HOUSTON (AP) — Corey Seager scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the seventh and the Texas Rangers snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the AL West-leading Houston Astros on Tuesday night.
Houston’s Framber Valdez threw his 23rd straight quality start for Houston. Valdez (14-5) saw his six-game winning streak end. The left-hander surrendered four runs, two earned, on six hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out 11 and walked four.
The four runs were the most allowed by Valdez since giving up four, including two earned, on June 11 against the Marlins.
Valdez’s quality starts streak is the longest in the majors this season and longest since Jacob deGrom made 26 straight quality starts from May 18, 2018 to April 3, 2019.
Texas regained the lead in the seventh when Seager, who had reached on an error, scored on a Valdez wild pitch with two outs.
Taylor Hearn (6-7) pitched two shutout innings for the win. Jose Leclerc pitched around a walk in the ninth for his third save.
Yuli Gurriel had an RBI groundout in the second, Jose Altuve hit a solo home run to right in the third and Chas McCormick had an RBI groundout in the fourth to tie it at 3. The Astros were 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position and committed three errors.
The Rangers got to Valdez with three runs in the second. Ezequiel Duran hit a two-run double, and Sam Huff followed with a single, with Duran scoring on an errant throw to first by Altuve.
Texas starter Glenn Otto yielded three runs. two earned, on five hits with five strikeouts in four innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: RHP Jon Gray (left oblique strain) plans to throw prior to the game on Wednesday in Houston. … RHP Joe Barlow (right index finger blister) is scheduled to throw off the mound Wednesday for the first time since going on the injured list on Aug. 19. … RHP Spencer Howard (right shoulder impingement) is scheduled for a rehabilitation start on Sunday with Triple-A Round Rock. … OF Eli White (right wrist fracture) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment on Wednesday in Round Rock. … INF Brad Miller was out of the lineup for a sixth straight game due to right hip discomfort.
Astros: Manager Dusty Baker said closer Ryan Pressly (neck) did not come off the injured list as expected because “he was still feeling some soreness.” Pressly originally went on the IL on Aug. 25.
UP NEXT
LHP Cole Ragans (0-2, 4.42 ERA) is expected to come off the 15-day injured list on Wednesday and start for the Rangers opposite RHP Cristian Javier (8-9, 3.07 ERA) for the Astros in the finale of the three-game series.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
