HOUSTON (AP) — Adolis García hit a grand slam to highlight a seven-run fifth inning and the AL West-leading Texas Rangers slugged four homers in a 13-5 win over the Houston Astros in a tense game Wednesday night.
Following his grand slam, García and Marcus Semien exchanged words with Martín Maldonado. That led to the benches and bullpens emptying. No punches were thrown in the scrum around home plate, but Maldonado and Semien were ejected.
Tempers were hot earlier in the game. Both benches were warned in the third inning after Houston's Framber Valdez hit Semien in the left shoulder with the first pitch of his at-bat. The Rangers' Andrew Heaney had hit Yordan Alvarez in the right shoulder with a pitch in the first inning.
Semien, Nathaniel Lowe and Sam Huff also homered for Texas, which avoided a three-game sweep and held on to its two-game lead over the Astos in the division.
Lowe hit a two-run homer in the third.
Texas got to Valdez (8-7) for four more runs in the fourth. Leody Taveras had a two-run single and Semien hit a two-run homer. Maldonado appeared to exchange words with Semien, who held his finger to his mouth, following the home run.
Huff hit a solo home run to begin the fifth.
Semien had three hits, and Lowe and Taveras each had two hits and three RBIs.
Heaney (7-6) allowed three runs on four hits in five innings.
Valdez allowed a season-high six runs on eight hits in a season-low 3 2/3 innings. The 29-year-old left-hander has allowed at least four runs in three straight starts.
Alex Bregman hit a three-run homer in the first, and Yainer Diaz hit a two-run homer in the ninth for Houston.
Jose Altuve and Alvarez returned to the Astros’ lineup. Altuve, who had been out since July 4 with a left oblique strain, went 0 for 3. Alvarez, who missed 39 games with a right oblique injury, went 1 for 2 with a double.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: C Jonah Heim exited in the fourth inning with left wrist soreness after taking an awkward swing.
Astros: RHP José Urquidy (right shoulder) is expected to increase his workload following his third rehab start on Tuesday, manager Dusty Baker said. Urquidy threw four scoreless innings for Double-A Corpus Christi Tuesday. He threw 53 pitches. … INF Bligh Madris and INF David Hensley were optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land to make room on the roster for Altuve and Alvarez.
UP NEXT
Rangers: After a day off on Thursday, Texas RHP Dane Dunning (8-3, 3.18 ERA) will start Friday in San Diego opposite Padres RHP Joe Musgrove (9-3, 3.25 ERA) in the first game of a three-game series.
Astros: Following an off day on Thursday, Houston RHP Cristian Javier (7-2, 4.32 ERA) will take the mound Friday opposite Tampa Bay LHP Shane McClanahan (11-1, 2.89 ERA) as the Astros open a three-game series at home against the Rays.
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