Langford and Burger homer in a four-run eighth as the Rangers beat the Astros 7-3

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Wyatt Langford and Jake Burger homered in a four-run eighth inning as the Texas Rangers beat the Houston Astros 7-3 on Friday night.

Langford’s leadoff homer and Burger’s three-run shot came off Bryan King (2-2) after the Astros had rallied from an early 3-0 deficit to tie the score in the seventh inning. Houston’s rally included Yordan Alvarez’s 200th career home run, his 30th of the season.

Langford hit a walk-off homer on Thursday night in a 7-6 win over the Los Angeles Angels hours after being reinstated from the injured list.

Cole Winn (5-2) retired all four batters he faced in the seventh and eighth innings for his second win in two nights.

The Rangers (48-46) lead the AL West by 1½ games over Seattle (47-48) and three games over the Astros (46-50). Houston has lost three of its last four games.

The Rangers took a 2-0 lead on Hunter Brown in the first inning and made it 3-0 in the fifth on Joc Pederson's home run.

Alvarez’s 455-foot shot to right field leading off the sixth was his sixth in five games at Globe Life Field this season and 18th in 35 career regular-season games at the park.

Texas starter Cal Quantrill allowed the one run on Alvarez’s homer, one of five hits, and walked one in a season-high six innings making his fourth consecutive start following 15 relief appearances. His 79 pitches were also a season high.

Houston tied the score at 3 in the seventh on Yainer Diaz’s two-run homer off Chris Martin.

Brown gave up three runs in six innings. The 2025 All-Star made his fifth start after missing 2½ months with a strained shoulder and matched a career high with five walks to go with four hits.

UP NEXT

Saturday night’s middle game of the series will match Astros RHP Peter Lambert (7-5, 3.26 ERA) against Rangers RHP Kumar Rocker (2-7, 3.95)

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Houston Astros manager Joe Espada questions a call during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, July 10, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Houston Astros' Yainer Diaz (21) celebrates with teammate LaMonte Wade Jr. (31) after they both scored on a home run by Diaz during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, July 10, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez rounds third base after hitting a home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, July 10, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Texas Rangers Jake Burger, right, celebrates his home run scoring teammates Brandon Nimmo (24) and Josh Jung during the 8th inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Friday, July 10, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Texas Rangers' Wyatt Langford hits a home run during the 8th inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Friday, July 10, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

CHICAGO (AP) — Rookie Chicago White Sox center fielder Tristan Peters hit for the cycle Friday night, becoming the franchise's first player to achieve the feat in nearly nine years.

Peters doubled in the third, singled in the fifth and hit a two-run homer in the seventh against the Athletics.

Needing a triple, he came up to bat a second time in the seventh and hit a hard grounder past first base and down the right-field line. The 26-year-old from Canada rounded second and slid headfirst into third to beat the relay throw, getting a huge ovation. He drove in three of Chicago's eight runs in the inning, finishing 4 for 4 with four RBIs and two runs scored while batting ninth in a 14-1 victory.

Peters is the third major leaguer to hit for the cycle this season, joining Pete Crow-Armstrong and Bryce Harper. The last White Sox player to do it was Jose Abreu on Sept. 9, 2017.

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Chicago White Sox's Tristan Peters reacts after hitting a foul ball during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox in Chicago, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)