Rangers halt skid, extend Padres' slide
ARLINGTON -- The Rangers snapped a five-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Padres on Friday night. The Padres have lost six straight, while the Rangers also snapped an eight-game home skid.
Texas left-hander Wandy Rodriguez, finding himself more comfortable with the Globe Life Park mound, earned his first home win this season by holding the Padres to one run in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed three hits, walked two and struck out five.
"Great job by Wandy, he was really effective tonight," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "These guys know the situation, they know what is at stake. They want to get this right."
Video: SD@TEX: Rodriguez fans five Padres, earns sixth win
San Diego starter Ian Kennedy suffered his fourth straight loss by allowing four runs in 4 1/3 innings. He is 0-4 despite a 3.38 ERA in his past four starts.
"A couple pitches he'd like to have back that they made him pay with two homers," Padres interim manager Pat Murphy said. "We didn't help him in the first inning defensively."
MOMENTS THAT MATTER
Fielder, Beltre go back-to-back: Prince Fielder and Adrian Beltre hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth. It's the third time this season they have gone back to back, but it was Beltre's first homer since May 25 in Cleveland. Besides missing three weeks with a thumb injury, Beltre had gone 21 games without going deep.
Upton's homer not enough: Melvin Upton Jr. hit a leadoff home run to left field in the sixth that ended Rodriguez's shutout, but the Padres couldn't fully break through in the inning. Yonder Alonso walked and Matt Kemp singled, but Justin Upton struck out and Jedd Gyorko flied out to end the inning against Texas reliever Keone Kela.
Video: SD@TEX: Upton Jr. smacks solo homer to left field
Rodriguez pitches out of jam: Rodriguez, sitting on a 1-0 lead in the third, ran into trouble when Clint Barmes and Melvin Upton Jr. opened the inning with singles. Rodriguez then fell behind 3-0 to Derek Norris, putting him one pitch away from loading the bases. But Rodriguez got the count back to full before retiring Norris on a popout. He then finished the inning by getting Alonso to ground into a double play.
Error makes it close: The Padres had already scored a run in the eighth when Kemp appeared to be picked off at second base after Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos threw down. Kemp was caught in a rundown, but Rougned Odor skipped a throw past third base and into the dugout, allowing Kemp to score and make it a one-run game. Gyorko walked with one out before Brett Wallace drove a ball to the wall in center field off Tanner Scheppers. It was a fly out, but was just short of a go-ahead homer. Kemp struck out with two on in the ninth to end the game as the Padres stranded seven runners in the final four innings.
Video: SD@TEX: Kemp steals third, scores on Odor's error
"These losses are tough," Murphy said. "That ball Wallace hits on a different day could go out. The ball that Kemp hits has topspin and doesn't get out. Those are game-changers." More >
QUOTABLE
"You've got to be daring, you can't be scared. You've got to put yourself in position to produce." -- Delino DeShields, on his baserunning
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Norris, the Padres catcher, had a passed ball in the first inning with DeShields on second base and it led to an unearned run off Kennedy. In his past four starts, Kennedy has allowed 17 runs, including nine unearned.
Video: SD@TEX: DeShields scores on Fielder's popup to short
OFFICIAL REVIEW
In the sixth, Odor hit a dribbler to the third-base side of the mound. Odrisamer Despaigne barehanded the ball and threw to first, where Alonso picked the ball just as Odor hit the base. Odor was ruled safe. The Padres challenged, but the call stood after a 1-minute, 30-second review. The next batter, Carlos Corporan, popped out to end the inning.
Video: SD@TEX: Odor safe at first, call confirmed
WHAT'S NEXT
Padres: James Shields will be on the hill for the Padres at 6:05 p.m. PT. Winless in his past six starts, Shields is 3-3 with a 3.31 ERA in seven career starts at Globe Life Park.
Rangers: Right-hander Colby Lewis pitches for the Rangers at 8:05 p.m. CT on Saturday. Former Rangers reliever Jeff Russell and outfielder Juan Gonzalez will be inducted into the club's Hall of Fame during pregame ceremonies that start at 7:15 p.m.
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