by Ben Wertz
Before Saturday, Justin Grimm had not made a start above AA. After his major league debut against the Astros, Grimm just might have earned himself another turn in the big league starting rotation. Grimm pitched a solid six innings and the Rangers used a five run sixth inning to beat the Astros 8-3 on Saturday night.
Before Saturday, Justin Grimm had not made a start above AA. After his major league debut against the Astros, Grimm just might have earned himself another turn in the big league starting rotation. Grimm pitched a solid six innings and the Rangers used a five run sixth inning to beat the Astros 8-3 on Saturday night.
Grimm had good control, including an impressive curveball, as he gave up three runs on six hits to go along with seven strikeouts in his six innings of work to win his major league debut. Grimm did not walk a batter and threw 56 of his 88 pitches for strikes, including striking out five Astros in a row at one point.
Houston got on the board in the first on a Jed Lowrie solo home run and added a couple more in the fifth courtesy of a Justin Maxwell RBI double and a Jordan Schafer RBI single. After that, it was all Rangers.
The bottom of the sixth started with back-to-back singles by Craig Gentry and Ian Kinsler. After Elvis Andrus sacrificed both runners forward, Michael Young grounded one back to pitcher Lucas Harrell who caught Gentry in a run down, but the Astros botched it by dropping the ball, and every runner was safe to load the bases. Adrian Beltre made the Astros pay with a 2-RBI single through the hole on the left side to cut the Houston lead to 3-2. Then Nelson Cruz unleashed his “boomstick” into the Astros’ bullpen, a 455-foot shot of the three-run variety, to give the Rangers a 5-3 lead.
Texas would add a couple more in the seventh thanks to a Kinsler RBI single and a Young sacrifice fly to make it 7-3. Mitch Moreland decided to get into the act as well with an RBI double in the eighth to produce the final margin.
Four Rangers had multiple hits, the bullpen after Grimm exited shut the door, and the defense was clean. It was an all around well-played game by the Rangers.
With the win, the Rangers have won the Silver Boot and will go for the sweep tomorrow afternoon. The Rangers have beaten their future division rival four out of five times thus far in 2012 and Colby Lewis (5-5, 3.13) will look to keep that going on Sunday. Lewis is coming off of a complete game four-hitter last time out in which he gave up only one run. The Astros will send Dallas Keuchel to the mound to make his major league debut. Keuchel, a 24-year-old southpaw, was 5-4 with a 4.26 ERA in 13 starts for AAA Oklahoma City.
Houston got on the board in the first on a Jed Lowrie solo home run and added a couple more in the fifth courtesy of a Justin Maxwell RBI double and a Jordan Schafer RBI single. After that, it was all Rangers.
The bottom of the sixth started with back-to-back singles by Craig Gentry and Ian Kinsler. After Elvis Andrus sacrificed both runners forward, Michael Young grounded one back to pitcher Lucas Harrell who caught Gentry in a run down, but the Astros botched it by dropping the ball, and every runner was safe to load the bases. Adrian Beltre made the Astros pay with a 2-RBI single through the hole on the left side to cut the Houston lead to 3-2. Then Nelson Cruz unleashed his “boomstick” into the Astros’ bullpen, a 455-foot shot of the three-run variety, to give the Rangers a 5-3 lead.
Texas would add a couple more in the seventh thanks to a Kinsler RBI single and a Young sacrifice fly to make it 7-3. Mitch Moreland decided to get into the act as well with an RBI double in the eighth to produce the final margin.
Four Rangers had multiple hits, the bullpen after Grimm exited shut the door, and the defense was clean. It was an all around well-played game by the Rangers.
With the win, the Rangers have won the Silver Boot and will go for the sweep tomorrow afternoon. The Rangers have beaten their future division rival four out of five times thus far in 2012 and Colby Lewis (5-5, 3.13) will look to keep that going on Sunday. Lewis is coming off of a complete game four-hitter last time out in which he gave up only one run. The Astros will send Dallas Keuchel to the mound to make his major league debut. Keuchel, a 24-year-old southpaw, was 5-4 with a 4.26 ERA in 13 starts for AAA Oklahoma City.
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