Astros barely hold off Rangers, keep heat on Mariners

Jeremy Pena produced a three-hit game while Jose Altuve and Jesus Sanchez recorded two RBIs apiece as the Houston Astros claimed a critical series victory over the visiting Texas Rangers with a white-knuckle 6-5 win on Tuesday.

The Astros (83-69) posted their fourth victory in five games and remained a half-game behind the first-place Seattle Mariners (83-68) in the American League West. Houston is now a half-game up on Boston (82-69) for the third AL wild card. The Cleveland Guardians (79-71) are 2 1/2 games back of the Red Sox, and the Rangers (79-73) trail Boston by 3 1/2 games.

Houston will pursue a three-game series sweep on Wednesday before hosting the Mariners for what could be a decisive three-game weekend set.

Trailing 6-1 with two outs in the top of the eighth inning, the Rangers fashioned a dramatic rally against Astros reliever Enyel De Los Santos, starting with pinch hitter Rowdy Tellez drawing a walk.

Jonah Heim followed with a pinch-hit homer, a two-run blast to right field that sliced the deficit to 6-3.

Kyle Higashioka singled and Josh Jung smacked an RBI double to left that chased De Los Santos. Astros closer Bryan Abreu entered and walked Alejandro Osuna, then surrendered a pinch-hit RBI single to Adolis Garcia before stranding a pair of runners in scoring position to end the four-run frame.

Abreu stranded two more baserunners in the ninth, fanning Higashioka for the last out to seal his seventh save.

The Astros were quick to pounce on Rangers right-hander Merrill Kelly (12-8), and they continued that onslaught until Kelly departed in the fourth without having recorded an out in the frame.

Pena was the linchpin with a leadoff single in the first. Carlos Correa followed with a double down the left field line that advanced Pena to third base and set the table for Altuve to deliver a sacrifice fly to left that provided the Astros a 1-0 lead.

Starting with Altuve, Merrill retired six of seven batters before Pena singled leading off the third and scored again, this time coming home on a groundout from Christian Walker. But the bottom fell out on Merrill in the fourth when the first five Astros reached base safely.

Yainer Diaz followed consecutive singles from Jake Meyers and Victor Caratini with an RBI double that extended the Astros' lead to 3-0. Sanchez followed with a two-run single. After Cole Winn replaced Kelly, Altuve capped the four-run frame with a run-scoring single.

Merrill allowed six runs on nine hits in three-plus innings, with one walk and one strikeout.

Houston starter AJ Blubaugh tossed three shutout innings, striking out seven, walking one and permitting two hits. Colton Gordon (5-4) followed with three innings of one-run ball.