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HOUSTON — Adolis García hit a grand slam to highlight a seven-run fifth inning and the American League West-leading Rangers slugged four homers in a 13-5 win over the Astros in a tense game Wednesday night.

Following his grand slam, García and Marcus Semien exchanged words with Martín Maldonado. That led to the benches and bullpens emptying. No punches were thrown in the scrum around home plate, but Maldonado and Semien were ejected.

“After I scored on Adolis’ grand slam, I told [Maldonado], ‘I told you we were going to win this game,’ and all of sudden, their bench is out there and both of us are out of the game,” Semien said. “I didn’t want to get thrown out of the game. I just was talking to him.”

Maldonado said he was told he was ejected for starting the benches-clearing situation.

“Two guys competing against each other and exchanging words,” Maldonado said of what led to the benches clearing. “Two teams that want to win. It’s something that happens between the lines.”

Tempers were hot earlier in the game. Both benches were warned in the third inning after Houston’s Framber Valdez hit Semien in the left shoulder with the first pitch of his at-bat. The Rangers’ Andrew Heaney had hit Yordan Alvarez in the right shoulder with a pitch in the first inning.

“Obviously, Andrew did not try to hit Yordan, and I got hit with a four-seam fastball from a sinkerballer,” Semien said. “I felt like it was on purpose. I walked to first base. I ended up scoring on the home run, and I told Martín, ‘We’re going to win this game.’ We proceeded to score 11 runs after that. I said ‘I told you,’ and I ended up out of the game.”

Semien, Nathaniel Lowe and Sam Huff also homered for Texas, which avoided a three-game sweep and held on to its two-game lead over the Astros in the division.

“Not just to win today, but how we won,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “To get down, how we responded after Marcus got drilled. You’re talking about karma at its finest, I really think that was the case because there’s no way Andrew’s trying to hit somebody. He’s ahead in the count, and we’re trying to get him out of the first inning.”

Lowe hit a two-run homer in the third.

Texas got to Valdez (8-7) for four more runs in the fourth. Leody Taveras had a two-run single and Semien hit a two-run homer. Maldonado appeared to exchange words with Semien, who held his finger to his mouth, following the home run.

Huff hit a solo home run to begin the fifth.

Semien had three hits, and Lowe and Taveras each had two hits and three RBI.

Heaney (7-6) allowed three runs on four hits in five innings.

Valdez allowed a season-high six runs on eight hits in a season-low 3 2/3 innings. The 29-year-old left-hander has allowed at least four runs in three straight starts.

“He couldn’t get his breaking ball over and his fastball was up and away in the zone,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “He just couldn’t get the ball down.”

Alex Bregman hit a three-run homer in the first, and Yainer Diaz hit a two-run homer in the ninth for Houston.

Jose Altuve and Alvarez returned to the Astros’ lineup. Altuve, who had been out since July 4 with a left oblique strain, went 0-for-3. Alvarez, who missed 39 games with a right oblique injury, went 1-for-2 with a double.

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Canucks, Boeser agree on new seven-year deal

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Canucks, Boeser agree on new seven-year deal

The Vancouver Canucks have come to terms with forward Brock Boeser on a new seven-year contract, carrying a $7.25 million AAV.

Canucks GM Patrik Allvin announced the deal on Tuesday during the first hour of NHL free agency. Boeser, 28, was an unrestricted free agent on a previously expiring contract.

Drafted by Vancouver 23rd overall in the 2015 NHL draft, Boeser has collected 204 goals and 434 points in 554 games with the Canucks to date. A top-six scoring threat, Boeser has elite playmaking skills and the potential to produce big numbers offensively. He had his best year offensively in 2023-24, producing 40 goals and 73 points in 81 games.

Boeser didn’t hit those marks again last season — settling for 25 goals and 50 points in 75 games — but was still second amongst teammates in output. He also plays a prominent role on Vancouver’s power play and when he can generate opportunities at 5-on-5, he is a true difference-maker up front for the Canucks.

The extension is a happy ending for Vancouver and Boeser. When the regular season ended, Boeser admitted “it’s tough to say” whether he’d be back with the Canucks. Boeser reportedly turned down a previous five-year extension offer with the club and Allvin subsequently looked into deals for him at the March trade deadline, with no takers. Boeser looked — and sounded — poised to explore his options on the open market.

Ultimately, Boeser decided to stay put by committing the best years of his career to the Canucks.

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Jake Allen agrees to 5-year deal with the Devils

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Jake Allen agrees to 5-year deal with the Devils

Jake Allen, one of the top goaltenders available entering free agency, is not heading to the market after agreeing to a five-year deal with the New Jersey Devils, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

Allen’s average annual value on the deal is $1.8 million, sources told ESPN. That AAV allows the Devils to run back the same goaltending tandem for next season.

Jacob Markstrom has one year remaining on his contract for $4.125 million. Nico Daws is also under contract for next season, before becoming a restricted free agent next summer.

Several teams were interested in the 34-year-old veteran, whom sources said could have made more money on the open market. However, the deal with the Devils gives Allen long-term security. Allen has played for the Blues, Canadiens and Devils over his 12-year-career. He has started in 436 career games.

Last season, Allen started 29 games for the Devils, going 13-16-1 with a .906 save percentage, 2.66 GAA and four shutouts.

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Capitals sign Fehervary to 7-year, $42M extension

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Capitals sign Fehervary to 7-year, M extension

Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary signed a seven-year extension through the 2032-33 season that is worth $6 million annually, the team announced Tuesday.

Fehervary, who had one year of team control remaining, will enter the final season of a three-year bridge deal that will see him make $2.675 million before his new contract begins at the start of the 2026-27 season.

He finished the season with five goals and a career-high 25 points while logging 19 minutes. Fehervary also played a crucial role in the Capitals’ penalty kill by finishing with 245 short-handed minutes for a penalty kill that was fifth in the NHL with an 82% success rate.

Securing the 25-year-old Fehervary to a long-term deal means the Capitals now have seven players who have more than three years remaining on their current contracts.

It also means the Capitals front office has one less decision to make ahead of what is expected to be an active offseason in 2026 that will see the club have what PuckPedia projects to be $39.25 million in cap space.

That’s also the same offseason in which captain and NHL all-time leading goal scorer Alex Ovechkin‘s contract will come off their books along with that of defenseman John Carlson.

But until then, the Capitals have their entire top-six defensive unit under contract as they seek to improve upon a 2024-25 season that saw them finish atop the Metropolitan Division with 111 points before they lost in the Eastern Conference semifinal to the Carolina Hurricanes in five games.

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