After Tom Wilhelmsen cratered on the third game of the series to give Houston its first win in nine games against Texas, the Rangers rebounded in the series finale, 5-3, behind six strong innings from Martin Perez.

*****

A RETURN TO NORMALCY.
Originally published June 10, 2016.

One day after the Houston Astros earned a rare win over the Texas Rangers, things were back to normal in Arlington.

The Rangers were back to beating the Astros, this time 5-3 behind some clutch hitting of two guys whose hitting has been anything but this season.

Mitch Moreland laced two doubles. And Prince Fielder hit a mammoth, game-deciding solo home run into the upper deck in the fourth inning.

We have seen both get extra base hits in the same game before, only to disappear into the wind.

If, somehow, Fielder and Moreland—or even Fielder or Moreland—can get hot, that adds a whole new dynamic to a lineup that is already dominating and intimidating.

For all the big hits the Rangers had yesterday, perhaps the most damaging to the Astros came off the bat of Jurickson Profar in the bottom of the third inning, after the Astros had taken a 2-0 lead in the top of the third.

Profar came up with runners at first and third, no outs, and the Rangers having scored one run already in the inning. The Astros were hoping to get him to hit one to an infielder so the could turn two.

Instead, he hit one through and infielder.

Profar hit a screaming line drive so hard it literally took Astros second baseman Jose Altuve with it. His hit struck Altuve with such force, when the ball hit his glove, it picked up Altuve and carried him a few feet and deposited him on his butt on the ground. The ball squirted out and rolled away.

By the time Altuve regained consciousness and stepped out of the six-foot divot the little guy was pounded into, the Rangers had tied the score 2-2, and would add another run moments later on a Nomar Mazara single.

Fielder would add his second-deck shot in the fourth, and Odor would cap the scoring in the eighth with a home run of his own.

When it was all said and done, the Astros lost three of four to the Rangers and left town playing the familiar role of patsy once again.

It’s good to have things back to normal.