Rangers beat Tigers, extend winning streak to 10

DETROIT — Mike Napoli and Joey Gallo hit home runs, giving the Texas Rangers enough offense to help them hold on for a 5-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night, their 10th consecutive victory.

Nick Martinez (1-2) gave up 1 unearned run and 4 hits over 5 innings, ending an 11-start winless streak that dated to Aug. 5, 2015. Matt Bush earned his fifth save in six chances, but it didn’t come easy. He struck out Alex Avila with runners on the corners and two outs after shortstop Elvis Andrus’ throwing error allowed the Tigers to pull within two runs.

Daniel Norris (2-3) allowed 5 runs and 7 hits while striking out 8 over 52/3 innings. He has won only one of his last six starts.

Even though the Rangers have baseball’s longest winning streak of the season, they haven’t made up much ground behind the AL West-leading Houston Astros. Texas Manager Jeff Banister insisted he doesn’t pay much attention to the standings because it is too early in the season.

Norris had a rough night and Texas took advantage.

He hit Shin-Soo Choo to load the bases in the third and walked Andrus to force a run home in the two-run inning.

Norris fell behind Napoli in the fourth and he sent a 2-0 pitch over the wall in left field for his ninth home run. Norris also threw two balls without a strike against Gallo before he sent a line drive deep into the seats in right field for a two-run shot that put the Rangers up 5-2 in the sixth inning.

Detroit, without Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez, struggled at the plate with only one run in the fourth, sixth and ninth innings.

A single by Andrew Romine and a sacrifice fly from James McCann (Arkansas Razorbacks) scored the first two runs and the third came on J.D. Martinez’s infield single and Andrus’ wide throw.

RAYS 5, YANKEES 4 Evan Longoria got four hits, including a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning that sent host Tampa Bay over New York.

ORIOLES 5, BLUE JAYS 3 (10) Welington Castillo hit a pair of home runs, including a go-ahead two-run shot in the 10th inning, and Baltimore beat visiting Toronto.

INDIANS 5, ASTROS 3 Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run home run and Jason Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall had solo shots to help Cleveland to a victory over host Houston.

TWINS 4, ROYALS 3 (10) Pinch hitter Kennys Vargas launched a tying, two-run home run in the ninth inning and Jorge Polanco hit a sacrifice fly in the 10th, lifting Minnesota over visiting Kansas City. NATIONAL LEAGUE BREWERS 6, CUBS 3 Jett Bandy and Domingo Santana hit two-run singles, helping surging

Milwaukee to a rain-interrupted victory over host Chicago. Wily Peralta (5-2) struck out five over two scoreless innings after a shaky start by Paolo Espino in his major league debut. PHILLIES 7, PIRATES 2 Jeremy Hellickson allowed just two hits over six innings before leaving with an injury and visiting Philadelphia pulled away from Pittsburgh.

ROCKIES 12, REDS 6 Alexi Amarista hit a three-run home run and a run-scoring single during Colorado’s eight-run rally, and the visiting Rockies extended the best start in their history with a victory over slumping Cincinnati. BRAVES 7, NATIONALS 4 Nick Markakis hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning and Kurt Suzuki added a two-run home run to give host Atlanta a victory over Washington. GIANTS 6, CARDINALS 5 Eduardo Nunez doubled in two runs in the ninth inning and visiting San Francisco rallied to defeat St. Louis. INTERLEAGUE

METS 3, ANGELS 0 Jacob deGrom dominated until dealing with discomfort in his throwing hand in the seventh, then escaped a no-out, bases-loaded jam that inning to help New York beat Los Angeles and snap a seven-game losing streak.