HOUSTON -- — Zach Cole homered and drove in three runs after replacing injured slugger Yordan Alvarez in the lineup, and the Houston Astros beat the Texas Rangers 6-3 on Monday night in the opener of a pivotal three-game series.

Houston pulled within a half-game of the streaking Seattle Mariners atop the AL West and moved three games ahead of Cleveland and Texas for the final American League wild card.

Cole homered on the first pitch he saw in the majors Friday at Atlanta. This time, he entered after Alvarez sprained his left ankle in the first inning and launched a two-run shot off starter Jack Leiter that gave the Astros a 4-3 lead in the fifth.

Texas threatened in the seventh, but Astros left fielder Jesús Sánchez threw out Jonah Heim at the plate on Wyatt Langford's single to end the inning.

Houston increased its lead to 6-3 in the bottom half when Sánchez and Jeremy Peña hit consecutive doubles with two outs, followed by Cole's run-scoring single.

Texas took a 3-2 lead with a three-run fifth that included Josh Jung’s two-run homer and an RBI single by Josh Smith.

Houston starter Jason Alexander permitted three runs, one earned, over 4 2/3 innings. Steven Okert (3-2) got four outs and combined with Jayden Murray, Bryan King and Bryan Abreu to throw 4 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.

Abreu worked the ninth for his sixth save.

Leiter (9-9) allowed six runs — three earned — and five hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Key moment

Alvarez was injured while scoring from first base on Leiter’s throwing error in the first. Cole entered in right field in the second, and Sánchez shifted from right field to left, where Alvarez had been playing.

Key stat

Cole is 6 for 13 with two homers and seven RBI in his first four major league games.

Up next

Astros right-hander AJ Blubaugh (3-1, 2.45 ERA) makes his second career start Tuesday night against Rangers RHP Merrill Kelly (12-7, 3.21).

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