Rangers recap: Texas snaps Astros win streak with late comeback

HOUSTON The Rangers scored two late runs, including one in the ninth to take the series opener against the Astros 2-1 at Minute Maid Park Monday night.

Pitching: Ross Detwiler pitched his best game of the young season thus far, holding a hot-hitting Astros team to one run on four hits in seven innings. Detwiler struck out seven and walked two. The only run he allowed was in the first when lead-off hitter Jose Altuve walked, moved to second on a wild pitch and stole third. He came home on Evan Gattis’ sacrifice fly to right. Keone Kela pitched a perfect eighth and Nefti Feliz closed it out in the ninth for his third save.

Hitting: The Rangers led off with a base runner in four of the first seven innings, including three times on doubles but failed to score until Jake Smolinski’s single to center score Delino DeShields in the eighth. DeShields walked with one out and then moved to second on a wild pitch. Smolinski moved to second on the throw home, which was wide left. Smolinski was stranded at third after Elvis Andrus drew a full-count walk and Prince Fielder fouled out to third. In the ninth, Adrian Beltre led off with a double to left-center field and moved to third on Kyle Blanks single to left. Robinson Chirinos’ sac fly to center scored Beltre to give the Rangers the 2-1 lead.

Notable: The Astros were celebrating the 40th anniversary on Monday of former slugger Bob Watson scoring the one millionth run in MLB history. He did it at San Francisco on May 4, 1975 in the first game of a double-header.

This story was originally published May 4, 2015 at 10:44 PM with the headline "Rangers recap: Texas snaps Astros win streak with late comeback."