourth. He left the game with a 4-3 lead after throwing 105 pitches in five innings.
“I was lucky to get in five,” McCullers said. “Forty pitches in the first inning is a bad way to start. I was throwing good quality pitches, but they hit a ton of foul balls in that first inning.”
The greatest impact came after McCullers left.
“We knew their pitching was a little thin,” Woodward said, "and they had to go to some guys right away.”
McCullers struck out four in a first inning when no Ranger hit a fair ball. He walked the first two and struck out two before Joey Gallo reached first base on a third-strike wild pitch. Khris Davis was the fourth to strike out, swinging through a 3-2 pitch.
It was the eighth time an Astros pitcher has struck out four in an inning, and the sixth when four Rangers have struck out four times.
In the first, the first three Astros reached base against Texas starter Jordan Lyles, who allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings. Yordan Alvarez had an RBI grounder and Yuli Gurriel followed with a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead. Chas McCormick led off the second with his third home run.
RED-HOT ROOKIE
García’s nine home runs in May are one off the Rangers’ record of 10 for any calendar month by Dave Hostetler in June 1982. Pete Incaviglia hit nine in September 1986.
ANOTHER ROOKIE BACK DOWN
Astros RHP Tyler Ivey, who made his major league debut with a start on Friday, was optioned back to Triple-A Sugar Land.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: INF Aledmys Diaz, who left Friday’s game because of tightness in his left hamstring, was not in Saturday’s lineup. Houston recalled INF Taylor Jones from Triple-A Sugar Land. … LHP Framber Valdez (Saturday) and RHP Jake Odorizzi (Sunday), on the injured list, were scheduled to make rehab starts at Sugar Land.
Rangers: RHP Kohei Arihara is scheduled to undergo a procedure on Thursday to repair an aneurysm in his right shoulder and is expected to be sidelined a minimum of 12 weeks. Arihara has been on the injured list since May 9, and LHP Hyeon-jong Yang has taken his place in the Texas rotation. … RHP Hunter Wood left the game in the seventh inning because of elbow tightness.
UP NEXT
Astros: RHP Cristian Javier (3-1, 3.27) will start Sunday’s finale of a three-game series.
Rangers: RHP Mike Foltynewicz (1-4, 5.18) will start the last game of a seven-game homestand.
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