Marcus Semien hit a tiebreaking single, six Texas relievers limited Houston to three hits over 5 1/3 innings, and the Rangers overcame Corey Seager's two-run error to beat the Astros 7-2 on Saturday night.
Seager was one of five consecutive Rangers with hits off Houston closer Ryan Pressly as the World Series champs broke open a close game with a four-run eighth.
The Rangers beat the Astros at home for a second night in a row after losing all three games at Globe Life Field while still winning last year's seven-game AL Championship Series between the Texas rivals.
The Astros, defending AL West champions with six division titles in the past seven years, dropped five games under .500 just nine games into the season.
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Houston hasn't been that far under .500 since June 2016, the year before the club's current MLB-record run of seven consecutive ALCS appearances.
Josh Sborz, the fifth Texas reliever, was an out away from a perfect eighth inning when he paused after throwing a second-called strike to José Abreu.
The right-hander, who recorded the final out of the World Series, winced as he raised his arm, and a Texas athletic trainer jogged to the mound. Sborz left the game shortly thereafter.
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José Leclerc finished off the three-pitch strikeout of Abreu before allowing hits to Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez in a scoreless ninth inning, the first hits for Houston since the fourth. Leclerc got his first save.
Altuve had three hits to extend his hitting streak to nine games, the longest to start the season in the star second baseman's 14-year career.
Adolis García didn't extend his five-game homer streak against the Astros going back to the ALCS, but he was among three Rangers with run-scoring hits in the eighth. Seager and rookie Wyatt Langford were the others, while Jonah Heim and Leody Taveras drove in the first two Texas runs.
The Astros took a 2-1 lead in the third inning when Seager fumbled a routine two-out grounder by Yainer Diaz with the bases loaded and threw wide to first, allowing Alvarez and Kyle Tucker to score.
Two of Texas starter Jon Gray's three walks in the third created the bases-loaded situation for the Astros. The right-hander allowed five hits and two unearned runs in 3 2/3 innings.
Brock Burke replaced Gray and allowed Alvarez's single before retiring Tucker on a flyout. José Ureña gave up a walk in a scoreless fifth before Kirby Yates (1-0) and David Robertson each pitched a perfect inning.
Evan Carter had three hits for Texas a night after getting his first two of the season.
Houston's J.P. France (0-1) allowed eight hits and three runs in 5 2/3 innings.
UP NEXT
Houston RHP Ronel Blanco (1-0, 0.00 ERA) is set for his first start since throwing the season's first no-hitter, a 10-0 victory over Toronto on Monday. RHP Dane Dunning (1-0, 4.26 ERA) goes for Texas in the third game of a four-game series that runs through Monday.
