HOUSTON – Carlos Correa and Kyle Tucker each homered to help Luis Garcia earn his first career win as the Houston Astros held on to beat the Texas Rangers 6-5 on Saturday night for their fifth straight win.
Correa capped a four-run first with a two-run homer to right as the Astros got to Texas starter Dane Dunning (2-3). Alex Bregman also had a two-run single in the inning.
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After starting the month of May 2 for 35, Correa is 6 for 13 in his last four games.
“He’s been hitting the ball well,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “Everybody likes to see results because he’s been working hard in the cage with (hitting coach) Alex Cintrón. You always want to see some fruits of your hard work, and tonight it paid off for him and us.”
Tucker upped the lead to 6-1 with a two-run shot to right in the seventh.
“When he’s hot, he’s going to get a bunch of RBIs,” Baker said. “You didn’t know that that was going to be the deciding run, his home run. You just never know in this game. You just got to keep it coming.”
Tucker extended his hitting streak to seven games and is 12 for 25 during that stretch with three home runs and seven RBIs.
“I’m getting started earlier and getting down earlier,” Tucker said. “Along with that, just not swinging at a bunch of pitches outside the strike zone and chasing it because when you’re swinging at pitches over the plate, you get better outcomes.”
Garcia (1-3) permitted one run and five hits with five strikeouts in five innings. Garcia has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his six starts this season.
Ryan Pressly pitched a perfect ninth for his seventh save of the season.
Houston moved a season-high six games over .500 at 23-17.
The Rangers cut the lead to 6-5 with a four-run eighth. Joey Gallo, who finished with three hits, hit a three-run homer, and Andy Ibáñez had an RBI groundout to score David Dahl.
The Rangers have lost five straight.
“I think we have been playing well and battling with them,” Gallo said. “At the end of the day, we are coming up short. You can tell they’re playing really good baseball. They are jumping on us early and getting the lead. … I’ve been proud at least with the way we have been coming back in games and not throwing in the towel.”
Nate Lowe had a sacrifice fly in the first.
Dunning yielded four runs and seven hits with three strikeouts and three walks in four innings. It was the third start this season he’s allowed at least four runs.
“He left too many balls over the middle of the plate today,” Texas manager Chris Woodward said. “He wasn’t making quality pitches, and they were up. They were elevated over the middle of the plate and they didn’t miss it.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: RHP Kohei Arihara (right middle finger contusion) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Sunday, Woodward said.
Astros: RHP Jose Urquidy (posterior shoulder discomfort) will not pitch in the Astros’ next series in Oakland, Baker said. Urquidy, who left Wednesday’s start with the injury, would have been slated to pitch on Tuesday. “It’s no secret, Urquidy is not going to pitch (against Oakland),” Baker said.
RANGERS ROSTER MOVES
Texas selected the contract of RHP Hunter Wood from Triple-A Round Rock and optioned Wes Benjamin to Round Rock. To make room for Wood on the 40-man roster, C Jack Kruger was designated for assignment. Wood surrendered two runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief on Saturday.
UP NEXT
Rangers: RHP Kyle Gibson (3-0, 2.28) looks to continue his solid start of the season as he takes the mound on Sunday in the finale of the four-game series. Gibson has allowed one or fewer runs in five of his last seven starts.
Astros: RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (3-1, 3.10) makes his eighth start of the year Sunday looking for his third straight win. McCullers struck out nine and allowed one run in eight innings in a win over the Angels on Tuesday.