Lucroy hits 2 HRs, Beltran has 3 hits; Rangers beat Astros

HOUSTON (AP) — Jonathan Lucroy hit two homers, Carlos Beltran had a tiebreaking single and three hits and the Texas Rangers beat the Houston Astros 3-2 on Saturday night.

The Rangers improved to 10-2 against the Astros this season and pulled 6 1/2 games ahead of Houston in the AL West.

Beltran singled to left off Chris Devenski (0-3) in the seventh to score Shin-Soo Choo and make it 2-1. Beltran left after the inning with a left quad contusion.

Lucroy got his second home run in the eighth off Tony Sipp for his seventh career multihomer game and first this season. Beltran and Lucroy were acquired before the trade deadline by the Rangers, and Lucroy hit his first homer with Texas in a 5-3 win Thursday.

Keone Kela (2-1) pitched a perfect sixth inning for the win. Sam Dyson ran into trouble in the ninth, giving up an RBI single to Alex Bregman, but induced a game-ending groundout from Marwin Gonzalez to get his 24th save.

Lucas Harrell gave up one run and walked five in 3 2/3 innings, matching his shortest outing of the season. The run came in the first inning when Preston Tucker walked with the bases loaded.

Jose Altuve was ejected in the seventh for arguing with plate umpire Alan Porter. This is the first time Altuve has been ejected in his career.

Doug Fister gave up one run on nine hits, walked two and struck out two in six innings. Fister has allowed three runs or fewer in 18 of his 22 starts.

Bregman got the first three-hit game of his career with two singles and a double and got his first RBI. Bregman is 5 for 43 since making his debut.

1986 ASTROS HONORED

Houston commemorated the 30th anniversary of the 1986 NL West division champion team, including Nolan Ryan, Jose Cruz, Phil Garner and Alan Ashby. The Astros wore their rainbow pullover jerseys that the 1986 team wore.

The 1986 NL Cy Young Award winner Mike Scott threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Dallas Keuchel.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rangers: LHP Derek Holland (left shoulder inflammation) gave no indication of soreness, tightness or feeling bad following his first rehab assignment start with Triple-A Round Rock on Friday, manager Jeff Bannister said.

UP NEXT

Rangers: RHP Yu Darvish (2-3, 3.29 ERA) starts against Houston on Sunday. Darvish is 0-4 since the All-Star break despite posting a 3.57 ERA in that span.

Astros: RHP Joe Musgrove (0-0) makes his first major league start on Sunday against Texas. Musgrove struck out eight batters in 4 1/3 shutout innings of relief in his debut on Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays.