robatic catches.Hes got those long arms, almost to h

HOUSTON -- Down two starting infielders, the Astros did one thing they have struggled to do this season -- finish off the Rangers.Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman both left with injuries, but George Springer and Teoscar Hernandez homered and the Houston Astros helped their fading playoff hopes with an 8-4 win over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night.I really like the way we fought back, even after they scored the run in the first, Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. We keep fighting and we finished tonights game a lot better obviously.Altuve exited after the fourth with right oblique discomfort, and Bregman was pulled in the sixth with right hamstring discomfort.Neither player was available to speak after the game.Theyre getting looked at, getting all the tests, Hinch said. Theyre going to have a full evaluation before we know anything. Im not optimistic about Friday for either one of them.Houston snapped a three-game losing streak and closed within 3 1/2 games of Toronto for the second AL wild card.Hernandez gave the Astros a 3-1 lead with a two-run homer off the facade in left-center in the second. Springer led off the first with his 27th home run to tie it at 1.The Astros got just their fourth win in 19 games against the Rangers this season.It feels good to beat these guys, Houston starter Joe Musgrove said. We have put up tough battles and given everything we had, and they have found ways to sneak out wins in the later innings. To have an offensive burst in the later innings like that, is nice.After the Rangers closed within 5-4, Marwin Gonzalez hit a two-run single and Jake Marisnick had an RBI single in the eighth to extend the lead to four.I was just trying to put the ball in play with a flyball or whatever, Gonzalez said.Musgrove (3-4) allowed three runs and five hits with seven strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. The rookie right-hander retired 14 of 15 batters at one point.Its always easy to pitch when you have some runs on the board, Musgrove said. It gives you the freedom to challenge guys a little more and attack guys in the zone.Derek Holland (7-8) allowed five runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. Holland lost his second straight and has given up at least four runs in each start.It looked like he seemed to fight himself in the delivery a little bit, Texas manager Jeff Banister said. Once he settled in I thought he threw some quality pitches, got some quality outs. Really I think the toughest part is three of the four inherited runners of our bullpen we allowed those to score. We cant have that.The left-handed Holland was announced as the starter after Tuesday nights game, with original starter Yu Darvish moved to start Saturday.INJURED INFIELDERSAltuve entered leading the AL in hitting with a .340 average to go with 24 home runs and 94 RBI. The second baseman also leads the AL in hits with 196. He was 1 for 2 with a double before being lifted.Bregman, a rookie third baseman batting .260 with eight homers, limped into third in the sixth inning after stopping and starting on Tyler Whites groundout. Bregman tried to walk it off, but he was lifted for pinch-runner Tony Kemp and limped off the field.SUPER UTILITY MAN GONZALEZGonzalez played three positions while the banged-up Astros shuffled their infield. He started out at first base, moved to second base following Altuves exit and then went to third base following Bregmans departure. After the seventh, Gonzalez moved back to second. Gonzalez has also played shortstop and in the outfield this season.SPRINGER TIES BIGGIOSpringer got his eighth leadoff homer of the season, tying Craig Biggio for the club record, which the Hall of Famer set in 2001.UP NEXTRangers: LHP Cole Hamels (14-5) makes his 30th start of the season Friday night against Oakland. The left-hander allowed two runs in six innings in his last start Saturday against the Angels.Astros: RHP Collin McHugh (10-10) makes his 30th start of the season Friday in Seattle looking for his fourth straight win. McHugh is 8-3 with a 4.39 ERA in his career against the Mariners, including a 3-0 record this season with a 1.50 ERA. Yeezy Boost 350 Outlet . But by the time the game started, the Toronto Raptors forward felt even worse. And, for three quarters, it showed as Gay shot a woeful three-for-13 from the field. Scarpe NMD R2 Italia . The All-Pro lineman got the leg bent under him while trying to make a tackle during the first half of a 22-20 overtime loss at Miami on Thursday night. The medical staff initially thought hed torn the ligament, and the test a day later in Cincinnati confirmed it. http://www.scarpenmdscontate.it/scarpe-stan-smith-outlet.html .J. Jefferson has been charged with assaulting his girlfriend. Nmd Uomo Outlet . Sulaiman, 44, was chosen unanimously Tuesday in a vote by the leadership, the World Boxing Council said. Sulaiman becomes the sixth president of the organization. Yeezy Boost 350 Italia . There was no hesitation from the 40th-ranked Pospisil, from Vernon, B.C., who admitted that he cut back on his training sessions over the last few days to conserve energy as the long ATP season finishes next week at the Paris Masters. CINCINNATI -- When the games on the line, Bengals and Steelers fans know where the balls most likely going.Both teams have dynamic duos with years of experience making the game-turning, highlight-reel plays.For the Bengals, its Andy Dalton and A.J. Green. For the Steelers, its Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown. In their season openers, the duos were at their dynamic best.Green had 12 catches for 180 yards and a touchdown during Cincinnatis 23-22 win at the Jets. Brown had eight catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns in Pittsburghs 38-16 win at Washington.Theyll share the stage on Sunday in Pittsburgh, where both defenses know what its all about: Stopping those two.First off, Ben and I both have really talented receivers, said Dalton, who came into the NFL along with Green in 2011.And then it just comes with time. Ive been with A.J. my whole career, hes been with Antonio for seven years now. So its just part of the chemistry and building it.When youve got talented players, you get that chemistry. When youre both trying to be good at what you do, youre going to have big plays.Each does it their own way.Brown has a sense of what Roethlisberger is going to do when the elusive quarterback escapes the rush. Thats when the two get creative and use an instinctiveness developed during many hours of practice.You put in a lot of time and a lot of hard work, a lot of film, a lot of communication, Brown said. Were always looking to get better. We never dwell on what we did in the past.Brown has caught 375 passes in the past three seasons, an NFL record for a three-year span.Hes just got a motor, Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick said. You rarely see him tired. Ive played him for five years, and Ive never seen him bent over or nothing like that. That shows you what type of shape hes in and what condition he has. I just feel like the guy is a great player, man.Brown was in the middle of the ugly ending to the teams playoff game at Paul Brown Stadium last season. Bengals linebbacker Vontaze Burfict hit him in the head after an incompletion, leaving Brown with a concussion.ddddddddddddThe personal foul helped move the Steelers in range for a last-minute field goal and an 18-16 victory. Brown had to miss the Steelers next playoff game, a loss to eventual Super Bowl champion Denver.He looked as good as ever in the opener.After the play breaks down, he breaks off on the other side of the field and Ben sees him, Kirkpatrick said. Now, thats a 20-yard gain, where you had him stopped if it was a normal play.The Bengals duo gets it done a different way. Dalton gets rid of the ball quickly and looks to Green in the biggest moments, knowing that as long as he gets the ball near him hes likely to come down with it.My nickname for A.J. Green is Inspector Gadget, Brown said, referring to his ability to make acrobatic catches.Hes got those long arms, almost to his knees. Theres no catch he cant make. He always can change the outcome of a game with his big-play ability.Dalton and Green form the most productive quarterback/receiver duo in NFL history for the first five seasons of a career. They had 395 completions for 5,789 yards, the most for any tandem in the first five seasons together. Their 40 touchdown connections are tied with Miamis Dan Marino and Mark Clayton for the most to start a career.From day one, it starts with me and Andy, Green said.Game notes Steelers LB Ryan Shazier (knee) was limited in practice Thursday, but defensive coordinator Keith Butler was optimistic that Shazier will play. WR Markus Wheaton (shoulder) practiced for the second straight day and should make his season debut after sitting out the opener. ... The Bengals acquired rookie CB KeiVarae Russell off waivers from Kansas City and waived G Trey Hopkins.---Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '