ARLINGTON — Of the first 37 batters that came to the plate Thursday afternoon at Globe Life Field, only one reached base. That’s because Astros starter Justin Verlander and Rangers starter Martín Pérez were locked in the kind of scintillating pitchers’ duel you don’t see much these days.
Pérez retired the first 18 batters he faced, taking a perfect game into the seventh inning before a Chas McCormick leadoff double, and Verlander pretty much matched him by giving up one single through seven dominant innings. Baserunners were at a premium and something had to give.
Enter Kyle Tucker, the surging outfielder who came off the bench and blasted a two-run, pinch-hit home run to right field in the eighth inning off reliever Matt Bush to break a tie and send the Astros to their third consecutive win, 3-2, over the Rangers in the series finale.
“Throughout the game, I was stretching and trying to make sure I’m prepared if I ever have to go in the game,” said Tucker, who was out of the lineup Thursday for the first time this season. “I’d go in the batting cage and hit and get warmed up, just in case the opportunity arises and you’re good to go.”
The homer — the second in three games for Tucker — snapped a 1-1 tie and made a winner out of Verlander, who gave up one run on four hits and struck out eight batters in seven innings for career win No. 228. No active pitcher has won more games.
“You always root for runs and all of a sudden you realize,…