ARLINGTON, TEXAS — The Rangers’ winning streak came to an end Friday night as the Astros surged late, handing Texas a 6-3 loss at Globe Life Field. Despite the setback, Texas remains hot overall, taking six of its last seven and winning eight of the past 12 contests. The club now sits at 4-1 through the first five games of a seven-game homestand.
Nathan Eovaldi was sharp in his 10th start of the season, blanking Houston over 5.2 innings while scattering just two hits. The right-hander walked a season-high three batters, but settled in after a shaky start to continue his dominant stretch. Over his last five outings, Eovaldi has surrendered just two earned runs in 30.2 innings, posting a sparkling 0.59 ERA and 0.77 WHIP through 10 starts—one of the best opening stretches by any pitcher in recent memory.
Josh Jung continued his recent power surge, homering as part of a two-hit performance. The third baseman has now gone deep five times in his last 10 games, tied for his most in any 10-game span. Jonah Heim chipped in with a two-run single to open the scoring in the second inning, breaking out of a brief slump with his first hit of the homestand.
Houston was quiet for most of the night before exploding for six runs in the seventh, matching its highest-scoring inning of the year. Lance McCullers Jr., making just his third start after a lengthy injury absence, held Texas to two unearned runs across four innings. A costly defensive miscue helped the Rangers jump ahead early, but the Astros’ bullpen kept things within reach.
The game flipped in the seventh when Christian Walker launched a three-run homer off Shawn Armstrong, capping a comeback that started with an RBI double from Cam Smith and a clutch, go-ahead two-run single by Isaac Paredes. Houston had struggled mightily with the bases loaded this season, but Paredes delivered in the moment, continuing his strong production in run-scoring situations.
Walker’s long ball was his first in over two weeks and his sixth career homer against Texas. He’s been particularly effective against Eovaldi, and Houston remains unbeaten this year when Walker goes deep.
Smith’s RBI double marked a milestone in his young career, while Jake Meyers added to his hot streak with a single and walk, boosting his average to .294. The Astros have now tallied 12 come-from-behind wins in 2025, second-most in the American League.
The series continues over the weekend with two more matchups in Arlington as both teams battle for positioning in a tight AL West race.
