Beltran, Odor, Lucroy power Rangers past Astro
ARLINGTON, Texas – Carlos Beltran, Rougned Odor and Jonathan Lucroy homered during a seven-run fourth inning as the Texas Rangers hung on for a 10-8 win over Houston.
The win assured the first-place Rangers a .500 season with their 81st win and increased their American League West lead over the Astros to nine games.
The game was tied at 2 before Texas sent 12 batters to the plate against Houston starter Doug Fister (12-10) and reliever Michael Feliz in the fourth.
A double by Elvis Andrus gave Texas the lead for good at 3-2 but it was far from done. Beltran pushed the lead to 5-2 with a two-run homer and two batters later second baseman Odor ended Fister's night with a two-run homer of his own. Feliz came on and was greeted by a solo shot by Lucroy, which extended the Texas lead to 9-2.
Right-hander A.J. Griffin (7-3) was the beneficiary of the offense. He gave up three runs on three hits in 5 2/3 innings. Fister was tagged for eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings.
Texas led 10-3 before the Astros scored five straight.
Houston closed the gap with three runs in the seventh on a two-run triple from Alex Bregman and an error.
Bregman finished with three RBI and two of the six Houston hits. Pinch hitter Tyler White cut the lead to two with a two-run double to left center in the eighth inning. Texas right-hander Keone Kela got Bregman to pop up to end that threat as the tying run. Sam Dyson closed out the Astros for his 31st save with a perfect ninth.
Bregman helped give the Astros an early 2-0 lead in the first with a homer. He had two of seven Houston hits and three RBI.
Texas had 13 hits, with Odor, Lucroy, Mitch Moreland, Elvis Andrus and Carlos Gomez each collecting two. Beltran had three RBI and Andrus two.
NOTES: The Rangers are donating proceeds from their 50/50 raffle Sunday to the Red Cross to aid in Louisiana flood relief. The Astros are doing the same Sept. 12. ... The Astros called up RHP Jandel Gustave, RHP James Hoyt and 1B Tyler White from Triple-A Fresno and added RHP Brady Rodgers to their roster. ... Wednesday's grand-slam cycle for the Rangers (solo, two-run homer, three-run homer, grand slam) marked the first time Texas had done that in a game since Aug. 1, 2002. ... Friday's game marked the first of 13 straight for the Astros against teams currently in first place in the division (Texas, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland). ... Texas bench coach Steve Buechele has been excused from Sunday's game. His son Shane could be the starter at quarterback for Texas when it plays Notre Dame in Austin.