Yainer Diaz powers Astros past Rangers into AL West first
Yainer Diaz tied a career high with four hits and smashed a solo home run as the Houston Astros crushed the Texas Rangers 11-2 on Friday night, vaulting into first place in the AL West. The win marked Houston's ninth in 10 games and moved the Astros a half-game ahead of Texas atop the division.
Key Takeaways
- Yainer Diaz tied a career high with four hits and added a solo homer in Houston's 11-2 rout.
- Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker hit back-to-back home runs to open the fifth.
- The Astros piled up 18 hits, tying a season high, for their ninth win in 10 games.
- Houston moved a half-game ahead of Texas atop the AL West.
- Hunter Brown improved to 3-1; Nathan Eovaldi allowed six runs in five innings.
Friday's blowout at Daikin Park capped a surging stretch for Houston and flipped the AL West standings. For more celebrity and sports buzz, follow Celebrity Breaking News on BlasterPost.
How did Yainer Diaz spark the Astros' rout?
According to AP News, Yainer Diaz homered and matched a career high with four hits. His solo shot was the first of four two-out runs in the seventh that pushed Houston's lead to 10-2.
Jeremy Peña drove in three runs and Yordan Alvarez added two. Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker also went deep, launching consecutive homers off Nathan Eovaldi to open the fifth and make it 6-0.
When did Houston take control of the game?
The Astros struck early. LaMonte Wade Jr. doubled home a run with runners on first and third in the second. Eovaldi then hit Peña to load the bases, and Alvarez's ground single to left scored two for a 3-0 cushion.
Cam Smith tripled with two outs in the fourth before Peña, extending a 12-game hit streak, singled to make it 4-0. After the back-to-back blasts in the fifth, Texas answered with Joc Pederson's homer and an Evan Carter RBI single to cut the deficit to 6-2 in the sixth—before Diaz and company poured it on again.
Why does this win matter for the AL West race?
The victory put Houston in first place by a half-game over Texas after nine wins in 10 games. It also continued momentum from a midweek series in Anaheim, where the Astros swept the Angels, reached .500 at 55-55, and pulled within a game of the Rangers heading into this showdown.
Hunter Brown (3-1) allowed six hits and two runs over 5 2/3 innings. Eovaldi (10-9) gave up 10 hits and tied a season high with six runs in five innings. Corey Seager returned for Texas with two hits, including a double, after missing 23 games with lower-back inflammation.
Up next, Texas right-hander Jacob deGrom (7-6, 3.67 ERA) faces Houston's Ronel Blanco (0-1, 8.10) as the series continues Saturday night.