Houston Astros win fifth in a row with 5-4 win over Texas Rangers thanks to bullpen

Essential to the Houston Astros‘ revival has been a resurgent bullpen. No relief corps in the majors had a higher ERA through May 21, the start of this team’s slow turnaround. Entering Saturday, only one owned a lower mark since that date, a stretch in which the Astros were tied for the best record in the American League.

Extending their newfound lead in the AL West hinged on that unit again Saturday evening. Five relievers combined to throw 4⅓ innings of one-run ball as the Astros secured a 5-4 win over the Texas Rangers, moved 1½ games up in the division and ensured they will finish this series between in-state rivals alone in first place.

Houston has won 10 of its last 11 games and is 57-55, a timely push two days before the trade deadline. Outfield offense and pitching are its two priorities, in that order. Contributions from those areas on the current roster buoyed a fifth consecutive victory Saturday, matching the club’s longest winning streak of the season.

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LaMonte Wade Jr. and Taylor Trammell, two of the Astros’ left-handed hitting outfielders, drove in three of the five runs they scored against Rangers starter Jacob deGrom. With a 5-3 lead, the Astros turned to their bullpen with two outs in the fifth inning, lifting starter Ronel Blanco with a runner on and starting a series of maneuvers.

Bennett Sousa notched one out, finishing the fifth. Enyel De Los Santos recorded two around allowing a home run to Elias Díaz that pared the Astros’ lead to one. Four left-handed hitters occupied the top five spots in Texas’ order. As that lineup turned over, the Astros deployed left-hander Steven Okert with two outs in the sixth.

Texas lifted leadoff man Joc Pederson, its home run leader, for right-handed Jake Burger. Okert won the matchup, inducing a flyout, and returned for a scoreless seventh, working around a two-out single from Brandon Nimmo. Okert owns a 2.14 ERA in a team-high 54 appearances, a critical piece in the bullpen’s resurgence.

Bryan Abreu drew the eighth and the 6-7-8 spots in the lineup. He retired them in order, another step in the right-hander’s return to leverage usage. Closer Josh Hader needed 10 pitches to navigate the ninth, converting his 15th save in as many chances, getting Wyatt Langford to swing through a 95.4 mph fastball to end the game.

How Astros chased Jacob deGrom

For just the second time in 21 starts this season, deGrom did not make it through the fourth inning. The Astros drove up his pitch count with determined at-bats. In his 3 1/3 innings, deGrom allowed seven hits and five walks. His defense also played a role in the five runs charged to him.

Four batters saw 22 pitches from deGrom in a scoreless first inning. He threw another 22 in the second, when a walk and two-out singles by Cam Smith and Wade, hitting in the bottom two spots in Houston’s order, produced the game’s first run.

Alvarez led off the third with a double. DeGrom issued a one-out walk to Christian Walker but induced a popup from Yainer Diaz with a sinker, his least-used pitch. A trainer jogged to the mound to see deGrom after the at-bat. He was reportedly limited earlier this month by a hip issue.

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DeGrom stayed in the game. Jose Altuve, who had drawn his first walk since July 5 in the second inning, worked another in an eight-pitch battle, in which deGrom hit 100.5 mph, matching his fastest pitch this season. Trammell then chopped a first-pitch slider into left field for a two-run single.

Texas forged a 3-3 tie in the top of the fourth. DeGrom could not preserve it. Jeremy Peña struck a one-out double, extending his hitting streak to 13 games. The Rangers walked Alvarez intentionally and Isaac Paredes drew a walk to load the bases. Walker, after falling behind 1-2, poked the seventh pitch of his at-bat toward first base.

Joc Pederson, stashed there so Texas could stack left-handed hitters, dived for the ball, knocked it down but could not recover it. Walker’s infield hit scored a run and chased deGrom after 91 pitches. Alvarez’s scoring on a wild pitch by Cole Winn charged a final run to deGrom’s ledger.

How Ronel Blanco fared

Three starts into his return from Tommy John surgery, it appears Blanco is still somewhat limited, or the Astros still have a quick hook for him later in outings. Blanco has not surpassed 86 pitches in an outing since his return. He threw 82 pitches over his 4 2/3 innings on Saturday and, with a 5-3 lead, the Astros already had a reliever up as he started the fifth.

Blanco was efficient early. He navigated two singles a scoreless first inning and struck out two batters in the second. Langford lined a full-count slider into the first row of the Crawford Boxes in the third inning for the Rangers’ first run. It was the fifth home run Blanco has allowed in three starts. He finished the inning at just 46 pitches.

After the Astros staked him a 3-1 lead, however, Blanco could not deliver a shutdown fourth. Brandon Nimmo struck a leadoff single. Blanco then walked Evan Carter. Both runners would score. Alejandro Osuna pulled a one-out RBI single through the right side of the infield. Elias Díaz dropped a squeeze bunt to Blanco, who secured the out at first.

Blanco retired his first two batters in the fifth. But a walk to Corey Seager, starting a run of left-handed hitters, ended his evening. Sousa replaced Blanco and issued two walks, loading the bases, before he struck out Ezequiel Duran to preserve a two-run lead. Blanco allowed five hits and an 83.4 mph average exit velocity on 15 balls in play. His ERA in three starts is 7.36.

How Yordan Alvarez fared

Alvarez, who entered the day leading the American League in all three Triple Crown categories, reached base three times in five plate appearances, via a double and two intentional walks.

Alvarez has been walked intentionally 22 times this season, most in the majors. He ended the night with a slash line of .324/.438/.641 and a majors-leading 1.079 OPS.

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This article originally published at Houston Astros win fifth in a row with 5-4 win over Texas Rangers thanks to bullpen.