Burger blasts a homer, drives in 4 as Eovaldi powers the Rangers past the Astros 8-0

HOUSTON (AP) — Jake Burger homered and tied a career high with four RBIs and Nathan Eovaldi pitched seven strong innings to lead the Texas Rangers to an 8-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.

Kyle Higashioka hit a solo homer in the ninth inning and drove in a season-high three runs as the Rangers got their offense going after managing just one run while losing the first two games of the series.

Eovaldi (5-4) allowed five hits and struck out eight in his return after being scratched from a start on Monday because of left side tightness. Gavin Collyer took over and threw two hitless innings as the Astros were blanked for the third time this season.

The Rangers led by 2 after Burger’s home run in the fifth inning before breaking the game open with a five-run seventh inning that made it 7-0.

Houston starter Peter Lambert (2-4) didn’t allow a hit until Alejandro Osuna legged out an infield single with one out in the fifth inning. Burger followed with his shot to right field that gave the Rangers a 2-0 lead.

Joc Pederson walked to open the seventh and moved to third on a double by Ezequiel Duran. Lambert then hit Alejandro Osuna with a pitch to load the bases and end his day.

Lambert was replaced by Cody Bolton and Burger doubled on a line drive to left field to make it 4-0. There was one out in the inning when Higashioka sent two more runs home with a single to center field. Brandon Nimmo’s RBI double pushed the lead to 7-0.

Lambert permitted three hits and five runs with six strikeouts in six-plus innings.

Nimmo robbed Yordan Alvarez of a home run in the fourth inning when leaped up and reached into the first row of the seats in right field.

Up next

LHP MacKenzie Gore (3-3, 4.50 ERA) will start for the Rangers in the opener of a three-game series at Colorado on Monday night.

RHP Tatsuya Imai (1-1, 9.24) stars for Houston in the first of three games at Minnesota on Monday night.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb