Texas 3 at Houston 2 - Recap

HOUSTON -- Elvis Andrus delivered a game-tying, two-out triple in the ninth inning and Jurickson Profar followed with an RBI single to lift the Texas Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park.

The Rangers (87-59) rallied against Astros closer Ken Giles (2-4), whose strikeout of Rougned Odor proved decisive when Odor reached on a wild pitch. Odor followed by stealing second base and scored when Andrus drilled a 1-0 fastball to straightaway center field and over the head of the retreating Jake Marisnick.

Profar followed with a sharp single to left field on the next pitch, scoring Andrus and capping the improbable rally. Giles had converted nine consecutive saves and pitched two scoreless innings on Monday night in Texas' 4-3 victory.

Astros catcher Jason Castro socked a leadoff home run in the sixth inning off Rangers right-hander A.J. Griffin. Castro belted the first pitch of the inning into the right-field seats, his 11th home run providing the Astros (75-70) a 2-1 lead over Griffin, who excelled in seven strong innings of work.

Griffin allowed four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts. But two of those hits were solo home runs, including one by Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, who finished 3-for-3 for his first three-hit game since Aug. 19 in Baltimore.

Texas, stymied for five innings by the Astros bullpen on Monday night, met a similar fate after Houston starter Brad Peacock departed after six innings before rallying against Giles.

Will Harris and Luke Gregerson worked a scoreless inning apiece, with Gregerson facing the top of the Rangers order in the eighth and striking out the side. Alex Claudio (4-1) earned the win in relief for Texas while right-hander Tanner Scheppers notched his first save with a perfect ninth inning.

Peacock exceeded all expectations while making just his second start for the Astros. He disarmed the Rangers throughout his six innings, yielding a leadoff homer to designated hitter Adrian Beltre in the second plus four more baserunners.

Rougned Odor and Carlos Gomez recorded doubles off Peacock in the second and third innings and both times he escaped further damage, retiring three consecutive batters after Odor reached base before working around a one-out walk to Carlos Beltran with Gomez in scoring position. Beltran was the last batter to reach against Peacock, who retired the final 10 Rangers he faced to conclude his stellar outing.

Griffin was equal to the task, surrendering just an Altuve single through three innings. But Altuve struck again in his second plate appearance, drilling his 24th home run to pull the Astros even at 1-1 in the fourth inning. Griffin recovered to retire the final two batters of that frame and then faced the minimum thanks to an inning-ending double play in the fifth before the Astros moved ahead.

NOTES: With each passing day it appears increasingly unlikely that Astros OF Preston Tucker will return before the end of the regular season. Tucker remains on a rehab schedule for the right shoulder sprain that resulted in his being placed on the 15-day disabled list on Aug. 12. ... A timetable has not been set on the return of Rangers RHP Tony Barnette (oblique strain) but his condition has improved. Barnette last pitched for the Rangers on Sept. 4, recording four strikeouts over two innings against the Astros in Arlington. ... Astros LHP Dallas Keuchel expressed optimism that he would begin a throwing program on Wednesday but Houston manager A.J. Hinch was more dubious. Keuchel remains sidelined by left shoulder inflammation.