Cotts doesn't make big deal of first save since '06

HOUSTON -- Neal Cotts earned the second save of his Major League career on Friday night but didn't seem to think it was a big deal. Cotts entered the game with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth. The Rangers led 7-4 at the time, and Cotts struck out the Astros' Marc Krauss to end the inning.

Joe Nathan started warming up for the ninth, but David Murphy hit an RBI double to give the Rangers a 9-4 lead. So Cotts went out to pitch the ninth and ended up getting the save despite allowing a run. It was his first save since April 30, 2006.

"I just kind of fell into it," Cotts said. "If we don't score more runs, I come out of the game and Joe is in there."

Nathan has 33 saves while Cotts, Tanner Scheppers and Michael Kirkman each have one. The Rangers have 36 saves in 42 opportunities going into Saturday for a success rate of 85.7 percent that is the highest in the Major Leagues. Their six blown saves are the fewest.

"We're down there for a purpose -- to get out of innings any way we can," Cotts said. "As long as we get outs ... some of us, any of us."