Keuchel goes to 9-0, Astros top Rangers 7-1

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Unbeaten lefty Dallas Keuchel earned his major league-leading ninth win, pitching six scoreless innings as the Houston Astros beat the Texas Rangers 7-1 after a long rain delay Friday night for their eighth straight victory.

Carlos Correa and George Springer each hit a three-run homer for the Astros (39-16), who have the best record and longest winning streak in the majors.

Correa's homer came in the fifth off Rangers ace Yu Darvish (5-4), winless in his last eight starts against Houston.

After the start was delayed 2 hours, 6 minutes, because of rain, Keuchel (9-0) struck out seven and walked two while limiting the Rangers to three hits. The 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth when he got Rougned Odor on an inning-ending groundout.

Adrian Beltre ended Houston's shutout bid when he led off the ninth with a homer against Ken Giles, the third Astros reliever.

Texas is 3-9 since its 10-game winning streak that is still the longest in the majors this season. The Rangers, who won the AL West each of the past two seasons, dropped 13 games behind the Astros in the division.

In the first head-to-head matchup between the two aces since 2014, Darvish stuck out eight while throwing 104 pitches over five innings

Darvish is 0-4 with a 4.47 ERA in his last eight starts against the Astros since late in the 2013 season, the same year he came within one out of a perfect game against Houston.

Correa struck out twice before coming up again in the fifth and hitting his 10th homer, a drive that just cleared the 14-foot wall in left-center field to make it 3-0. Josh Reddick had reached on a two-out single before Jose Altuve hit a double.

Springer's 13th homer capped a four-run outburst off reliever Dillon Gee in the eighth, when all the Houston runs were unearned.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rangers: Texas reliever Jose Leclerc was reinstated from the disabled list after missing three weeks with a bruised finger. He took the roster spot created when former Rangers closer Sam Dyson was designated for assignment.

UP NEXT

Astros: Right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (6-1) makes his first start since being selected AL pitcher of the month for May, when he had a 0.99 ERA and went 4-0.

Rangers: Andrew Cashner has won two of his last three starts after 10 consecutive starts without a victory. The Rangers will try to avoid their fourth consecutive series loss.