STATEMENT MADE: Astros win 10th straight, sweep Rangers
2 homers from sizzling Springer help extend win streak to 10
ARLINGTON — The Astros made Globe Life Park sound like a forest Sunday. In winning their 10th consecutive game, they squared up pitches from the Rangers so frequently the crack of their bats resonated like trees snapping.
As one of the lumberjacks who starred in the 7-2 win, George Springer, whose Victus bat has a knob tapered like an ax handle, homered twice and emerged as the most formidable hitter in baseball at the moment.
Springer drove in three runs on a 3-for-5 day. He has hit seven home runs in his last eight games as part of a 20-for-40 tear that spans a nine-game hitting streak.
Carolos Correa, who hit his 11th homer, is a close second for the most terrifying pitcher’s nightmare right now. He is 19-for-43 with five home runs and 15 RBIs during in a 10-game hitting streak.
If the Astros (41-16) have gotten used to their prolific offense, sweeping Texas added extra satisfaction.
They are 15 games up on the Rangers (26-31) and lead the American League West by 13½ games over the Angels and Mariners.
Brad Peacock (2-0) delivered his best performance of the season. In six innings, he struck out nine and allowed two runs on four hits.
Concerns over starting pitching depth lingered exiting spring training. Although it would be difficult to lose games with support averaging 8.2 runs during the winning streak, Peacock has pitched well since moving out of the bullpen to fill in for Dallas Keuchel, who missed time with a pinched nerve in his neck, and Charlie Morton (right lat strain).
6 leadoff homers
Springer started the game with his sixth leadoff home run, tied for the major league lead with Tampa Bay’s Corey Dickerson.
With two outs in the first, Evan Gattis reached second base on a dropped fly ball by Jared Hoying. Carlos Beltran capitalized with a double off the left-field wall that put the Astros ahead 2-0. It was the 548th career double for Beltran, tying him with Alex Rodriguez for 28th all-time.
After Yuli Gurriel led off the second inning with a line drive to left, Springer struck again two batters later, clubbing an off-speed pitch to right field for a single that let Gurriel walk home from third.
As metrics on exit velocity and launch angle become more popular, Correa delivered the epitome of a no-doubt home run to lead off the third. He returned a 95 mph fastball 104.5 mph at a 25-degree angle. The result was 440 feet of whizzing leather to center.
Beltran then walked, Marwin Gonzalez doubled on a ground ball down the left-field line, and Gurriel drove in Beltran on a sacrifice fly for a 5-0 lead.
Springer likely would have been corralled for a curtain call at Minute Maid Park in the fourth inning, when his 16th home run inflicted further pain on the Rangers.
Gurriel followed up by wailing on a cut fastball for an uncharacteristically high-arcing homer in the fifth, pushing the Astros ahead 7-0.
The Rangers cut the score to 7-2 on Rougned Odor’s eighth home run and Joey Gallo’s single plating Elvis Andrus, who extended a hitting streak to 10 games.
Fans file out early
The Astros inspired an exodus in the eighth inning. Nomar Mazara lofted a ball to shallow left. Correa immediately read the ball. He darted to the grass, peered over his left shoulder and reached up for a leaping backhanded catch like a wide receiver on a fade to the corner of the end zone.
Michael Feliz completed the inning by striking out Robinson Chirinos, and masses of fans walked out.
Manager A.J. Hinch brought in Luke Gregerson to finish the game, giving the reliever a chance to redeem himself from an ineffective Saturday outing in which he put two on with one out and required a lift from Will Harris. Gregerson seems to be following a familiar decline as an aging reliever. His sinkers and sliders have less drop. His ERA keeps rising.
Amid sudden rainfall, Gregerson took his time getting a good grip on the ball and more. He struck out Odor, induced a fly out from Delino DeShields and walked Pete Kozma.
The storm intensified in concert with Kozma’s reaching second on catcher’s indifference. Puddles formed between the bases.
The scene could have reflected Gregerson’s gloom, but the third out revealed a clear message. The remaining fans, most wearing the burnt orange of a city four hours south, watched Gregerson induce a weak roller to himself from ShinSoo Choo.
The Astros did a rain dance, having drenched the Rangers with their torrential offense.