Rodriguez, who began his career at age 19 in 1991 and played 12 seasons for Texas, homered for the Astros. It was his 2,226th game behind the plate to tie Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk.
Kinsler, 4-for-33 with no RBI in the previous eight games, put the Rangers ahead to stay with his fourth leadoff homer this season. He added another solo shot in the second off slumping left-hander Wandy Rodriguez (5-6).
Kevin Millwood (7-4) worked seven innings despite deflecting two grounders with his throwing hand, allowing one run to win his third straight start. The right-hander is 5-1 with a 2.08 ERA in eight starts at hitter-friendly Rangers Ballpark this season.
David Murphy also homered for the AL West-leading Rangers, who have won all four games this season against Houston. Texas clinched the season series to keep the Silver Boot Trophy for the third straight year.
Ivan Rodriguez got a warm reception from Rangers fans each time he was introduced and a standing ovation when he led off the fifth with a homer that barely cleared the right-field wall.
Pudge, a 14-time All-Star who has won 13 Gold Gloves, left Texas in 2002 and won a World Series with Florida the following season. He then spent five years in Detroit and half a season with the Yankees before signing a $1.5 million, one-year deal with the Astros during spring training.
Astros manager Cecil Cooper has already said that Rodriguez will catch today, which would break the tie with Fisk. Rodriguez was tied with Bob Boone at 2,225 games before Tuesday.
Millwood has allowed only three earned runs over 27 2/3 innings in his past four starts.
Houston got a leadoff double from Michael Bourn to start the game before Miguel Tejada walked. Hunter Pence then struck out, which became a double play when Bourn was thrown out stealing third.
Except for Rodriguez’s homer, only one other runner got past first base after that against Millwood, who struck out six and allowed four hits and three walks.
Millwood ended the third when he knocked down Tejada’s comebacker with his bare hand, then scrambled to pick up the ball and throw to first. The pitcher deflected Rodriguez’s ball in the seventh, slowing it down and preventing shortstop Elvis Andrus from turning a double play. Manager Ron Washington and a trainer went to check on Millwood, but he finished the inning.
Wandy Rodriguez lost his fourth consecutive decision in five starts, a stretch that followed a four-game winning streak. His ERA, which was the best among NL left-handers, jumped from 2.82 to 3.33 after giving up six runs in four innings and walking five.
Kinsler, who was 3-for-4, walked in the fourth and scored on Michael Young’s two-run double. Young had a single and scored on Marlon Byrd’s hit in the first.
