Rangers' Lance Lynn dominates Astros in return from All-Star break

July 12 (UPI) -- The Texas Rangers blanked the Houston Astros 5-0 in the first Major League Baseball game after the All-Star break.

Texas collected four runs in the first inning of the victory Thursday at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. Rangers starter Lance Lynn earned his 12th win of the season, allowing six hits in seven scoreless innings. Lynn also had 11 strikeouts and issued two walks in the start.

"Lynn beat us with his fastball," Astros manager AJ Hinch told reporters. "He was pretty much coming right at us. He's got a couple of different versions of it. His two-seamer is good, his four-seamer is good, and he kind of rides a little bit and he throws a lot of them.

"He threw more fastballs tonight than he did the last time we faced him. He just beat us with the fastball, and we had a hard time putting any good inning together. They spotted him a four-run lead and he was in attack mode."

Lynn escaped the first inning unscathed. Shin-Soo Choo led off the bottom of the opening frame by drawing a walk. Delino DeShields pushed Choo to third base with a double in the next at-bat.

The Rangers continued to jump on Astros starter Framber Valdez early, with shortstop Elvis Andrus plating Choo on an RBI ground out in the next at-bat. Rangers outfielder Joey Gallo plated DeShields on an RBI double two at-bats later. Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor made the score 4-0 by plating two more runs on another RBI double.

Rangers catcher Jeff Mathis plated the final run of the game with an RBI single in the third inning.

Choo was 2-for-4 with a run scored and a walk in the win. Odor was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, a run scored, a walk and a strikeout for the Rangers. Astros center fielder George Springer was the only Houston player with multiple hits in the loss. Springer was 2-for-4 while hitting from the leadoff spot.

The Astros and Rangers resume their series at 8:05 p.m. EDT Friday in Arlington.