Rangers regroup after blowing lead for 11-inning win
HOUSTON -- Ian Desmond and Rougned Odor produced run-scoring hits in the top of the 11th inning and the Texas Rangers recovered from a ninth-inning collapse to beat the Houston Astros 5-3 on Sunday and take the rubber match of the three-game series at Minute Maid Park.
The Rangers (65-47) extended their lead in the American League West to 7 1/2 games over the Astros (57-54) by tagging Chris Devenski (0-4) for a second consecutive game with Shin-Soo Choo opening the 11th with a double to right field before Desmond laced an RBI single to left.
Three batters later, Odor doubled off the right-field wall to score Desmond and chase Devenski. Right-hander Matt Bush (5-2) worked the final two innings for Texas, striking out George Springer with runners on the corners to complete the series win.
Charged with protecting a 3-2 lead in the ninth, Rangers closer Sam Dyson issued a one-out walk to A.J. Reed, who was promptly lifted for pinch-runner Carlos Gomez. After a sacrifice bunt by Jake Marisnick, Tony Kemp lined an RBI single to center field. Kemp was recalled from Triple-A Fresno on Sunday and arrived at the ballpark after a dentist visit.
Making his eighth start of the season and fifth since returning from the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder discomfort, Texas starter Yu Darvish allowed five hits and struck out eight in seven innings. He allowed just one extra-base hit -- a two-out double to Carlos Correa in the fourth -- and faced three batters with runners in scoring position.
When Darvish encountered trouble, he worked his way clear, striking out Evan Gattis to close the fourth and inducing harmless grounders by third baseman Adrian Beltre to cap the sixth and seventh.
Darvish didn't have much wiggle room. Astros right-hander Joe Musgrove, making his first career start, pitched exceptionally well, working seven innings while allowing five hits and getting six strikeouts. Per his reputation of pinpoint control in the minors, he did not issue a walk.
Musgrove did allow a run-scoring double to Rangers catcher Jonathan Lucroy in the fifth, a sharp hit to left that came with no outs and Odor in motion from first base. Odor scored to supply the Rangers a 1-0 lead.
Musgrove stopped the bleeding there and returned in the sixth to strike out the side.
The eighth proved pivotal, with the Rangers scoring twice against All-Star right-hander Will Harris, only for the Astros to follow suit by scratching across two runs in the bottom half the inning.
Harris issued a walk and hit a batter before giving way to Ken Giles with one out. Rangers shortstop Jurickson Profar followed with a two-run double to right that scored Choo and Desmond and bumped the lead to 3-0. Harris was charged with both runs.
The Astros strung together three hits in the eighth, with Alex Bregman delivering an RBI double that scored the pinch-hitting Kemp and Jose Altuve after a single that scored Bregman. Rangers right-hander Jeremy Jeffress recovered to strike out Gattis to snuff the threat.
NOTES: The Astros placed OF Colby Rasmus on the 15-day disabled list with a cyst in his right ear. He will not make the upcoming road trip through Minnesota and Toronto. Rasmus has been in a prolonged slump. His last multi-hit game came June 28 against the Los Angeles Angels. He is batting .057 with two home runs and nine RBIs in 20 games since July 1. ... The Rangers held DH/OF Carlos Beltran out of the lineup as a precaution after he suffered a left quad contusion sliding into home plate in the seventh inning on Saturday night. Beltran is batting .350 with one home run and three RBIs in five games since being acquired from the New York Yankees at Monday's non-waiver deadline ... Astros manager A.J. Hinch was hamstrung by a short bench in the series finale as 1B Tyler White (left knee), UTL Marwin Gonzalez (personal) and OF Carlos Gomez (illness) were unavailable. Astros OF Tony Kemp was recalled from Triple-A Fresno but required a trip to the dentist before arriving at Minute Maid Park.