Odor's double gives Rangers a win over Astros

[June 07, 2016]  ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rougned Odor said he felt a little different in his role Monday as the Texas Rangers' designated hitter.

When all was said and done, he felt great.

Odor's walk-off double scored Adrian Beltre from first base in the ninth inning, giving the Rangers a 6-5 victory over the Houston Astros.

Odor, the team's usual second baseman, was 2-for-4 with three RBIs, including a third-inning home run and a game-tying sacrifice fly in the seventh. Ian Desmond and Prince Fielder each had run-scoring hits for Texas.

Right-hander Sam Dyson (1-1) earned the victory, pitching a scoreless ninth for the Rangers, who extended their winning streak to seven games over Houston this season. Texas has won 11 consecutive over Houston at Globe Life Park, dating to 2015.

"I'm just trying to put the ball in play and drive the run in," said Odor, who has hits in all three games since returning from a seven-game suspension assessed for his part in the brawl with Toronto's Jose Bautista. "I knew it was going to hit the ball, and I knew Beltre runs pretty good. I knew he was going to score."

Houston right-hander Ken Giles (0-3) gave up one run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning.

In the Rangers' ninth, Nomar Mazara reached base with a one-out base hit. He was forced out at second on a grounder to short by Beltre, who beat out the relay to first when shortstop Carlos Correa had trouble getting the ball out of his glove. That allowed Odor, batting out of the five hole, to come up.

The Rangers, whose 35-22 record is the best mark in the AL, are 10-2 in their past 12 games.

Jurickson Profar -- the Rangers second baseman on Monday -- extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a leadoff triple that sparked a three-run first. Mazara went 4-for-4, his first career four-hit game, and also reached by hit-by-pitch. Fielder, who sat out the previous two games while mired in a season-long slump, had multiple hits game for the first time since May 11.

"If he picks it clean, that's a double-play ball, but for Adrian to continue to grind it out, that's how much these guys want to win," Texas manager Jeff Banister said. "That's what they pour into it every single night."

Houston's Jose Altuve was 3-for-5 with a three-run home run that erased Texas' early lead. Luis Valbuena and Jason Castro each had two hits for the Astros.

Both teams had missed opportunities, each going 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Houston left eight on base, while Texas left nine. The Rangers committed three errors, and the game featured three wild pitches.

"I should have turned a double play in the last inning," Correa said. "It has to be a double-play ball. It got caught in my glove a little bit. We played sloppy. A couple situations, situational hitting, we missed. A couple ground balls we didn't get to the base, stuff like that.

"We should have won that game."

Both starters took no-decisions.

Houston's Mike Fiers gave up four runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out two over 5 1/3 innings.

Texas' Colby Lewis, vying for his sixth victory against no defeats, worked six innings, giving up four runs -- three earned -- on eight hits and two walks. He struck out four.

Texas starters are 7-0 in the team's last nine games with a 2.96 ERA during that span.

"I used my power," Giles said of the pitch to Odor. "He hit something out of the zone. Nothing I could do about it."

Texas scored three times on four hits and an error and wild pitch in the first. Profar started the rally with a leadoff triple.

Desmond, who scored the Rangers' second run on Fiers' wild pitch, and Fielder had RBI singles.

In the third, Lewis committed an error on a throw to second base, where he was trying to catch the lead runner. That put runners on first and second with no outs and Altuve coming to the plate.

The diminutive Astros second baseman drove a 1-0 pitch into the right-field stands to tie the game at 3-all.

Odor's solo home run in the fourth was his eighth of the season, giving Texas another lead, not a bad season debut as the designated hitter.

"I just do what Bany asks me to do," said Odor of his manager, Banister. "I just want to help my team win. It was a little different, but it's all right."

NOTES: Astros RHP Luke Gregerson has lost his spot as the team's closer, manager A.J. Hinch said before the game. Gregerson blew his second consecutive save chance -- and fifth of the season -- Saturday. Houston will go to committee in the late innings. ... Texas regular 1B Mitch Moreland, hitting .089 in his last 16 games, was not in the lineup. Prince Fielder, who sat out the previous two games while hitting .187, was at first base. The game marked Fielder's third appearance in the field this season. ... Texas RHP A.J. Griffin (shoulder) threw 25 pitches in a bullpen session on Monday. He will be evaluated on Tuesday and could go out on a rehabilitation assignment by the end of the week. ... Texas OF Shin-Soo Choo (left hamstring) went 1-for-4 in a rehab game with Double-A Frisco on Sunday. C Robinson Chirinos went 1-for-4 and threw out a runner in his first game with Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday.

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