Justin Verlander had another splendid outing to lead the Houston Astros to a 2-1 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday.
Verlander (6-1) allowed six singles spread over as many shutout innings, without walking, for his sixth win of the season, the most in the majors.
The 39-year-old right-hander, who returned to pitch this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, tied his season high with eight strikeouts and improved to 1.22 for his ERA, which is also the best in the majors.
Cuban Yordan Álvarez had two hits, including the second triple in his career, and finished with an RBI, as the Astros took a 2-1 lead in this four-game series.
Jason Castro, a veteran catcher, made two good defensive plays. He also doubled and scored in the fifth inning to help win.
Jon Gray (1-2) allowed six hits and two runs in six innings.
For the Rangers, the Cubans Adolis García 4-2 with an RBI, Andy Ibáñez 3-0.
For the Astros, the Dominicans José Siri 4-1 with a run scored, Jeremy Peña 3-1. The Cubans Álvarez 4-2 with an RBI, Yuli Gurriel 3-0, Aledmys Díaz 3-0.
