ARLINGTON, Texas _ The Rangers blew open a tie game with six hits, including three home runs, in the fourth inning and beat the Astros 10-8 Friday night at Globe Life Park. Texas increased its lead on Houston to 9{ games.
A.J. Griffin allowed two runs in the first but settled down and left after 52/3 innings leading, 10-3. The Astros scored on an Alex Bregman home run and sacrifice fly in the first and Jason Castro's solo homer in the fifth. Griffin allowed three runs on three hits and three walks and struck out five. He improved to 7-3 with the win. Alex Claudio took over with one runner on to get the final out in the sixth.
In the seventh, Houston made it 10-5 on Bregman's two-run triple against Tony Barnette, who replaced Claudio with one out in the inning. Bregman scored on Nomar Mazara's error on Jose Altuve's fly ball. Rangers reliever Matt Bush replaced Barnette with the score 10-6, Altuve on second and two outs. Bush got Carlos Correa to line out to left to end the inning. In the eighth, Jake Diekman replaced Bush and walked his first batter before surrendering a two-run double to pinch-hitter Tyler White to pull the Astros to within 10-8.
Keone Kela took over for Diekman and forced a pop out in right field that second baseman Rougned Odor made a circus catch on to end the inning. Sam Dyson worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 31st save.
In the second, Rangers catcher Jonathan Lucroy singled and Carlos Gomez doubled before both scored on a throwing error That tied the score at 2-2. The Rangers scored seven times in the fourth to chase Astros' starter Doug Fister.
Fister was charged with eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits and a walk. The Rangers batted around in the inning as Mitch Moreland, Gomez and Andrus started it with two singles and a double. Moreland scored on Mazara's sacrifice fly before Carlos Beltran's two-run homer. After Adrian Beltre worked an 11-pitch walk, Rougned Odor homered. Lucroy followed with a solo homer to make it 9-2. Texas added a run in the sixth to make it 10-3. Michael Feliz walked three in the inning, including Beltran with the bases loaded.
