Astros get to Darvish, beat Rangers 9-5

Every Astro starter reached base on Saturday night in a successful quest to figure out Texas Rangers starter Yu Darvish. Many remember Yu's near perfect game against Houston on April 2, but Darvish also carved up the Astros to the tune of eight strikeouts in seven innings in another Rangers win on May 11.

The Astros struck out ten more times (six by Darvish) on Saturday, but they also got some big hits from some surprising names. Brandon Barnes hit his fourth home run of the year off Darvish in the fourth inning to get things started. Marc Krauss scored on Barnes' big fly and decided he should get some of his own as he recorded his first career RBI with a two-run single in the fifth to make it 4-0, Houston.

Astros starter Dallas Keuchel allowed only four hits in five innings of scoreless baseball, but in the sixth he was pulled after allowing back-to-back singles to start the inning. The relief combination of Paul Clemens and Wesley Wright could not hold down the fort as Wright allowed a sac fly to the Rangers' Mitch Moreland before surrendering a three-run home run to Geovany Soto that tied the game.

But the Astros offense was just too much on Saturday. Jose Altuve walked to start the seventh, which chased Darvish. The replacement was Robbie Ross who promptly hit Brett Wallace with a pitch. Wallace was 2-for-2 with two doubles on Saturday, and now is hitting .193 on the season - which is actually a good thing. The next batter was Houston's lone All-Star selection, Jason Castro, and he launched a bomb over the right-center field wall to give the Astros a 7-4 lead that they would not relinquish.

Jake Elmore hit his first career home run, a two-run job, to provide the Astros a little insurance. Travis Blackley and Jose Veras made sure that it wasn't needed as they combined for a 2.1 perfect innings to finish the win.

The Astros go for a series win tomorrow with Erik Bedard on the bump against Texas' Justin Grimm.