Rangers 7, Astros 5
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and then hung on to outslug the Houston Astros 7-5 in the season opener for the American League West rivals.
Prince Fielder's two-run homer in the bottom of the first off Scott Feldman (0-2) gave the Rangers a lead they would never lose, but Houston made things interesting.
Texas led 6-2 going into the seventh before the Astros got back-to-back homers from Jose Altuve and George Spring to cut the Texas lead in half. Houston got the tying run to the plate in that inning, but Jake Diekman struck out Tyler White to end the seventh.
The Rangers got one of the runs back in the bottom of the seventh on a solo homer from Mitch Moreland, the fourth homer of the game. Sam Dyson then retired the Astros in order in the eighth. Shawn Tolleson worked around Altuve's RBI grounder for his fourth save.
The 12 hits the Rangers had helped make a winner of left-hander Derek Holland (2-0), who allowed two runs and five hits in five innings of work as the Astros made him throw 105 pitches. Feldman was also gone after five, getting tagged for four runs on six hits.
The Rangers got a run-scoring single from Ian Desmond, his first RBI with Texas, to push the first-inning lead to 3-0. Houston came back with two runs in the top of the second as it opened the inning with three-straight doubles, with Carlos Gomez and Marwin Gonzalez driving in runs with theirs.
Moreland, Desmond, Rougned Odor and Elvis Andrus each had two hits for Texas. Springer's homer was part of a two-hit night for him.
Fielder sparked a three-run first for the Rangers against Feldman, ripping a two-run homer to right. Ian Desmond also collected an RBI in the inning as Texas made Feldman throw 41 pitches in the first.
Houston came back to make it a 3-2 game in the second on RBI doubles from Carlos Gomez and Marwin Gonzalez.
Texas pushed the lead to 4-2 in the third on a run-scoring single from Rougned Odor.
Holland lasted just five innings, throwing 105 pitches and allowing two runs while striking out five.
NOTES: Texas C Chris Gimenez, on the disabled list all season due to a lower left leg infection, expects to head to Arizona for extending spring training games on Friday and begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Frisco on Monday. ... Texas OF Nomar Mazara produced 12 hits in his first seven games. The only player with more in Texas/Washington history is Del Unser, who had 13 with the Senators in 1968. ... Houston RHP Lance McCullers, sidelined all season with right shoulder issues, threw a bullpen Tuesday in Arlington and is slated to throw another one on Friday. He was scratched from a rehab start last weekend because of recovery issues from a prior rehab start. ... Houston continues to work with Evan Gattis at catcher. He hasn't caught in a game since he was with the Atlanta Braves in 2014.