HOUSTON, TEXAS — September 15, 2025 — On a special night honoring baseball legend Roberto Clemente, rookie outfielder Zach Cole stepped up in a big way for the Houston Astros, hitting a tie-breaking two-run homer and driving in three runs to power the Astros to a 6-3 victory over the Texas Rangers in a crucial series opener. The game also marked the first night of the final Silver Boot series of the season.
The win came at a cost, however, as star slugger Yordan Alvarez was forced to leave the game in the first inning after spraining his left ankle while scoring from first on a Rangers’ throwing error. In his place, Cole, who had just been called up and hit his first major league homer a few days earlier, went 2-for-3 with the decisive home run in the fifth inning off Rangers starter Jack Leiter.
The Rangers initially took a 3-2 lead in the fifth on a two-run homer from Josh Jung and an RBI single by Josh Smith. But Cole’s homer gave the Astros the lead back at 4-3, and they never looked back. In the seventh, Houston added two more runs on an RBI double from Jeremy Peña and another RBI single from Cole, extending the lead to 6-3.
Astros starter Jason Alexander allowed three runs (one earned) over 4 2/3 innings, but the bullpen was brilliant. Relievers Steven Okert, Jayden Murray, Bryan King, and Bryan Abreu combined to pitch 4 1/3 scoreless innings, with Abreu earning his sixth save of the season.
The victory moves the Astros to 82-69, putting them just a half-game behind the Seattle Mariners for the lead in the AL West. The Rangers, at 79-72, now trail Houston by three games in the race for the final American League wild-card spot.
With the win, the Houston Astros now have a record of 82-69, putting them 0.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners in the AL West. The Texas Rangers are 3 games back with a 79-72 record. The Los Angeles Angels (69-81) and Oakland Athletics (70-80) round out the division.
