Tigers Ride Decisive Fifth To Beat Rangers
The Texas Rangers went from a potential four-game sweep to a series split as they fell at the Detroit Tigers 7-3 on Sunday at Comerica Park.
It was a disappointing end to the series for the Rangers (31-35). Texas overpowered the Tigers 7-0 on Friday, and rallied in the ninth inning to beat Detroit 3-1 on Thursday. But on Saturday the Tigers (26-40) overwhelmed the Rangers, 14-7, before salvaging a series split with Sunday’s win.
Texas is now 7-11 since reaching .500 at 24-24 with a win over the Tampa Bay Rays on May 31.
For the second straight game, it was Robbie Grossman that supplied the power for the Tigers, with a three-run home run. But it was the fifth inning that determined the game.
Neither starting pitcher made it out of the fifth inning. Rangers starter Dane Dunning (1-5) put himself in position for the loss after giving up five runs in 4 2/3 innings, as he walked four and struck out two.
The Tigers chased him off in the bottom of the inning after the Rangers tied the game at 3-3 in the top half. Dunning pitched his way into a bases-loaded situation and Rangers manager Chris Woodward went to his bullpen and brought in Dennis Santana.
Santana nearly worked out around Spencer Torkelson, with a 2-2 count. Santana offered him a well-placed breaking ball on the low outside part of the plate, but Torkelson went down to get it and took the ball into shallow center field to score Harold Castro and Javier Báez for a 5-3 Tigers lead.
Like Saturday, the Rangers started the first inning with a solo home run, with Corey Seager doing the honors with an opposite-field shot to left. That gave the Rangers a momentary lead before Dunning gave up three Tigers runs in the bottom half of the inning on Grossman’s home run.
The Rangers chipped away to tie the game in the top of the fifth and ultimately chased off starter Drew Hutchison. Nathaniel Lowe’s two-out single scored Adolis García to cut the Tigers’ lead to 3-2.
In the fifth, the Rangers had two quick outs before Marcus Semien’s single extended the inning. That also ended Hutchison’s day, as he gave way to reliever Alex Lange. Semien stole second, Seager walked and Semien moved to third on a wild pitch. García then singled to left off Lange to score Semien and tie the game at 3-all.
Hutchison went 4 2/3 innings, giving up four hits, three runs, and two walks while striking out one.
After the fifth, the Tigers used four relievers to shut the Rangers out in the final four innings.
The Tigers got two insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth when Torkelson scored on a ground ball by Tucker Barnhart. He hit a grounder to Seager at shortstop with the bases loaded, and Seager threw home to try and get Torkelson, who was called safe on the tag. The Rangers challenged the call but it held. Jonathan Schoop later scored on a grounder by Grossman.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch was thrown out of the game in the third inning for arguing balls and strikes after Grossman struck out looking. Shortly after, Tigers' designated hitter Miguel Cabrera — who wasn’t playing on Sunday as the Tigers gave him a day off — exchanged words with the home-plate umpire as well.
The Rangers are off on Monday, one of two off days the Rangers will have this coming week. Texas hosts Philadelphia on Tuesday and Wednesday, and after an off-day on Thursday, hosts Washington for a weekend series.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard
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