Arlington, TX (Sports Network) – Chris Johnson finished 4-for-5 and drove in three runs as Houston snapped Texas’ 11-game win streak with a 7-4 decision in the opener of a three-game interleague series.
Carlos Lee and Geoff Blum each collected three hits, scored twice and knocked in a run for the Astros, who have won three in a row after losing five straight.
Brian Moehler (1-4) broke a losing string of 10 months after allowing eight hits and two earned runs over five innings. The unlucky right-hander dropped seven straight decisions in 24 appearances since a 4-2 win over Arizona on August 22, 2009.
Max Ramirez picked up a pair of RBI while Josh Hamilton had three hits and knocked in a run for the Rangers, who hadn’t lost since June 11 at Milwaukee.
Colby Lewis (7-5) was tagged in defeat for nine hits and five runs — four earned — over five-plus frames.
Houston forged ahead for good in the sixth rebounding from a 3-2 deficit. Lee started with a double, and Hunter Pence followed with a double to tie the game. Blum followed with a double to score Pence and chase Lewis for Darren O'Day. Two batters later Humberto Quintero reached on O'Day's throwing error, and on the play Blum scored on Andres Blanco's throwing gaffe to make it 5-3. In the seventh, Lance Berkman's one-out solo shot put the Astros up by three, and later in the frame Johnson singled home Pence. Julio Borbon started the home eighth with a single and came home on pinch- hitter David Murphy's RBI single, which cut the Rangers' deficit to three. Matt Lindstrom entered in the ninth. He stranded Hamilton on third by getting Justin Smoak on a groundout and Ramirez on a fly to right to earn his 18th save. Johnson doubled home Blum to give Houston the lead in the second, then he struck again in the fourth with a single to bring home Lee. Texas responded in the home half on a Ramirez sacrifice fly. Hamilton's run-scoring single and a Ramirez walk with the bases loaded in the fifth put the Rangers in front 3-2.