Keuchel back on winning track for Houston

AMERICAN LEAGUE ASTROS 5, RANGERS 3

ARLINGTON, Texas — Josh Reddick and Tony Kemp homered, Dallas Keuchel (Arkansas Razorbacks) worked seven solid innings to win for only the second time in his last nine starts and the AL West-leading Houston Astros beat the Texas Rangers 5-3 on Tuesday night.

Houston is 11-4 this season against its instate division rival, with seven consecutive road victories in the series. Houston is a majors-best 31-14 on the road this season.

Texas leadoff hitter Shin-Soo Choo walked twice and had two singles to extend his career-best onbase streak to 43 games, the longest in the majors since Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman’s 46-gamer two years ago. Choo is three games shy of Julio Franco’s team record of 46 in a row set 25 years ago.

Keuchel (5-8), the 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner, struck out seven while allowing only two runs.

The Astros used three relievers to get through the eighth. Texas already had a run in before Hector Rondon took over against pinch-hitter Joey Gallo, who worked a 12-pitch at-bat into a two-out walk to load the bases before Robinson Chirinos struck out. Rondon then worked the ninth for his sixth save in eight chances.

Houston went ahead to stay in the first when Yuli Gurriel and Reddick had RBI doubles off Austin Bibens-Dirkx (1-2). Reddick added a solo home run in the third before Kemp’s two-run drive that just cleared the eight-foot wall in right-center.