Framber Valdez threw seven solid innings while Yordan Alvarez and Carlos Correa each homered, as the visiting Houston Astros earned their fourth straight victory, 5-2 over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night at Arlington, Texas.
Valdez (9-4) allowed two runs on three hits, with one walk and seven strikeouts. Martin Maldonado had two RBIs. Alvarez, Kyle Tucker and Jake Meyers each recorded two hits for AL West-leading Houston, which won for the seventh time in nine games.
Rookie Adolis Garcia clubbed his 28th homer for one of his two hits. Kolby Allard (3-11) allowed all five runs and eight hits over six innings as Texas dropped its fourth in a row and 18th in 23 games overall.
The Rangers have also lost five straight at home.
Alvarez put the Astros on the board by leading off the second inning with his 27th homer of the season. One out later, Alex Bregman walked and Tucker singled to put runners at first and second. With two outs, Maldonado delivered a single that scored both runners after they had advanced on a groundout, putting Houston up 3-0.
In the third, Correa added to Allard's early-game misery with a solo smash into the left-field seats for his 20th of the season. Correa is the fourth Astros player with at least 20 home runs in 2021.
Texas got its first run in the fourth on Nick Solak's fielder's choice, when he beat the throw to first base to keep from hitting into a double play. However, Houston got that run back in the sixth on Jose Altuve's infield single to make it 5-1.
Garcia went deep with the bases empty in the bottom of the sixth inning -- his fifth home run in 13 games against Houston this season.
Ryan Pressly picked up his 21st save for the Astros, who are 11-3 against the Rangers this season.
Andy Ibanez, whose 11-game hitting streak for the Rangers ended Saturday, exited after six innings with an apparent injury.
--Field Level Media