Rangers split pair of home games with Arizona

ARLINGTON—After losing their opening series 2-1, the Texas Rangers hosted the Arizona Diamondbacks for a twogame set on Tuesday and Wednesday. After scoring a combined four runs in their back-to-back losses to the Rockies, Texas hoped to wake up their bats and find some offense against Arizona.

GAME ONE

The Rangers quickly found themselves trailing 3-0 after allowing three unearned runs in the top of the first inning. Arizona was able to add to that lead in the top of the sixth, when catcher Stephen Vogt doubled to right to bring in Christian Walker, giving the Diamondbacks a 4-0 lead.

The Rangers didn’t score their first run of the game until the bottom of the seventh inning, when Rougned Odor hit a solo shot, breaking up the no-hitter Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly had going to that point. Elvis Andrus and Rob

Elvis Andrus and Robinson Chirinos hit back-toback singles in the eighth inning, but the Rangers weren’t able to bring them in. They lost the game by a final score of 4-1.

Kyle Gibson got the loss for Texas despite not allowing a single earned run. In his five innings of work, Gibson allowed five hits, three walks and three runs, all of which were unearned. Gibson retired four Diamondbacks via the strikeout.

GAME TWO

Lance Lynn made his second start of the season Wednesday and looked just as good as he did in his first start. Lynn allowed just one hit in his six scoreless innings and finished with eight strikeouts, while allowing only a pair of walks. Lynn left the game with the Rangers leading 2-0 and was in line to get the win, until Jesse Chavez had his first blown save of the season. Chavez allowed two runs in just one inning of work, allowing Arizona to tie the game up in the seventh inning.

Jonathan Hernandez replaced Chavez in the eighth and allowed a pair of runs himself, allowing Arizona to take their first lead of the game.

Trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the eighth, Joey Gallo hit a two-run shot, his second of the season, bringing in Odor to tie things up, 4-4. Andrus gave the Rangers the lead when he singled to center bring in Todd Frazier and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Before the inning ended, Nick Solak hit a single to bring in Jose Trevino, and the Rangers took a 7-4 lead into the ninth inning.

Nick Goody picked up his first save of the season, striking out one and not allowing a baserunner in his inning of work. This win makes the Rangers 2-3 on the season.

Texas got the day off Thursday and begin their first road trip of the season this weekend. The Rangers will play three games against the San Francisco Giants over the weekend and will have a three-game set against the Oakland Athletics before returning home Friday, Aug. 7.