Zach Cole homered and drove in three runs after replacing injured slugger Yordan Alvarez in the lineup, and the Houston Astros beat the Texas Rangers 6-3 on Monday night in the opener of a pivotal three-game series.

Houston pulled within a half-game of the streaking Seattle Mariners atop the AL West and moved three games ahead of Cleveland and Texas for the final American League wild card.

Cole homered on the first pitch he saw in the majors Friday at Atlanta. This time, he entered after Alvarez sprained his left ankle in the first inning and launched a two-run shot off starter Jack Leiter that gave the Astros a 4-3 lead in the fifth.

Texas threatened in the seventh, but Astros left fielder Jesús Sánchez threw out Jonah Heim at the plate on Wyatt Langford's single to end the inning.

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