Rangers Edge Astros in Arlington, Keep AL West Race Alive

The Texas Rangers outlasted the Houston Astros in a marathon matchup Friday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, pushing across the winning run in the 12th inning on Dustin Harris' RBI double off Astros reliever Lance McCullers Jr. The 4-3 victory marked a crucial moment in the intrastate rivalry as both clubs vie for division supremacy. The Rangers struck first, with Jake Burger launching a two-run homer off Astros starter Colton Gordon in the third inning to stake Texas to a 3-1 advantage. Astros shortstop Carlos Correa answered in the eighth with a two-run blast off the right-field foul pole to tie the game at 3-3, setting the stage for the extended battle. Rangers starter Merrill Kelly delivered a strong performance, limiting the Astros to one run on five hits across seven innings. The Rangers improved to 10 wins in their last 13 games, a surge that has brought them back into contention. With 20 games remaining, the Astros maintained a 3½-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West, while the Rangers trailed Houston by four games. The loss represented a missed opportunity for the Astros to pad their division lead, as the Mariners struggled similarly in August with a 15-16 record through early autumn play.