Astros Sweep Rangers

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ARLINGTON, Texas — The Houston Astros got even with one of their biggest nemeses in completing a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers on Wednesday with an 8-4 victory. 
Houston’s past with Texas right-hander Yu Darvish had no effect on the Astros, who for once got the best of one of the majors’ best pitchers. 
Catcher Carlos Corporan knocked in the go-ahead runs with a two-run double in the sixth and right fielder Robbie Grossman had a career-high four hits for the Astros. 
The Astros moved percentage points ahead of the Rangers, who are in last place in the AL West for the first time since the end of the 2007 season. 
“We haven’t been paying attention to that,” Houston second baseman Jose Altuve said of his team’s place in the standings. “The last three games have been important for us and we’re going to try to keep it going.” 
Corporan was 2-for-4. Grossman, who was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City

on Tuesday, went 4-for-5 with a double, home run and two RBIs. 
Center fielder George Springer went 2-for-4, including his second home run in as many days, a two-run shot that gave the Astros a four-run cushion in support of left-handed pitcher Dallas Keuchel (9-5). 
Keuchel gave up four runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings. 
Darvish (8-5), who entered the game with a 4-1 record with a 2.29 ERA in seven career starts against Houston, suffered the loss, giving up a season-high six earned runs on a season-high 10 hits. 
Among those previous starts, Darvish, who struck out eight Wednesday, took a perfect game into the ninth and a no-hitter into the eighth against the Astros last year. 
The Astros (39-54) scored 28 runs on 42 hits in the sweep. 
“Everybody swung the bat great,” Altuve said. “I think we come with the same attitude with everybody. We’re going to play 100 percent.” 
Texas (38-54) has lost 18 of its last 21 games, including 1-8 in the first two weeks of July, and now has the worst record in baseball. 
Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre extended his hitting streak to 13 games by going 2-for-4 with a run-scoring single in the first inning. Center fielder Daniel Robertson had a two-run double in Texas’ four-run second. 
Darvish’s scoreless streak at home ended at 21 innings when Houston scored twice in the second. Left fielder Enrique Hernandez’s tripled knocked in Corporan, who followed on Darvish’s wild pitch to the next hitter. 
Grossman drove in the Astros’ third run with a run-scoring single in the third. 
“My command wasn’t bad, I just didn’t execute,” said Darvish, who is 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in his last five starts. “They had good chances and cashed in.” 
Grossman entered play with no hits in his last 28 major league at-bats. He was 0-for-8 with five strikeouts in his career against Darvish, who couldn’t get him out Wednesday. 
Grossman had three hits off the Texas right-hander, including a home run in the fifth that leveled the score at 4. 
Corporan’s double off Darvish down the left-field line hit the chalk and the ball darted past a sliding Shin-Soo Choo, the Texas left fielder. First baseman Jon Singleton and designated hitter Chris Carter, who had two hits, scored. 
“I think we made him get the ball up,” Houston manager Bo Porter said of Darvish. “I think in the times we’ve struggled against him, a lot of it had to do with expanding our strike zone and swinging at pitches out of the zone.” 
The Rangers opened a 4-2 lead in the second inning after Robertson’s double drove in two runs and Choo’s sacrifice fly brought in another. 
Grossman drove in Altuve with a base hit in the third and tied the score with a solo home run in the fourth. 
“The team is in a skid, but I’m telling you they’re playing,” Texas manager Ron Washington said. “We just don’t have a sustainable offense. We’re not pitching very well and in the American League you’ve got to pitch.”