HOUSTON (AP) — Jeremy Peña went 3 for 3 with a walk and scored twice, Jose Altuve drove in two runs and the Houston Astros held on Tuesday night for a 6-5 victory over the Texas Rangers.
Jesús Sánchez had a two-run single for the Astros, who nearly squandered a 6-0 lead. But they remained a half-game behind red-hot Seattle for first place in the AL West and moved a half-game ahead of Boston for the second of three American League wild cards.
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Houston Astros' Jeremy Pena scores his second run in front of umpire Cory Blaser, top, against the Texas Rangers during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
Houston Astros's Victor Caratini, right, loses his bat on his swing in front of Texas Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka, center, and umpire Cory Blaser, left, during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
Houston Astros designated hitter Yainer Diaz, right, slides behind Texas Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka, left, as he scores on the RBI single by Jesus Sanchez during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Danny Coulombe throws against the Houston Astros during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
Houston Astros' Victor Caratini (17) and Yainer Diaz (21) celebrate after the both scored on the RBI single by Jesus Sanchez against the Texas Rangers during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
Houston led by five when pinch-hitter Rowdy Tellez walked with two outs in the eighth inning. Jonah Heim’s pinch-hit homer off Enyel De Los Santos cut it to 6-3.
Kyle Higashioka singled before an RBI double by Josh Jung pulled Texas to 6-4 and chased De Los Santos.
Bryan Abreu took over and walked Alejandro Osuna before pinch-hitter Adolis García’s run-scoring single made it 6-5. Abreu retired Cody Freeman on a flyball to end the inning.
In the ninth, Abreu allowed a leadoff single to Josh Smith and a two-out single to Heim before striking out Higashioka for his seventh save.
Yainer Diaz hit an RBI double in a four-run Houston fourth that made it 6-0. Texas starter Merrill Kelly (12-8) yielded nine hits and six runs in three-plus innings.
Freeman hit a solo homer in the fifth for the Rangers, who have lost three straight. They are 3 1/2 games behind Boston for the AL's last postseason spot with 10 to play.
Houston starter AJ Blubaugh allowed two hits and struck out seven over three scoreless innings in his second major league start. Colton Gordon (5-4) gave up two hits and a run in three innings of relief for the win.
Abreu's strikeout of Higashioka to complete the four-out save.
The season series between the teams is tied 6-6.
Texas RHP Jacob deGrom (12-7, 2.82 ERA) opposes RHP Cristian Javier (1-3, 4.78) in the series finale Wednesday night.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Houston Astros' Jeremy Pena scores his second run in front of umpire Cory Blaser, top, against the Texas Rangers during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
Houston Astros's Victor Caratini, right, loses his bat on his swing in front of Texas Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka, center, and umpire Cory Blaser, left, during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
Houston Astros designated hitter Yainer Diaz, right, slides behind Texas Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka, left, as he scores on the RBI single by Jesus Sanchez during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Danny Coulombe throws against the Houston Astros during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
Houston Astros' Victor Caratini (17) and Yainer Diaz (21) celebrate after the both scored on the RBI single by Jesus Sanchez against the Texas Rangers during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Search teams in Turkey on Wednesday recovered the cockpit voice and flight data recorders from a jet crash that killed eight people, including western Libya’s military chief, while efforts to retrieve the victims' remains were still underway, Turkey's interior minister said.
The private jet carrying Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad, four other military officials and three crew members crashed on Tuesday, after taking off from Turkey's capital, Ankara, killing everyone on board. Libyan officials said that the cause of the crash was a technical malfunction on the plane.
The high-level Libyan delegation was on its way back to Tripoli after holding defense talks in Ankara aimed at boosting military cooperation between the two countries.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya told journalists at the site of the crash that wreckage was scattered across an area covering 3 square kilometers (more than a square mile), complicating recovery efforts. Authorities from the Turkish forensic medicine authority were working to recover and identify the remains, he said.
A 22-person delegation — including five family members — arrived from Libya early on Wednesday to assist in the investigation, he said.
Tripoli-based Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah confirmed the deaths on Tuesday, describing the crash on Facebook as a “tragic accident” and a “great loss” for Libya.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a telephone call with Dbeibah, during which he conveyed his condolences and expressed his sorrow over the deaths, his office said.
"An investigation has been launched into this tragic incident that has deeply saddened us, and our ministries will provide information about its progress,” Erdogan said.
Al-Hadad was the top military commander in western Libya and played a crucial role in the ongoing, U.N.-brokered efforts to unify Libya’s military, which has split, much like the nation's other institutions.
The other military officials who died in the crash were Gen. Al-Fitouri Ghraibil, the head of Libya’s ground forces, Brig. Gen. Mahmoud Al-Qatawi, who led the military manufacturing authority, Mohammed Al-Asawi Diab, adviser to the chief of staff, and Mohammed Omar Ahmed Mahjoub, a military photographer with the chief of staff’s office.
The identities of the three crew members weren't immediately released.
Turkish officials said that the Falcon 50-type business jet took off from Ankara’s Esenboga airport at 8:30 p.m. and that contact was lost around 40 minutes later. The plane notified air traffic control of an electrical fault and requested an emergency landing. The aircraft was redirected back to Esenboga, where preparations for its landing began.
The plane, however, disappeared from radar while descending for the emergency landing, the Turkish presidential communications office said.
The Libyan government declared a three-day national mourning with flags flown half-staff at all state institutions, according to an announcement on Facebook.
The wreckage was found near the village of Kesikkavak, in Haymana, a district about 70 kilometers (45 miles) south of Ankara.
Search and recovery teams intensified their operations on Wednesday after a night of heavy rain and fog, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Gendarmerie police sealed off the area while the Turkish disaster management agency, AFAD, set up a mobile coordination center. Specialized vehicles, such as tracked ambulances, were deployed because of the muddy terrain.
Turkey has assigned four prosecutors to lead the investigation, and Yerlikaya that said the Turkish search and recovery teams included 408 personnel.
Turkey's Transportation Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the cockpit voice and flight data recorders would be sent to a neutral third country for examination, in order to ensure impartial findings on the cause of the crash.
While in Ankara, al-Haddad had met with Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and other officials.
Libya plunged into chaos after the country’s 2011 uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The country split, with rival administrations in the east and west, backed by an array of rogue militias and foreign governments.
Turkey has been the main backer of Libya’s government in the west, but has recently taken steps to improve ties with the eastern-based government as well.
Tuesday’s visit by the Libyan delegation came a day after Turkey’s parliament approved a two-year extension of the mandate of Turkish troops serving in Libya. Turkey deployed troops following a 2019 security and military cooperation agreement that was reached between Ankara and the Tripoli-based government.
Fay Abuelgasim reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Fatma Khaled in Cairo contributed to this report.
Turkish army soldiers stand guard as rescue teams search for the remains of a private jet carrying Libya's military chief and four others that crashed after taking off from Ankara, killing everyone on board, in Ankara, Turkey, early Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Efekan Akyuz)
Turkish rescue teams search for the remains of a private jet carrying Libya's military chief and four others that crashed after taking off from Ankara, killing everyone on board, in Ankara, Turkey, early Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Efekan Akyuz)
Turkish army soldiers stand guard as rescue teams search for the remains of a private jet carrying Libya's military chief and four others that crashed after taking off from Ankara, killing everyone on board, in Ankara, Turkey, early Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Efekan Akyuz)
Turkish rescue teams search for the remains of a private jet carrying Libya's military chief and four others that crashed after taking off from Ankara, killing everyone on board, in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Efekan Akyuz)
Turkish rescue teams search for the remains of a private jet carrying Libya's military chief and four others that crashed after taking off from Ankara, killing everyone on board, in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Efekan Akyuz)
Turkish soldiers and rescue teams search for the remains of a private jet carrying Libya's military chief and four others that crashed after taking off from Ankara, killing everyone on board, in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Efekan Akyuz)
FILE - Libya's army chief of staff Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad poses for a photo in Tripoli, Libya, Oct. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Yousef Murad, File)
