HOUSTON. – On Sunday (Monday in Manila), Texas Rangers left-hander Jordan Montgomery earned the distinction of being just the third pitcher in franchise history with multiple Game 1 starts in the postseason, and he delivered a performance worthy of that footnote in club annals.
Montgomery carried a shutout into the seventh inning and Leody Taveras socked his first career playoff homer as Texas extended its franchise-record postseason winning streak to six games with a 2-0 victory over the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.
The Rangers will look to run that winning streak to seven games, and claim a 2-0 lead in the series, on Monday (Tuesday in Manila) in Houston.
Montgomery (2-0) improved to 4-0 with a 1.22 ERA over his last seven starts (regular and postseason) by limiting the Astros to five hits and one walk with six strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings.
A trade deadline acquisition from the St. Louis Cardinals on July 30, Montgomery previously worked seven shutout innings in a 4-0 victory in Game 1 of the AL wild-card series against the Tampa Bay Rays. He joined fellow lefties C.J. Wilson and Cliff Lee in making multiple Game 1 postseason starts for the Rangers.
“If it doesn’t raise your game in the playoffs, I don’t think you’re doing it right,” Montgomery said of the opportunity to start in the postseason. “Obviously I’m super excited to take the ball (Sunday). And anytime I can give my team a chance to win, I’ll do my best.”
Taveras finished 2-for-2 with a walk batting in the nine-hole against Astros right-hander Justin Verlander. He drilled a 1-2 slider from Verlander 398 feet into the right field seats with one out in the fifth to double the Rangers’ lead.
Texas had grabbed a 1-0 advantage off Verlander (1-1) in the second when Jonah Heim followed a one-out double by Evan Carter with an RBI single.
Verlander gave up two runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked two and fanned five.
Carter, a 21-year-old rookie, started a critical double play in the eighth when he fielded a deep fly ball from Alex Bregman in the left-center-field gap before firing a throw into shortstop Corey Seager, who followed with a throw to second baseman Marcus Semien.
Jose Altuve, who walked leading off the inning, failed to touch second base when he rounded the bag and returned to first on the Bregman flyout. Altuve was ruled out after the Rangers challenged the initial call.
“I thought it would be a low-scoring game,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “Our guys played well. Our defense was outstanding. The kid Carter, what a game he had out there.” — Field Level Media
