Texas takes first in AL West on Moreland’s walk-off winner in 9th

ARLINGTON, Texas Mitch Moreland’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth scored Drew Stubbs from third to give the Texas Rangers a 6-5 win and sole possession of first place by a half-game over the Houston Astros.

Pitching

Derek Holland allowed five runs in the first four innings and left with the game tied at 5 with one out in the sixth.

The Astros scored three times in the second after the Rangers jumped to 4-0 first-inning lead. After Colby Rasmus walked, three consecutive hits and a sacrifice bunt by Jake Marisnick pulled Houston to within 4-3. In the fourth, Evan Gattis’ two-out single to center scored Hank Conger and Marisnick to give the Astros a 5-3 lead.

Holland allowed five runs on 10 hits and a two walks. He only struck out one batter against an Astros lineup that averages over eight a game and leads the American League with 1,259.

In the sixth, Jose Altuve tripled off the wall in right with two outs, which ended Holland’s night. Ross Ohlendorf came on and induced an inning-ending grounder to short from Carlos Correa.

After getting an out in the seventh, Sam Freeman replaced Ohlendorf to face left-hitting Rasmus. Freeman walked Rasmus but got a strikeout and ground out to end the inning. Sam Dyson replaced Freeman with one out and no one on and retired the side in the eighth with a groundout and strikeout. Shawn Tolleson pitched a scoreless ninth to keep it tied at 5-5.

Hitting

Texas jumped on Astros starter Collin McHugh for four runs in the first. The first five batters reached, including run-scoring singles by Prince Fielder and Adrian Beltre. Another run scored on Rougned Odor’s fielder’s choice grounder to shortstop. Elvis Andrus’ opposite-field single to right scored Beltre to make it 4-0. After the Astros took a 5-3 lead in the top of the fourth, the Rangers tied it in the bottom of the inning. With two outs, Fielder singled to right and scored from first on Beltre’s double to the left-fielder corner.

In the eighth, Will Venable singled and moved to second on Chris Gimenez’s sacrifice bunt. Delino DeShields grounded out to the pitcher and Shin-Soo Choo flew out to center after a 10-pitch at-bat against Oliver Perez to end the inning.

Fielder led off the ninth with a single and Drew Stubbs pinch-ran for him. Beltre followed with a single to give Texas runners on the corners with no outs. Moreland lifted a shallow fly ball to Rasmus in center but Stubbs scored easily as Rasmus’ throw home sailed wide left.

Notable

Texas gained sole possession of first place in the AL West for the first time this season, becoming just the sixth team in the division era (since 1969) to do in their 144th game or later. Last team to do it was the 2012 A’s on Game No. 162, according to Elias ... McHugh lasted 3 2/3 innings, the third-shortest start of his career ... Holland has allowed five runs in each of his past two starts.

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