Escobar gets 3 hits, drives in go-ahead run to help Rays beat Astros 7-5 in 11 innings

HOUSTON — Yunel Escobar drove in three runs, including a tiebreaking double in the 11th inning Thursday that sent the Tampa Bay Rays over the Houston Astros 7-5.

Escobar and Desmond Jennings each doubled twice and singled, helping the Rays win for the fifth time in six games.

Brett Wallace homered twice for the Astros.

Jose Lobaton walked to start the 11th and moved to second on a passed ball by Jason Castro. Escobar then doubled into the right-field corner off Josh Fields (0-1).

Escobar gave the Rays an insurance run when he scored his second run of the day on a wild pitch by Wesley Wright later in the 11th.

Jamey Wright (2-1) pitched a scoreless 10th for the win and Fernando Rodney did the same in the 11th for his 18th save.

Wallace tied at 5 with his second homer of the game, a three-run shot in the eighth. The Rays had taken the lead by scoring three runs in the top of that inning behind a two-run double by Escobar.

Wallace hit a solo homer in the fourth. Houston took the lead in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Jake Elmore.

Elmore walked to start Houston's eighth and Jose Altuve singled to set up Wallace's homer. Wallace, who rejoined the Astros from Triple-A last week, sent a pitch from Joel Peralta into the second row of the seats in right field to tie it.

The game was tied at 2 entering the eighth before Lobaton's bases-loaded forceout sent a run home to put Tampa Bay on top. Escobar followed with a long double, which landed on Tal's Hill in straightaway center field, to score two more and push the lead to 5-2.

Brandon Barnes looked to have a shot at catching it, but tripped and fell running up the hill.

Tampa Bay rookie starter Chris Archer yielded two hits and two runs with five strikeouts in six innings.

Longoria was Tampa Bay's designated hitter for the third straight game after missing the previous three games with plantar fasciitis in his right foot.

James Loney had a single in the Tampa Bay fourth to extend his hitting streak to a career-high-tying 15 games. The other time he achieved the feat was in 2008.