Cole, Springer propel Astros
Cole’s 14 K’s on 93 pitches an MLB first; Springer hits pair of homers
Gerrit Cole dominates Texas over seven innings and George Springer blasts two homers as the Astros continue their mastery of the Rangers.
On a Friday night when pitcher Gerrit Cole put his name in the record book alongside Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux, it took a timely base hit from Marwin Gonzalez and another mad dash from pinch runner Derek Fisher to give the Astros a 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers.
Gonzalez’s sharply struck single to center in the bottom of the eighth got past Rangers center fielder Drew Robinson for a two-base error, allowing Fisher to score the go-ahead run and get the Astros back in gear after back-to-back road losses at Minnesota.
For most of the way, though, center stage Friday night for the Astros belonged to George Springer, who had two solo home runs off
Rangers starter Cole Hamels, and Cole, who struck out 14 through seven innings while allowing three hits and two runs.
Cole’s 14 strikeouts came on 93 pitches, the first time that has been accomplished by a Major League pitcher. Greg Maddux had an 81-pitch, 13-K performance in 2000. He joined Ryan in 1973 with the Angels as the only pitchers to record 11 or more strikeouts in three consecutive games to start the season, and he joins Johnson among four Astros pitchers to have three 11-plus strikeout games at any point in a season.
“I was moving the fastball around a little bit, staying aggressive and pounding the zone as much as I could,” Cole said. “It’s nice. I’m happy we’re winning a lot of ballgames. The bullpen was stretched in Minnesota, and it was good to get some length and give guys some rest.”
Cole didn’t get the win after allowing solo homers to Joey Gallo and Robinson Chirinos to tie the game in the seventh.
“It’s a shame he didn’t get the win, but what a great job of getting into the game and setting a tone,” said manager A.J. Hinch. “He did a great job of leading us tonight.”
In the eighth, Evan Gattis drew a walk off Rangers reliever Kevin Jepsen and was lifted for Fisher, who took off on a 1-2 pitch as Gonzalez lined one to center.
The ball got past Robinson for an error and rolled to the warning track as Fisher scored.
Chris Devenski pitched the ninth for the Astros, allowing a one-out base hit to Ronald Guzman and hitting Chirinos before striking out Robinson and Isish Kiner-Falefa to end the game. Joe Smith (1-0), who pitched the eighth for the Astros, got the win and Jepsen (0-2) the loss.
Springer led off the bottom of the first with a first-pitch home run and added a second solo shot in the fourth off Hamels. He also had a leadoff homer in the Astros’ 4-1 win at Arlington in the season opener.
“Just be aggressive,” Springer said. “(Hamels) is a guy who if he gets settled in can go in and out, up and down, with all four (pitches). I’m just trying to get something to hit and hit it.”
Cole was sailing through six inning but gave up a 428-foot homer to Gallo and a 366-foot blast over the Crawford Boxes by Chirinos to tie the game.
“It’s kind of a fascinating turn of events there,” Cole said. “I’m going to have to learn from it.”
Of his season-opening strikeout performance to match Ryan’s, he said. “That’s pretty awesome. The guy’s a really good pitcher, to say the least.”
Hamels, who lost to the Astros in the season opener at Arlington, allowed six hits through six innings with seven strikeouts and two walks but kept the Astros off the board in the third, fourth and sixth innings.
Jose Altuve singled off reliever Chris Martin in the seventh and stole second, but Carlos Correa was called out on strikes to end the inning.
The Rangers threatened in the eighth off reliever Will Harris, who retired Kiner-Falefa and Shin-Soo Choo before Jerickson Profar singled to center and Nomar Mazara nudged an infield hit past Harris. Smith came on to retire Adrian Beltre on a grounder to end the inning.
The injury-wracked Rangers, who have lost five in a row, are without outfielder Delino DeShields (fractured left hand), second baseman Rougned Odor (strained left hamstring) and shortstop Elvis Andrus, who suffered a broken right elbow when he was hit by a pitch Wednesday in a loss to the Angels.
The Astros are hale and hearty, welcoming back first baseman Yuli Gurriel to the lineup for the first time since he underwent surgery to his left hand during spring training, but continue to struggle at the plate.
Springer entered the game with just one homer and six RBIs and Gonzalez with a homer and five RBIs.
“This is a time when an average can go up or down by 80 points in a game, and you can’t really focus on the scoreboard,” Springer said. “You have to have quality at-bats, and whatever happens, happens. It’s early.”