MLB fans accuse Astros of cheating after team's walk-off win vs Rangers: "That was clearly out"

The Houston Astros drew first blood in the Lone Star series after edging the Texas Rangers at Minute Maid Park on Monday night. However, Kyle Tucker, who sealed the victory for Houston, has been accused by fans of cheating.

With the scores level at 9-9 in the ninth inning, Yainer Diaz registered a hit to right field, sending Tucker racing to home plate. He slid in and the umpire ruled him safe, sealing the Astros win.

However, fans on Twitter were left fuming after the close call, reckoning that Tucker never touched the plate and should have been ruled out.

The Astros' 10-9 victory in the series opener was their fifth win in their last six games. The dramatic finish reminded people of the frantic encounter earlier in the MLB season that ended 12-11 in Arlington.

The Texas Rangers, despite the loss, are at the summit of the AL West with the Astros in hot pursuit.

Houston Astros prevail in a hard-fought game against Texas Rangers

The Rangers' Josh Jung gave his side the lead after walloping a two-run homer at the top of the first inning.

It was his 20th home run of the season, making him only the sixth player in franchise history to hit 20 or more home runs in a rookie season.

Chas McCormick's two-run double helped Houston take the lead in the game. However, the Rangers' Josh Smith solidified his side's lead with the longest homer of his career at the top of the fourth inning.

The game seemed to have swung in favor of the Rangers in the top of the seventh inning after the visitors scored three.

However, the pendulum swung in the home side's favor after McCormick sent the crowd into a frenzy with a three-run homer. With the game level in the ninth inning, Yainer Diaz's single helped the hosts clinch the series opener.

The famed rivals will take on each other in the second installment of the derby on Tuesday, with Houston within two games of the first-place Rangers in the American League West standings.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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