Texas 4 at Houston 3 - Recap

HOUSTON -- Rougned Odor homered leading off the 12th inning, and the Texas Rangers squeezed out a 4-3 win over the Houston Astros on Monday night at Minute Maid Park.

Odor launched his 31st home run off Astros right-hander James Hoyt (1-1) to help the Rangers (86-59) extend their lead over the Astros (75-69) in the American League West to 10 1/2 games.

Four Astros relievers had kept the Rangers hitless for five innings before Odor snapped that string with his 375-foot blast to right field.

Right-hander Keone Kela (5-1) earned the win with two scoreless innings of relief for Texas. Left-hander Jake Diekman recorded his fourth save with a perfect 12th.

Astros designated hitter Evan Gattis blasted a one-out solo home run off Rangers closer Sam Dyson in the ninth inning to pull the Astros even at 3-3. Gattis' 26th homer represented a positive turn for Houston after a frustrating seventh inning.

Rangers left-hander Martin Perez allowed just two hits and two walks before surrendering consecutive baserunners to open the seventh with Texas leading 3-1. Astros left fielder Marwin Gonzalez reached on a fielder's choice, and pinch hitter Colby Rasmus worked a walk.

Gonzalez scored when pinch hitter Tony Kemp delivered a double that bounced out of play in right field, a result that represented the Astros' ongoing bad luck in the series between the rivals. Kemp's hit off Texas right-hander Matt Bush would have scored two had had the ball remained in play.

Bush then struck out Astros right fielder George Springer with a 100 mph fastball to strand both Rasmus and Kemp.

Perez allowed two runs on three hits and three walks with six strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings. He got the best of his matchup with Astros right-hander Doug Fister, whose short outing was salvaged by the handiwork of the Houston bullpen.

Fister found trouble with his first batter, walking Carlos Gomez on five pitches to set the stage for a laborious first inning.

The first five batters reached base for the Rangers, with Fister benefiting from a baserunning gaffe by Ian Desmond that resulted in the first out of the inning. However, Carlos Beltran and Odor delivered run-scoring hits, with Odor dropping an RBI double just inside the right field line for a 2-0 Texas lead.

Fister retired the side in order in the second and induced double plays in the fourth and fifth to sidestep leadoff baserunners in each inning. In the third, Odor struck again with an RBI single that scored Desmond and extended the lead to 3-0.

Fister allowed six hits, three runs and three walks while striking out three over five innings. Considering all the traffic on the basepaths, a two-run deficit amounted to a minor miracle, one made possible when Astros left fielder Gonzalez lined a two-out single to center field that scored Carlos Correa in the second inning.

NOTES: Astros LHP Dallas Keuchel (left shoulder inflammation) did not begin a throwing program as originally hoped on Monday. He has missed three turns in the rotation since last pitching on Aug. 27. ... Rangers LF Carlos Gomez made his third consecutive start batting atop the order. Gomez went 3-for-8 with two home runs and three RBIs hitting leadoff against the Angels over the weekend. ... Houston's Evan Gattis set a franchise record for home runs by a catcher when he hit his 17th on Sunday night against the Cubs. Gattis, who entered Monday with 25 homers overall, surpassed the mark of 16 home runs set by John Bateman in 1966 and matched by Jason Castro in 2013. ... The decision to move Rangers LHP Derek Holland to the bullpen might be temporary. Holland, whose 18 appearances this season have been starts, was bumped from the rotation when RHP Colby Lewis was reinstated from the disabled list on Sunday.