Keuchel 3-hits Rangers, Astros halt skid

Keuchel pitched a three-hitter and the Astros beat Texas for the second time in 11 tries this season, topping the Rangers 5-0 Friday night. “. Chance in the second, chance in the third, chance in the fifth, chance in the ninth”. The one good thing to come from Saturday’s setback for Houston was rookie Alex Bregman going 3-for-5 with an RBI – one more hit than he managed in 38 at-bats over his first 10 major-league games.TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Texas), ROOT (Houston) PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Yu Darvish (2-3, 3.29 ERA) vs. Astros RH Joe Musgrove (0-0, 0.00) Darvish is racking up big strikeout numbers but is having a hard time finding his way into the win column.

“It’s been bothering him for a while”, Hinch said. “He never argues unless he is right”.

Altuve did not speak to reporters following the game.

Matt Bush pitched the 10th and 11th to earn the win in relief, a victory which again showed how resilient this Ranger team is. In fact, in Keuchel’s three previous starts against the Rangers this season, he has given up 6, 7, and 4 runs. “I mean 19 groundball outs tonight, 16 of which were on the pull side which tells me that he was able to put the fastball where he wanted to, kept us off-balance with the slider”. “Two-out walks, they were able to string a couple hits together”. Carlos Correa added an opposite-field, two-run single that scored Alex Bregman and Altuve.

“Yet everything going into the trade deadline, I’m sure there were some professional emotions that went into everything that was kind of swirled around the trade and the situation prior to the trade”.

Darvish allowed no runs on five hits while striking out eight over his seven innings of work to earn a no-decision, and even though two of the most important members of his bullpen faltered, the man in charge of the Texas dugout doesn’t sound anxious. Bregman is 5 for 43 since making his debut. We got a little anxious in some of the at-bats and then hit some balls fairly well.

“Their first base-runner wasn’t till the fourth”, Hinch said of Musgrove’s start, “he exhausted at the end and still gutted through his performance, I think it’s a big step for a young kid to come up here, get his first start and finish his outing”.

Harrell gave up one run and walked five in 3 2/3 innings, matching his shortest outing of the season.

And before departing with a left quad contusion in the seventh inning, Carlos Beltran produced three hits, including an RBI single that scored Shin-Soo Choo and gave the Rangers the lead for good. The Astros forced extra innings with a run against closer Sam Dyson in the ninth. The Astros wore their rainbow pullover jerseys that the 1986 team wore.

Justin Verlander (12-6) faced a Mets lineup packed with seven left-handed batters and allowed four hits in six innings.

Blue Jays (63-47) at Royals (51-58), 7:15 p.m. ET: The only pitching matchup of the day between starters with an ERA below 3.00 features AL ERA leader Aaron Sanchez (11-1, 2.71 ERA) and the Jays vs. Danny Duffy (7-1, 2.98 ERA) and the Royals. Darvish is 0-4 since the All-Star break despite posting a 3.57 ERA in that span. He threw two scoreless innings, with one hit, one walk and two strikeouts on 28 pitches.