Desmond's HR extends Rangers' dominance of Astros in 4-3 win
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Ian Desmond hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth inning and the Texas Rangers extended their dominance of Houston, beating the Astros 4-3 on Tuesday night for a season-high fifth straight win.
The Rangers are 8-0 this year against their AL West and instate rivals and have won 12 straight in Arlington against the Astros. The only longer Texas streak in Arlington against one team was a 15-game run against the New York Yankees from 1989-91.
Desmond's one-out drive was just over the glove of leaping center fielder Carlos Gomez and came off 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel (3-8). It tagged the bearded the left-hander with as many losses as he had all last season while winning 20 games.
Lefty reliever Jake Diekman (1-1) had a scoreless eighth after seven solid innings from Cole Hamels. Sam Dyson pitched out of a ninth-inning jam, eventually striking out the side for his eighth save.
Jurickson Profar, who played first base for the first time at any level simply to keep his hot bat in the lineup, had two more singles, including one before Desmond's homer.
The switch-hitting leadoff man has a hit in all 11 games, a career-best streak, since getting called up from Triple A-Round Rock to fill in for Rougned Odor during the second baseman's seven-game suspension for punching Toronto's Jose Bautista.
Out of the major leagues the past two seasons because of shoulder problems, Profar was the DH for two days to give struggling slugger Prince Fielder a break. He played second again before getting the start at first after just two days of pregame work at the position.
The middle infielder looked right at home, going spread eagle twice on stretches to get one double play and almost another. He handled nine chances without an error.
Gomez put Houston ahead with a two-run homer in the second off Hamels, who matched a season high with four walks and hit a batter but got help from three double plays, including one to escape a jam in the seventh. He had four strikeouts, leaving him two shy of 2,000.
Keuchel gave up 10 hits, including a tying solo homer from Bobby Wilson in the fifth, in 7 1/3 innings. He matched a season high with eight strikeouts.
TRAINER'S ROOM:
Astros: George Springer was the DH after manager A.J. Hinch decided to give him a night off in right field. Hinch said Springer was dealing with a mild illness, and also thought it was a chance to give Springer partial rest on a fairly warm night.
Rangers: RHP A.J. Griffin, out since May 7 with right shoulder stiffness, is scheduled for his first rehab assignment Thursday with Double-A Frisco at San Antonio. He's supposed to throw 45-50 pitches.
UP NEXT
Astros: RHP Doug Fister (5-3, 3.51 ERA) has Houston's longest winning streak at four games. He threw six shutout innings in a 12-2 win over Oakland in his last start.
Rangers: RHP Yu Darvish (2-0, 3.38 ERA) makes his third start since returning from last year's Tommy John surgery. His final appearance before the elbow reconstruction was against the Astros on Aug. 9, 2014.