ARLINGTON, Texas _ The Rangers continued their mastery of the Astros with a 7-2 win Saturday afternoon at Globe Life Park. Texas increased its lead in the American League West over Houston to 10{ games. The only time the Rangers had a larger lead was 11 on Sept. 30, 2010. The Rangers have won 13 of 15 games against the Astros in 2016 and 26-8 since the start of 2015.
Rangers starter Derek Holland allowed two runs on six hits and three walks over six innings. It's the third consecutive start Holland has gone six innings since returning from the disabled list. The Astros scored a run in the second after Carlos Correa led off with a single and scored on Teoscar Hernandez's single. In the sixth, Evan Gattis' two-out solo homer pulled the Astros to within 5-2.
Keone Kela started the seventh and had to work out of a bases-loaded jam after a one-out walk, double and single by Jose Altuve which Kela stopped and nearly caught with his bare hand. Instead, the bases were loaded before induced Correa into an inning-ending 6-3 double play. The Astros added two runs in the ninth to make it 12-4.
Adrian Beltre's solo homer tied it at 1-1 in the second against Astros' starter Joe Musgrove. Moreland's two-run, two-out single scored Carlos Beltran and Beltre to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead in the fourth. Texas made it 5-1 with two runs in the fifth. Robinson Chirinos doubled before Nomar Mazara homered off Musgrove, who left later in the inning after 41/3 innings. He was charged with five runs on eight hits and two walks. In the seventh, Mazara walked and scored on Beltran's bloop single to left. Ian Desmond doubled and scored on a double steal with Rougne Odor to make it 7-2.
The Rangers scored five more in the eighth on five hits, including run-scoring doubles by Beltran and Odor. Beltre and Chirinos each had three hits. Five Rangers had two RBIs.
