Astros top Rangers 5-1 in last game before return to Houston
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — After a difficult three-game "home" series in front of sparse crowds 1,000 miles from their ballpark, the Houston Astros are heading back to their flood-ravaged city. And they're putting their inconvenience in perspective.
Jose Altuve homered, the Houston bullpen pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings and the Astros beat the Texas Rangers 5-1 on Thursday in the last game before they return to Houston.
Josh Reddick added an RBI single for the AL West-leading Astros, who avoided a threegame sweep at the hands of their instate rivals at Tropicana Field, where the series was relocated because of Hurricane Harvey.
"It's been a tough week," Astros pitcher Collin McHugh said. "Obviously, we're really fortunate in so many ways, to have been able to escape the devastation that's actually happened in Houston. We've been away for a while, and we're all ready to get back home."
Houston will have a previously unscheduled day off Friday and play a doubleheader Saturday against the Mets at Minute Maid Park. The downtown Houston stadium escaped major flood damage. Astros president Reid Ryan has said he hopes the weekend games "can serve as a welcome distraction" for the city.
For the Rangers, it was their first loss all year at the Tampa Bay Rays' home park. They swept the Rays in a three-game series in June.
Chris Devenski (7-3) worked 2 1/3 innings in relief of McHugh to get the win. Ken Giles pitched the final two innings for his 27th save in 30 opportunities.
Devenski plans to spend part of the day off helping out wherever he can.
"It's been tough on me because, in all reality, we should be there," Devenski said. "We should have been there from the start of this."
McHugh allowed one unearned run, but bench coach Alex Cora pulled him one out short of a potential victory. Cora was managing in place of A.J. Hinch, who was ejected by second-base umpire Joe West for arguing a catcher's interference call in the first.
McHugh allowed four hits, walked two, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch in 4 2/3 innings.
"It's a big win for us. I thought the bullpen was exceptional. I got to watch it on TV," Hinch said. "We haven't been playing our best in this series, and now we get on a plane and get to go home. It's the best news of the day."
Altuve's home run, his 21st, came off Nick Martinez (3-6) in the first. Reddick put the Astros ahead with an RBI single in the fourth.
Martinez allowed two runs in five innings and struck out six.
Alex Bregman had an RBI single in the eighth, and Derek Fisher, who entered the game as a pinch runner, followed with a two-out, two-run single in his only at-bat.
Nomar Mazara drove in the Rangers' only run
with a fielder's choice in the first. Texas is four games back of Minnesota for the second AL wild card.
"Very challenging road trip for us. But to take two of three against these guys is a plus to get us back to a .500 road trip," manager Jeff Banister said. "Now we go home, play three games against Anaheim and see if we can't gain a little ground."
TWINS 5, WHITE SOX 4 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Max Kepler was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Twins rallied to beat the White Sox for their fourth straight win.
Trailing 4-3 entering their final at-bat at Target Field, the Twins came back and held their slim lead for the second AL wild-card spot.
The Twins completed a three-game sweep with their first hop-off win since current Minnesota manager Paul Molitor was plunked in the 10th at the Metrodome in 1996 to beat Kansas City.
Pinch-hitter Ehire Adrianza opened the ninth with an infield single off closer Juan Minaya (2-2). After a one-out walk, Eddie Rosario hit a tying single. Joe Mauer then walked to load the bases and Jorge Polanco lined back to Minaya.
With the crowd on its feet, Minaya's first pitch hit Kepler in the front foot for the winning run.
Alen Hanson hit a solo home run in the top of the ninth to give the White Sox a 4-3 lead. He connected off Matt Belisle (1-2). DIAMONDBACKS 8,
DODGERS 1 PHOENIX (AP) — Zack Greinke earned his major league-best 16th victory with six strong innings and the Diamondbacks beat Los Angeles to complete the first series sweep of the Dodgers this season.
Chris Iannetta and A.J. Pollock homered for the Diamondbacks, who matched their season-best seventh straight victory and pulled 3 1/2 games ahead of idle Colorado for the National League's top wild card spot.
The Dodgers, still with by far the best record in the majors (91-40), have lost a season-worst five in a row.
Greinke (16-6) allowed a run and four hits, striking out six and walking two, to improve to 13-1 in 16 home starts this season.
REDS 7, METS 2 CINCINNATI (AP) — Scooter Gennett drove in three runs with a homer and a double off Jacob deGrom, and the Reds ended the New York Mets' domination in Cincinnati.
The Reds took two of three for a rare series win.
Joey Votto added a solo shot in the seventh. After rounding the bases, Votto gave a bat and jersey to a 6-year-old boy he knows through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The boy sat next to the dugout and wore a shirt that said: "BE KIND."
Gennett hit a tworun homer in the second inning and doubled home a run in the fifth off de-Grom (14-8).
Shortstop Jose Reyes' throwing error let in another run.
Robert Stephenson (3-4) won his third straight start by allowing two runs and five hits in six innings.