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Dallas Keuchel had a different catcher before throwing his first pitch for the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.

Everything worked out just fine with Tim Federowicz behind the plate with the former AL Cy Young Award winner throwing some of his best breaking pitches all season.

Keuchel struck out seven and allowed only two runs over seven scoreless innings [url=http://www.officialstarsproonline.com/authentic-adidas-alexander-radulov-jersey]Authentic Alexander Radulov Jersey[/url] , winning for only the second time in his last nine starts, as the Astros beat the Texas Rangers 5-3.

”Some of the shape it was taking early was really good. (Shin-Soo) Choo leading off the game, anytime you get him to swing and miss at a breaking pitch, it’s acting pretty good, and then (Nomar) Mazara struck out looking with a slider away,” Keuchel said. ”Both of those balls had good action and I knew from the then on if I could establish the fastball in to the lefties, it would be a good day.”

Josh Reddick and Tony Kemp homered for the Astros, who are 11-4 this season against their instate division rival, with seven consecutive road wins in the series. Houston is a majors-best 31-14 on the road this season.

Keuchel (5-8) struck out the first four batters he faced, and six of the first seven.

After catcher Brian McCann went on the disabled list and had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee earlier Tuesday, manager A.J. Hinch said Max Stassi would do the bulk of the catching. But Stassi got hit by a pitch batting in the first, and left the game with a bruised right (throwing) wrist before even taking the field on defense.

”I think we avoided a fracture, very good for us [url=http://www.authenticsnewyorkjets.com/cheap-trenton-cannon-jersey]Trenton Cannon Color Rush Jersey[/url] ,” manager A.J. Hinch said. ”Got him pretty good in the wrist. Got a welt there, couldn’t flex his hand, hand so mobility.”

X-rays were negative and Stassi is considered day to day.

Keuchel had only thrown a few bullpens with Federowicz in spring training, and a live BP session, before the catcher was called back from Triple-A Fresno earlier Tuesday.

”The way he handled the game not expecting to play, that was really impressive,” Keuchel said.

Choo later walked twice and had two singles to extend his career-best on-base streak to 43 games, the longest in the majors since Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman’s 46-gamer two years ago. Choo is three games shy of Julio Franco’s team record of 46 in a row set 25 years ago.

The Astros used three relievers to get through the eighth. Texas already had a run in before Hector Rondon took over against pinch-hitter Joey Gallo, who worked a 12-pitch at-bat into a two-out walk to load the bases before Robinson Chirinos struck out. Rondon then worked the ninth for his sixth save in eight chances.

Houston went ahead to stay in the first when Yuli Gurriel and Reddick had RBI doubles off Austin Bibens-Dirkx (1-2), who still managed to get through six innings. He struck out four, walked two and hit two batters.

”To get through six in that situation was huge for us,” manager Jeff Banister said. ”Early on it didn’t look that it was going to be the case, a situation where really didn’t have a whole lot of sink on the fastball. … For us to still have an opportunity there through those innings [url=http://www.cowboysauthorizedshops.com/authentic-leighton-vander-esch-jersey]http://www.cowboysauthorizedshops.com/authentic-leighton-vander-esch-jersey[/url] , it was big-time by him.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: SS Carlos Correa, out since June 26 with lower back soreness, has been working out daily in Houston. Hinch said it was uncertain if Correa will be ready to play Friday when eligible to come off the DL. He hadn’t gone through any baseball activities yet.

Rangers: RHP Tony Barnette left the game after a 2-1 pitch to Marwin Gonzalez in the eighth. The Rangers said he had a right shoulder strain and would be evaluated further Wednesday. … 1B Ronald Guzman had two hits and scored twice after being activated from the seven-day concussion DL.

SHORT HOPS

The Astros have homered in 23 consecutive road games, a club record and four from matching the MLB record set by Oakland earlier this season. … Before Bibens-Dirkx plunked Stassi in the first inning, Rangers pitchers had gone 22 games without hitting a batter – the longest span for the team since 1998.

DOUBLE DOUBLED UP

Astros leadoff hitter George Springer was in a 3-for-46 slide before a single in the sixth. But he was also doubled off twice on hard lineouts.

UP NEXT

Gerrit Cole (9-2) will pitch on regular rest for the Astros after they made a slight tweak in their rotation. Lance McCullers Jr., who was scheduled to start, was instead pushed back to Friday. Rangers lefty Mike Minor (6-4) took a perfect game into the seventh inning of his last start, a win last Wednesday over the San Diego Padres.

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Vince Velasquez took a no-hitter two outs into the seventh inning, Rhys Hoskins and Nick Williams hit solo homers and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Colorado Rockies 9-3 on Thursday.

Trevor Story lined Velasquez’s 105th pitch to left for an RBI double, ending Velasquez’s bid for the fourth no-hitter in the majors this season. Velasquez (5-7) retired 20 of the first 21 batters and got a standing ovation as he walked off the mound after the hit.

The Phillies won a series for the first time since taking two of three from Atlanta on May 21-23. They’re 7-12 since.

GIANTS 6, MARLINS 3, 16 INNINGS

MIAMI (AP) – San Francisco third baseman Evan Longoria broke his left hand when he was hit by a pitch in the Giants‘ victory over Miami.

Longoria was struck by Dan Straily. There is no timetable for Longoria’s return and he will decide in the next few days if he will need surgery. He is hitting .246 with 10 home runs and 34 RBIs.

Pablo Sandoval hit a tiebreaking, two-run single in the 16th inning. Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run homer to continue his torrid month and Mac Williamson also homered for the Giants [url=http://www.texansauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jordan-akins-jersey]http://www.texansauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jordan-akins-jersey[/url] , who salvaged the final game of a four-game series and beat the Marlins for only the second time in the last 10 meetings.

Giants starter Dereck Rodriguez pitched 6 2-3 innings, allowing two runs. Ty Blach (4-5) also pitched 6 2-3 innings for the Giants without allowing a run. Elieser Hernandez (0-4) took the loss.

It was the longest game of the season for the Giants and the second-longest for the Marlins, who went 17 innings in a 2-1 win over the Chicago Cubs on March 30. Colorado has lost 10 of 13.

YANKEES 4, RAYS 3

NEW YORK (AP) – Gleyber Torres hit another three-run homer and Domingo German struck out a career-high 10 for his first major league win and New York edged Tampa Bay in the opener of a four-game series.

Aaron Hicks also homered off Blake Snell (8-4) as New York beat the blossoming left-hander for the second time this season and ended his four-game winning streak.

German (1-4) gave up a home run to Matt Duffy on the first pitch of the game but quickly recovered to strike out the next three batters. Making his seventh start in place of injured Jordan Montgomery, the rookie right-hander allowed three runs, five hits and two walks in his 19th career appearance.

Chad Green and Dellin Betances set up Aroldis Chapman for his 19th save in 20 attempts.

RED SOX 2, MARINERS 1

SEATTLE (AP) – Xander Bogaerts hit a tiebreaking home run in the sixth inning and Boston won its fourth straight.

David Price (8-4) pitched seven innings of four-hit ball to earn his sixth victory over his past seven appearances. He gave up a run and struck out seven. Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless ninth to lock down his 22nd save, pitching around two walks to open the inning by striking out Kyle Seager and getting Ryon Healy to ground into a double play..

The Red Sox got their major-league leading 48th win of the season and snapped Seattle’s four-game winning streak.

Bogaerts hit Felix Hernandez’s 2-2 fastball just over the fence in left-center field for a two-out solo shot to give the Red Sox a 2-1 lead.

TIGERS 3, TWINS 1

DETROIT (AP) – JaCoby Jones‘ two-run homer capped a three-run seventh inning as Detroit rallied past Minnesota.

Jones was hitting .135 in his last 10 games, and had struck out in his first two at-bats before hitting Lance Lynn’s 3-1 fastball for his fifth home run..

Michael Fulmer (3-5) improved to 5-0 in five career starts against the Twins. He pitched seven innings, allowing one run on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts in ending a three-start winless streak. Joe Jimenez pitched the eighth and Shane Greene threw the ninth for his 17th save.

Lynn (4-5) took a shutout into the seventh but ended up allowing three runs on five hits and a walk. He struck out nine in 6 2/3 innings.

INDIANS 5, WHITE SOX 2

CHICAGO (AP) – Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez homered, Mike Clevinger struck out 11 in seven innings and Cleveland topped Chicago.

Lindor led off the game against Carlos Rodon with his 15th home run. He also singled and scored in the seventh when Ramirez broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run drive to right-center against Chris Volstad (1-4) for his 20th homer.

Clevinger (5-2) gave up two runs and five hits.

Cody Allen worked the ninth for his 13th save in 14 chances as the AL Central leaders salvaged a four-game split.

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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Justin Verlander pitched five-hit ball over seven innings and Houston beat Oakland for its eighth straight win.

The winning streak is the Astros‘ longest since they won 11 straight May 25-June 5 last season on the way to their first World Series championship.

Khris Davis and Matt Olson homered for the A’s. Both home runs came off Verlander (9-2), who struck out seven, allowed three runs and didn’t walk a batter while earning his fifth consecutive win.

Frankie Montas (3-1) gave up five earned runs and 11 hits over 5 1/3 innings.

BRAVES 4, PADRES 2

ATLANTA (AP) – Anibal Sanchez allowed only four hits in seven scoreless innings, Ender Inciarte homered and scored two runs and Atlanta beat San Diego.

Ozzie Albies added a run-scoring double for the NL East-leading Braves.

Sanchez (3-0) did not walk a batter as he earned his first win in six career starts against San Diego. Sanchez outpitched Tyson Ross (5-4), who allowed only three hits and three runs in six-plus innings.

Arodys Vizcaino pitched the ninth for his 13th save in 15 chances.

DIAMONDBACKS 6, METS 3

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