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HOUSTON -- Theres something about the sixth inning in the last week for Nelson Cruz. Hes hit game-tying home runs in the frame in three games in a week for the Texas Rangers. The latest one came on Saturday night when Cruz, Adrian Beltre and Lance Berkman all homered to back up another solid outing by Yu Darvish, and the Rangers held on for an 8-7 win over the Houston Astros. His first one came Sunday in a win over Boston, and he also did it in a victory over Houston Friday. "I wish we could play the sixth inning to start every (game)," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "That was a big hit. That was a real big hit." Cruz struggled to quantify whats been different for him lately. "I guess I get more focused," said Cruz, who has nine homers this season. "Its something you cant explain; its baseball. Its something Ive been doing all my career, late in the innings making sure I get my focus." Darvish (6-1) yielded three hits and three runs, leaving after the seventh with an 8-3 lead. In his previous outing against the Astros, he came within one out of pitching a perfect game at Houston on April 2. Matt Dominguez homered twice off Darvish. Dominguez didnt play in the first game against the Japanese star this season. "I think the only thing he struggled with today was Dominguez," Washington said. "Other than that, I thought he did a good job. He handled the rest of the lineup. He just threw two pitches to Dominguez that he didnt miss." Darvish didnt think any player had ever taken him deep more than once in a game before Saturday, but then he realized that wasnt true. "Thats what I thought, but then I recalled in high school I think I gave up two home runs to the same hitter in a game," he said through a translator. Dominguez, who didnt have a homer before Saturday, was excited to face Darvish, since he missed him the first time around. "Thats kind of big for me," he said. "I was waiting for my first home run to come, and it took a while. But to go out and face him and be able to do it off him, such a great pitcher, its a big confidence boost." Houston led 3-1 before it was done in by its bullpen during a six-run sixth inning by the Rangers. Cruz, who also homered on Friday night, got things going with his two-run homer off reliever Philip Humber (0-8) that tied it. Pinch-hitter David Murphy put the Rangers on top with an RBI double. Humber, who was moved out of the rotation this week, was rocked for five hits and five runs while getting only two outs. "Obviously that one is on me," Humber said. "I didnt execute some pitches I needed to execute, and they made me pay for it." The Astros scored three times in the ninth to cut the lead to one run, but closer Joe Nathan settled down to retire pinch-hitter Chris Carter to end it and get his 11th save. Darvish fanned eight and leads the majors with 80 strikeouts. With 301 career strikeouts, he joined Dwight Gooden (319) as the only pitchers in major league history to reach at least 300 in their first 37 major league starts. Darvish improved to 3-0 with 33 strikeouts in three career starts against the Astros. The Houston bullpen trouble ruined a nice night for starter Erik Bedard, who allowed four hits and two runs with seven strikeouts in five innings. Beltre put Texas up 1-0 with a solo homer to start the second. Darvish retired the first seven batters before Dominguez launched a solo drive in the third. Marwin Gonzalez, who singled to break up Darvishs perfect game with two outs in the ninth last month, followed with an infield hit. Dominguezs two-run homer in the fifth put Houston ahead 3-1. It was the first multihomer game of his career. Berkman extended his hitting streak at Minute Maid Park to 17 games with a single to start the sixth inning that chased Bedard. Humber took over and struck out Beltre before the trouble began. Cruz tied it at 3 with a homer that landed in Houstons bullpen in right-centre field. Moreland followed with a soaring triple, which landed on Tals Hill just in front of the centre-field wall at the 436-foot mark. Murphys ground-rule double made it 4-3. Geovany Soto walked, pinch-hitter Leonys Martin hit a two-run triple and Elvis Andrus had an RBI single for a 7-3 lead, chasing Humber. Berkman hit a solo homer to left-centre field off Jose Cisnero to start the seventh inning. A sacrifice fly by Jose Altuve got Houston within 8-4 in the eighth inning. Carlos Corporan singled and Carlos Pena doubled to start Houstons ninth, and the Rangers replaced Michael Kirkman with Nathan. Trevor Crowe hit an RBI single to make it 8-6, Nathan threw a wild pitch that scored a run and Gonzalez had a sacrifice fly. Robbie Grossman walked before Carters fly ball ended the game. NOTES: Murphy was shaken up when he crashed into the wall in left field trying to catch a double by Grossman in the eighth inning, but he remained in the game and Washington said he was OK. ... Texas pitching coach Mike Maddux missed Saturdays game to attend daughter Makaylas graduation from TCU. Bullpen coach Andy Hawkins filled in for him, and minor league pitching co-ordinator Danny Clark joined the team as bullpen coach for the night. ... Houston OF Fernando Martinez cleared waivers and will be outrighted to Triple-A Oklahoma City. ... OF Rick Ankiel, who was released by Houston on Monday, has cleared unconditional release waivers and can sign with any club. ... The series wraps up on Sunday when Houstons Jordan Lyles opposes Nick Tepesch.Adidas NMD R1 Kopen . However, he did make them miss him a little less. Cundiff, who had the unenviable job of replacing Dawson last season, agreed Thursday to a one-year, $1. Adidas Superstar Uitverkoop . Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan scored shootout goals, and backup goalie Cam Talbot earned his second win in two nights as the Rangers shook off a late tying tally and beat the Maple Leafs 2-1 Monday night. http://www.nmdtekoop.com/prophere-sneakers.html . By having more great seasons. Manning was the only unanimous choice for the 2013 Associated Press NFL All-Pro team Friday. Adidas Prophere Nederland . -- Edmontons Val Sweeting is two wins away from a trip to Winnipeg to play in Canadas Road of the Rings in December. Adidas Ultra Boost Nederland . -- Former San Diego Chargers safety Paul Oliver was found dead at his Atlanta-area home Tuesday night, and a medical examiner said Wednesday that the ex-player committed suicide.EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Alex Murphy made a 3-pointer from the corner, and a handful of fans behind the Northeastern bench could sense an upset was near.Lets go Huskies! they began chanting, while the rest of the Breslin Center stayed mostly quiet.I think it was the hockey team, Murphy said.Murphy scored 18 points, and the Huskies capped a big day for Northeastern athletics with an 81-73 upset at Michigan State on Sunday night. The game was part of a tripleheader in East Lansing between the schools. Michigan State won the womens basketball game 78-44, and Northeastern beat the Spartans 6-2 in mens hockey.It was the second head-turning upset of the season for the Huskies in mens basketball. They won at Connecticut last month. In between that game and this one, Northeastern (6-5) lost to the likes of LIU Brooklyn, Cornell and Stony Brook.I tell my guys each and every year that we want to compete against the very best that the country has to offer, to make sure that we can measure ourselves and get better, Northeastern coach Bill Coen said. We want to compete against national championship-caliber programs, and thats what Michigan State is and always has been.Cassius Winston had 21 points and 10 assists for the Spartans (7-5), who trailed 36-32 at halftime and could never take control.Michigan State went on a 17-4 run in the second half and led 51-45 before T.J. Williams made a 3-pointer, snapping a string of nine straight missed field goals by Northeastern. The Huskies took the lead back before too long, and with the score 64-61, the 6-foot-8 Murphy made a layup followed by his big 3-pointer from in front of the Northeastern bench, making it an eight-point game with 2:47 remaining.That was when the Northeastern fans started chanting.BIG PICTURENortheastern: The Huskies are certainly a hard team to figure out. Theyve now beaten a couple big-name programs -- although UConn and Michigan State arent exactly at their best right now. Northeastern showed impressive resolve, recovering nicely from a rough stretch in the second half and eventually closing the game out comfortably.ddddddddddddichigan State: The Spartans were without freshman standout Miles Bridges, who missed his fourth straight game with a left ankle injury. Michigan State let this game get away from the 3-point line, where Northeastern went 11 of 23 and the Spartans were only 5 of 16. Michigan State was held to single-digit margins in home wins this month against Oral Roberts and Tennessee Tech, and this time the Spartans were victimized by an upset.PLAYING TIMEMichigan States Eron Harris played only 23 minutes. Coach Tom Izzo was blunt when asked repeatedly about Harris playing time in the postgame news conference.Why are you concerned about Harris? (He was) sitting next to me because he didnt play very good -- period. So I dont know what the deal is, Izzo said. I dont mean to jump you about it, but you want to know why he didnt? He didnt guard, he didnt play very hard, he didnt play very smart, he took a couple bad shots, and he wasnt playing the way he has to play.CLEAVES ON HANDFormer Michigan State star Mateen Cleaves was at the game, less than two weeks after a judge dismissed sex charges against him. Cleaves was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2015, but charges were dismissed Dec. 5.In the Michigan State locker room after the game, Cleaves would not comment on the case.UP NEXTNortheastern: The Huskies have another game in Michigan coming up Tuesday night when they play at Oakland.Michigan State: The Spartans next game is also against Oakland, on Wednesday night in East Lansing. Thats Michigan States last game before starting Big Ten play.---More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 .---Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister ' ' '