• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Rangers cruise past Astros

Aug 30, 2014 - 6:47 AM Houston, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Rougned Odor and Michael Choice each homered to back a strong outing by Scott Baker, and the Texas Rangers routed the Houston Astros, 13-6, in the second of four at Minute Maid Park.

Baker (3-3) was charged with two runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings. The veteran right-hander has now won two straight starts after not recording a victory as a starter since July 23, 2011.

"I made a few pitches that I needed to get out of jams." said Baker.

Elvis Andrus and Adam Rosales each knocked in two runs for the Rangers.

Houston, which led the season series 9-4 entering the game, was bidding for its first Silver Boot in eight years. The Silver Boot is given to the team who wins the Lone Star Series between the two clubs and the Astros haven't taken that title since 2006 when they won four of six against them as interleague opponents.

Brett Oberholtzer (4-10), who gave up three runs over 14 innings in his previous two starts against the Rangers this season, was roughed up for seven runs on nine hits over 4 1/3 innings.

Marwin Gonzalez had two RBI, Jason Castro homered for the second straight game, Dexter Fowler knocked in a run and Jesus Guzman added an RBI for the Astros.

"You just look at tonight as a night where you didn't pitch too well and it really took us a while," Houston manager Bo Porter said. "You put it behind you and get it tomorrow."

Andrus drove a double out to left in the first that scored Daniel Robertson for a 1-0 lead. Fowler answered with an RBI single in the home first to tie the game.

Andrus added a sacrifice fly in the third, then Texas began to distance itself with a four-run fourth. Adrian Beltre and Rosales wrapped singles around an Ryan Rua strikeout. Tomas Telis singled home Beltre and Choice, who finished 3-for-4, homered two batters later to extend the lead to 6-1.

Beltre's RBI double in the fifth pushed another run across, Robertson knocked in a run in the sixth and Odor capped a five-run seventh with a three-run bomb to right that stretch the margin to 13-1.

Castro's solo homer with one out in the seventh ended Baker's night. Guzman then delivered an RBI base hit in the home eighth and Gonzalez poked a two-run double to left during a three-run ninth.

Game Notes

Rua had his first major league hit in a 1-for-5 effort ... Oberholtzer had a 2.25 ERA in four games against Texas entering the game ... Alex returned to the lineup after missing two games with a bruised right thumb. He went 1-for-5 with two runs scored ... Texas' Robbie Ross will oppose Scott Feldman in the third game of the series on Saturday.