Rangers continue surge by beating Astros
Posted: Sat May 17 10:58 PM
Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - Milton Bradley and Marlon Byrd each belted two-run homers, and Vicente Padilla pitched seven solid innings as the Texas Rangers topped the Houston Astros, 6-2, in the middle contest of a three-game series.
Padilla (6-2) allowed just two runs on five hits and struck out six for the Rangers, who have won the first two of this series and nine of their last 11 overall. Byrd finished 3-for-4, while David Murphy and Gerald Laird each drove in a run for Texas. Josh Hamilton went 2-for-3 and scored a run as the Rangers won their seventh straight series.
"I feel healthy, but it's not just me, it's with the help of my teammates," Padilla said.
Lance Berkman went 2-for-3 with a solo homer and extended his hit streak to 16 games for the Astros, who have dropped three of five after a four-game win streak. Miguel Tejada drove in the other Houston run.
Roy Oswalt (4-4) took the loss after being tagged for six runs on 11 hits in six-plus frames before leaving with a strained right groin.
Leading by one, the Rangers padded their lead in the second, as Frank Catalanotto reached on an infield single with one out, and Byrd followed with a screaming line drive to right that just cleared the fence to give Texas a 4-1 lead.
Berkman continued his incredible May in the fourth, leading off with a homer to left-center that pulled the Astros within 4-2.
The bats were largely silent until the seventh, when Michael Bourn flipped a one-out single into left. But, Ausmus popped out to second, and with Hunter Pence at the plate, Bourn was caught stealing for the first time in 19 attempts this season.
Texas pulled away in the home seventh, as Ian Kinsler and Michael Young led off with consecutive singles that chased Oswalt for Tim Byrdak. With Brandon Boggs at the plate, Kinsler and Young pulled off a double steal. Boggs struck out, and after an intentional walk to Bradley loaded the bases, Murphy lined a soft single to center to plate Kinsler.
Fernando Nieve came on in relief an gave up a run-scoring single to Laird, but Catalanotto smashed a liner back to the mound that was nabbed by Nieve, who threw to first to double off Laird and end the inning.
Joaquin Benoit held the Astros to one hit in the eighth, and Eddie Guardado survived Ty Wigginton's two-out double in the ninth to finish off the win.
Kaz Matsui worked a one-out walk in the first, stole second, and came around to score when Tejada lined a single to right.
Hamilton looped a two-out single to shallow left in the bottom of the frame, and Bradley followed up by turning on an Oswalt curve and depositing it into the seats in right to put the Rangers on top. Game Notes
Berkman is 34-for-61 with 21 RBI and 21 runs scored during his streak and has a major league-leading 16 homers...Bourn was caught stealing for just the fourth time in 41 attempts in his three major league seasons...With the win the Rangers tied the all-time series between the clubs at 22-22...The Astros will try to salvage a game in the series when they send Brandon Backe (2-5) to the hill on Sunday against Kason Gabbard (1-0).