Rangers 4, Astros 3
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas playoff push received another boost as the Rangers returned to .500 with Tuesday night's 4-3 victory over Houston Astros at Globe Life Park.
The Rangers (53-53) won six of seven and three straight, including the first two of this three-game series against their Lone Star State rivals. Texas was last at breakeven on July 4.
Designated hitter Prince Fielder homered and starter Yovani Gallardo (8-9) picked up the win after not having one in July. Left fielder Josh Hamilton and second baseman Rougned Odor each had two hits and an RBI.
Houston (60-48) continues to lead the American League West despite dropping seven of 11 games against Texas this season. The Astros are 11-6 since the All-Star break.
The third game of the series, which also ends Texas' 10-game homestand, is Wednesday night.
Center fielder Carlos Gomez knocked in two runs for Houston, the second coming on his first homer of the season to lead off the sixth. The blast to left cut the Rangers' lead to 4-3, and Gallardo was pulled one batter later after walking shortstop Carlos Correa.
The Texas bullpen took over from there, going four innings and just two hits. Closer Shawn Tolleson picked up his 20th save after working an eventful ninth that saw the Astros get runners at the corners with no outs.
A sharp groundout to first followed by two strikeouts preserved the win.
The Astros got on the board in the second, taking advantage of a two-out walk by Gallardo. Right fielder Colby Rasmus worked the bases on balls, stole second and scored on third baseman Luis Valbuena's single to right.
Houston tacked another run up in the third. Second baseman Jose Altuve singled and came home on Gomez's drive into the left-center field gap that Hamilton couldn't run down.
Fielder cut Houston's lead in half in the fourth by hammering a solo shot off Astros starter Dan Straily. Fielder's 16th homer ricocheted off the second deck.
The Rangers took their first lead in the fifth, going up 4-2 and chasing Straily. Center fielder Delino DeShields' triple, and singles by Odor and Hamilton drove in the three runs.
NOTES: Texas optioned OF Leonys Martin to Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday and called up OF Ryan Strausborger from the same club. Strausborger, 27, was in uniform and was seeking to make his major league debut. ... Houston recalled RHP Dan Straily from Triple-A Fresno to start Tuesday night. RHP Lance McCullers was optioned to Double-A Corpus Christi. ... LHP Wandy Rodriguez was placed on unconditional release waivers by the Rangers. If he's not claimed, he becomes a free agent on Thursday. Rodriguez was designated for assignment on July 29. ... Texas has used 51 players this season, which is the most in the American League and trails only Atlanta (52) in baseball.