HOUSTON -- As surprised as many around baseball will be to wake up on Aug. 1 and see the Astros in first place in the American League West, those who have paid attention over the last decade should have known better.
After falling 6 1/2 games out of first place when they were 20-31 on May 21, the Astros will begin the month of August in the same place they’ve been in seven of the previous eight seasons (not counting the shortened 2020 season) -- leading the division after crushing the Rangers, 11-2, for their fourth win in a row Friday night at Daikin Park.
Hunter Brown held the Rangers to two runs on six hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings, and Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker socked back-to-back homers in the fifth to build a 6-0 lead. Yainer Diaz added a solo homer in Houston’s four-run seventh inning.
The Astros (56-55), winners of nine of their past 10 games, jumped the Rangers (55-55) and moved into sole possession of first place in the division for the first time since early April. Houston also won the season series over its Lone Star State rivals, which gives the Astros the tiebreaker over the Rangers if they finish the season with the same record.
Brown (3-1) held the Rangers scoreless before giving up a solo homer to Joc Pederson in the sixth inning, which cut Houston's lead to 6-1. He came within one out of a quality start, leaving the game with runners at first and third and two outs in the sixth. Evan Carter’s RBI single off Enyel De Los Santos scored a run charged to Brown.
The Astros took a 3-0 lead in the second inning against Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi on an RBI double by LaMonte Wade Jr. and a two-run single by Yordan Alvarez with the bases loaded. That gave Alvarez 82 RBIs, which is two behind Major League leader Sal Stewart of the Reds.
Cam Smith tripled and scored on a Jeremy Peña single in the fourth, and Paredes began the fifth with his 15th homer of the season, sailing it to the train tracks in left field. Walker followed with his second homer in three games for a 6-0 lead.