ARLINGTON, Texas -- George Springer set a positive tone right away for the Houston Astros against Yu Darvish.And they held on to avoid a late-season sweep, beating AL-best Texas 7-6 on Sunday and ending the Rangers seven-game winning streak.Springer led off the game with his 26th homer and scored his 100th run, and the Astros jumped out to a 5-0 lead against Darvish, whose shortest outing of the season lasted only four innings.That was a big win for us on a lot of levels. No. 1, to jump out ahead on Darvish, manager A.J. Hinch said. Its a good feeling getting on the plane, obviously, to salvage a game.The Astros, who have 24 games left, are still 9 1/2 games behind Texas in the AL West, and have won only three of 16 games against their division rival this season. And they have only three more head-to-head meetings remaining.Evan Gattis also homered for the Astros, though he struck out in each of his other four at-bats. His 24th homer was a solo shot in the fifth for a 6-2 lead right.Darvish (5-4), in his shortest outing this season, allowed five runs in four innings. He struck out four, walked three and had two wild pitches.Got him out of the game and got into their bullpen and fortunate enough to come out of here with a win, said rookie Alex Bregman, who had three hits. Thats what you have to do against good teams like this, get ahead of them early and continue to apply pressure.Chris Devenski (3-4) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings after taking over for starter Collin McHugh with one out in bottom of the fifth when the Rangers still had a runner on base and had already scored three runs in the inning to get within 6-5.I hung some. I made some good pitches, and I made some bad pitches. All the bad pitches got hit, McHugh said. Anything you can win a game on the road in the division, its a commodity. You take `em where you can get `em. Its not the prettiest of wins, especially here.CLOSING IT OUTKen Giles pitched the ninth for his eighth save in 11 chances. The final out coming when the right-hander struck out hot-hitting Rougned Odor, who had three hits and three RBI earlier in the game. Ian Desmond had a leadoff triple in the ninth and scored on Adrian Beltres groundout.BRUISED AND BLEEDINGRangers LF Carlos Gomez had blood streaming down his face after getting cut by his own helmet when sliding headfirst into second base on a stolen base in the sixth inning. The helmet popped off, bounced off the ground and into his face. A trainer came out and looked at Gomez, who then disappeared briefly into the dugout before returning with two bandages -- one on the bridge of his nose, and another over the top corner of his left eye. A few pitches later, he was picked off second base.TRAINERS ROOMAstros: Jose Altuve was the DH a day after suffering a cramp in his calf coming out of the batters box when he grounded into a game-ending double play. ... Hinch said INF Marwin Gonzalez was available as a defensive replacement or pinch-hitter, he hasnt played since leaving midway through Wednesday game because of a right hamstring injury. ... LHP Dallas Keuchel played catch for the first time since his scheduled start Friday was pushed back due to arm fatigue. Hinch said the Astros arent sure if hell pitch Tuesday.Rangers: C Jonathan Lucroy was back in the lineup and not feeling any lingering issues from flu-like symptoms that kept him to miss Saturdays game. ... RHP Keone Kela said he was OK after a liner deflected off the palm of his right hand in Saturdays game.UP NEXTAstros: Continue their stretch of 13 consecutive games against division leaders. They open a four-game series Monday at AL Central leader Cleveland before going home to play the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs and the Rangers.Rangers: Open a 10-game road trip when they will face three AL West rivals. That starts Monday in Seattle, and ends the following week with three games in Houston.Custom Brooklyn Nets Jerseys . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. Caris LeVert Jersey . Duchene scored two goals and had an assist, helping the Colorado Avalanche beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Friday night to match the best 10-game start in team history. https://www.netsrookiesshop.com/Theo-Pinson-City-Edition-Jersey/ . The native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., captured a World Cup downhill event Saturday, his second this year and fifth career victory on the circuit. Jaylen Hands Nets Jersey .4 million title. 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Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night.New Australian netball captain Sharni Layton intends inspiring the Diamonds as much by deed as by her famous vocal style in the coming Quad SeriesDefender Layton steps into the vacancy caused by Laura Geitzs pregnancy and the retirement of Clare McMeniman.She is part of a new leadership group, with shooter Caitlin Thwaites and midcourter Kim Ravaillion elevated to vice-captaincy roles.Uncapped players Courtney Bruce and Caitlyn Nevins and recalled shooter Susan Pettitt have also been named in the squad of 12, after representing Australian in the Fast5 World Series event in Melbourne last weekend.The Quad Series will be played next January and February in South Africa and England and features the national teams of those countries, along with Australia and New Zealand.Layton has blossomed into one of the worlds premier defenders over the past two years, winning awards and plaudits for her ability to make big plays.She has earned plenty of publicity for barking out orders to her colleagues, though she has never captained a senior team.You could say my leadership style is definitely more vocal in regard to being at the back of the court, Layton told AAP.But I always saw that as my role, to try and give my team energy throughout a game and wanting to speak up on and off the court.Layton wont be changing her style but will lead by as example as much as by word.Youve ggot to walk and talk, theres no point standing somewhere and doing all the talking and not acting, she said.ddddddddddddNevins, who Layton played alongside in Victorian representative teams,, was often the only non-international in the trans-Tasman title-winning Queensland Firebirds starting seven.She took the hard road but kept persisting and ended up getting the two premierships with Queensland and then playing Fast5 and really proving herself there, Layton said.Bruce was a lynchpin of the West Coast Fever defence, in 2016 and might have earned senior selection earlier if not for injury issues.She just reads the game so well and picks off so much ball, its really exciting what she;s going to bring to the team on and off the court, Layton said.Pettitt, a former NSW Swifts teammate of Laytons, won the last of her 54 Test caps almost four years ago.Ive seen her work so hard behind the scenes the last couple of years and doing all the extra agility work, Im so glad she has been rewarded, Layton said.Australian Diamonds 2017 Netball Quad Series squad: Courtney Bruce, April Brandley, Paige Hadley, Sharni Layton (capt), Caitlyn Nevins, Susan Pettitt, Kim Ravaillion, Gabi Simpson, Caitlin Thwaites, Gretel Tippett, Jo Weston, Stephanie Wood. 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