Cody Bradford left the mound at Globe Life Field to a roaring ovation from the 34,583 fans, sealing his stellar performance against the Astros with a 10-2 win for the Rangers.
In a career-best outing, the Aledo, Texas native pitched 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball, a remarkable achievement considering he had never pitched into the sixth inning in his previous nine big league starts.
“It’s good to set the tone against the Astros,” Bradford remarked. “It means a lot. I grew up in the area, and there are a lot of emotions from my hometown and family. We want to beat the Astros just as much as everybody else does. It’s really special, and I feel honored to give the team so many innings tonight.”
In their ALCS rematch, the Rangers dominate the Astros thanks to Bradford’s genius
Bradford’s dominance was evident from the start, allowing just a leadoff single to Jose Altuve in the first inning. He didn’t allow another baserunner until the fifth, showcasing pinpoint accuracy and keeping the Astros’ lineup off balance.
Realizing he was in a groove around the third or fourth inning, Bradford highlighted a crucial at-bat against José Abreu in the fifth. With a runner on first and a 3-2 count, Bradford delivered an 85.5 mph slider, fooling Abreu for a crucial strikeout.
“We were just rolling after that,” Bradford explained.
The Astros managed to score in the eighth with a home run from Jake Meyers off Yerry Rodríguez, who relieved Bradford. However, by then, the Rangers’ offense had already provided ample support, scoring early and consistently throughout the game.
Corey Seager, Adolis García, and Marcus Semien all contributed with key hits, including home runs, while every batter in the starting lineup recorded at least one hit.
“The offense gave me confidence to trust my stuff,” Bradford noted. “It was a huge boost for me to go out there and attack the zone.”
At just 26 years and 43 days old, Bradford became the youngest Rangers pitcher since Martín Pérez in 2015 to pitch seven innings, allowing two hits and no walks.
Catcher Jonah Heim praised Bradford’s arsenal of pitches, especially highlighting the reintroduction of the curveball during Spring Training. Bradford’s curveball, once discarded after his Draft year in 2019, proved to be a game-changer, offering a different look for batters.
“He had all pitches working,” Heim commended. “We’re really happy with how his curveball progressed. It helps to slow the game down get batters off balance. It sure helps the 90 mph fastball play up.”
With Bradford’s stellar performance and the Rangers’ potent offense, they managed to break the Astros’ eight-game win streak at Globe Life Field, securing an impressive victory to open the four-game series.
