Guilder Rodriguez had his first two major league hits, including a tiebreaking RBI single, as the Texas Rangers opened their final homestand with a 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Monday night.
Rougned Odor had a three-run triple for Texas, which won for the ninth time in its last 10 games. The Rangers got win No. 63 overall, ensuring that they will avoid their first 100-loss season since 1973.
The 31-year-old Rodriguez made his major league debut two weeks ago, when the switch-hitting utility infielder was called up after 13 seasons and 1,095 games in the minors, then the most by any current player before finally getting to the majors.
Rodriguez got his first major league RBI in the seventh, his two-out single sending home Jake Smolinski and chasing Astros starter Nick Tropeano (1-2). Smolinski was hit by a pitch to start the inning.
Derek Holland (2-0) scattered seven hits and allowed three runs, two earned, while pitching through one batter in the eighth. It was the left-hander's fifth start since missing the first six months of the season rehabbing from left knee surgery.
Roman Mendez finished the eighth before Neftali Feliz pitched the ninth for his 12th save in 13 chances.
Rodriguez had already appeared in five games, but Monday was the first that his father got to see him play in the majors. The elder Rodriguez arrived from Venezuela on Sunday night, and sat in the second row near the Rangers bench.
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When his son singled in the third, the elder Rodriguez held both his arms in the air. That was the second of three consecutive Rangers to reach base before Odor tripled into the left-center field gap.
The Astros got even in the sixth after a leadoff double by Jonathan Villar before an error by Rodriguez at third base. Jose Altuve then had an RBI double, his majors-best 221st hit, and Chris Carter a sacrifice fly to deep right.
Houston's first run came in the fifth when Jake Marisnick had a leadoff single, and scored after a wild pitch and two groundouts.
Holland had escaped unscathed after giving up leadoff hits in each of the first two innings. The Rangers turned a double play in the first and Holland picked off Marisnick in the second.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Astros: Interim manager Tom Lawless indicated that two relievers -- RHP Josh Fields (right side strain) and LHP Darin Downs (right oblique) likely won't pitch again this season.
Rangers: 2B Jurickson Profar, who has missed all season because of a muscle tear in his right shoulder, won't play in the Arizona Fall League as expected after having more problems. Profar was back in Texas to see Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister after meeting in the last week with at least two other doctors.
UP NEXT
The second game of a three-game series between the bottom two teams in the AL West, with left-hander Brett Oberholtzer (5-12) going for the Astros against Texas rookie right-hander Nick Martinez (4-11), who has a 2.74 ERA over his last four starts.
