HOUSTON — HOUSTON - Dallas Keuchel allowed three hits in seven shutout innings, Evan Gattis and Carlos Correa homered for the second straight game and the Houston Astros defeated the Texas Rangers 6-1 Sunday.
Keuchel (3-5) struck out eight and walked one, lowering his ERA from 3.53 to 3.10 with his third straight outing giving up three runs or fewer. Houston's starters have the top three ERAs in the American League led by Justin Verlander at a major league-best 1.21. Gerrit Cole is at 1.43 and Charlie Morton at 2.03.
Shin-Soo Choo and Adrian Beltre hit consecutive singles in the first, and Keuchel retired 16 of his next 17 batters around Jurickson Profar's two-out double in the fourth.
Carlos Perez homered off Hector Rondon in the eighth. Brad Peacock struck out the side in the ninth, completing a six-hitter. Houston has won five of six after losing five of six.
Matt Moore (1-5) allowed three runs and six hits in three innings. He has given up 18 runs and 26 hits over 12 2/3 innings in his last three starts.
Yuli Gurriel hit an RBI single in the third, and Gattis had a two-run homer. Correa hit a two-run homer in the seventh against Kevin Jepsen, and Derek Fisher added a sacrifice fly.
OLD DEBUT
LHP Brandon Mann was brought up from Triple-A Round Rock and at 33 years, 362 became the second-oldest player to make his debut for Texas when he entered in the seventh. Mann allowed one hit in 1 2/3 scoreless innings. RHP Yoshinori Tateyama was 35 years, 149 days when he debuted in 2011.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rangers: Beltre left with one out in the seventh after re-aggravating a left hamstring injury. He fielded a Max Stassi slow chopper and was trying to tag Gurriel at third on the play before he came out. Beltre was activated off the disabled list on May 8 after missing 12 games with a left hamstring strain.
Astros: OF George Springer was out of the lineup a second straight day after being hit on the left elbow by a Cole Hamels fastball. "Hopefully, he will be back in there tomorrow," manager A.J. Hinch said. "He was bouncing around the clubhouse, and I think he's done a little activity already."
UP NEXT
Rangers: LHP Mike Minor (3-2) starts Tuesday's opener of a three-game series at Seattle. Minor has allowed at least four runs in two of his last three starts.
Astros: RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (5-1) takes the mound Monday at the Los Angeles Angels. McCullers is 4-0 in six starts since an April 6 loss to San Diego.
