The Houston Astros hope their slow start is about to evaporate.
After losing seven of their first nine games, the Astros will look to make it two consecutive victories when they visit the Texas Rangers on Monday night at Arlington, Texas.
Houston notched a 3-1 victory over the Rangers on Sunday night after losing the first two contests of a four-game set by a combined score of 17-4.
Yordan Alvarez hit a three-run homer for all the Astros’ offense on Sunday. He said afterward that the team’s lack of success out of the gate isn’t an issue.
“Look, we’ve been here before. And because we’ve been there before, there’s no panic in the clubhouse,” Alvarez said. “We’re just taking it one single day. We’re hoping after this ‘W’ that we definitely can continue to ride this along.”
Houston has allowed just one run and three hits total in its three victories this season.
The Astros defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 10-0 on April 1 behind Ronel Blanco’s no-hitter. Two nights later, Houston blanked the Blue Jays 8-0 as five pitchers combined on a one-hitter.
Blanco was at it again on Sunday and held Texas hitless over 5 2/3 innings before Adolis Garcia broke it up with a sharp single. Blanco departed after six innings, and three relievers completed a two-hitter.
Houston had just four hits in Sunday’s win. Alvarez’s third-inning homer followed walks to Jake Meyers and Jose Altuve.
“I was aggressive from the get-go and I wanted to take advantage of it, and I did,” Alvarez said of the blast off Dane Dunning. “I made really good contact.”
Texas had won three straight games before falling to the Astros on Sunday. The offense was silent after the Rangers racked up 31 hits in the first two games of the series.
Texas manager Bruce Bochy was impressed with Justin Foscue’s pinch-hit, run-scoring single in the ninth off Josh Hader The hit was the first of Foscue’s major league career and came in his second at-bat.
“Great at-bat for the young kid,” Bochy said. “Had poise up there. He battled and got a big hit and an RBI. He got the tying run up to the plate.
“You have to like the way he handled himself as a pinch hitter. … He’ll get a start (Monday).”
The infielder was the 14th overall selection by the Rangers in the 2020 draft. Foscue played collegiately at Mississippi State.
Left-hander Framber Valdez (0-0, 2.19 ERA) will start for the Astros in the finale.
Valdez walked six in 4 2/3 innings in his season debut against the New York Yankees on March 28. He didn’t walk anyone in his second outing when he gave up six hits in 7 2/3 scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays last Tuesday.
The 30-year-old struggled against Texas last season, going 1-2 with a 4.32 ERA in three starts. Overall, Valdez is 7-5 with a 2.90 ERA in 16 regular-season appearances (13 starts) against the Rangers.
Marcus Semien (11-for-34) and Leody Taveras (9-for-26) each have two homers off Valdez. Garcia is just 7-for-32 with one homer off him.
Left-hander Andrew Heaney (0-0, 1.93 ERA) will be on the mound for Texas on Monday.
Heaney, 32, gave up three runs (one earned) and four hits over 4 2/3 innings in his lone start of the season, against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday.
Heaney went 1-0 with a 2.75 ERA in four starts against Houston last season. Overall, he is 4-4 with a 3.35 ERA in 15 career regular-season starts against the Astros.
Jose Abreu (5-for-20) has four homers off Heaney, and Altuve (13-for-39) has gone deep twice against him. Kyle Tucker (1-for-11) has struggled against Heaney.
