Michael Helman drove home every Texas run with a grand slam and an RBI double to back the solid start of pitcher Jacob Latz as the surging Rangers rolled to a 5-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday in the opener of a three-game interleague series in Arlington, Texas.
Helman’s four-run homer in the fifth inning broke open a scoreless game and plated Dylan Moore, Kyle Higashioka and Jonah Heim.
Latz (2-0) went 5 2/3 innings in his seventh start of the season, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out four. He was followed to the mound by Cole Winn, Jacob Webb and Chris Martin as the Texas pitchers faced just four batters over the minimum.
The Rangers (75-70) won their second straight and the third of its past four contests and gained a half-game in the AL West standings on first-place Houston. Texas is in third place, 3 1/2 games behind Houston and one behind Seattle, which trails the Astros by 2 1/2 games.
Texas, which had six hits in the win, is within a game of the Mariners for the American League’s final wild-card spot.
Milwaukee (89-56) had a three-game winning streak snapped. The Brewers managed just six hits (all of them singles) and reached second only twice in the game. Blake Perkins had two of Milwaukee’s hits.
Milwaukee starter Luis Quintana (11-6) had retired the first 12 batters he faced before walking Jake Burger to open the fifth inning and opening the door for Texas and namely Helman.
Burger was forced out as second on a fielder’s choice grounder by Moore, and Moore raced to third when Higashioka doubled off the top of the left field wall to produce the Rangers’ first hit. Heim walked to load the bases before Helman lifted his grand slam just over the wall in left to give Texas a 4-0 lead.
It was the first grand slam of the season for the Rangers. St. Louis and Kansas City remain the only teams in MLB without a grand slam in 2025.
Helman added to the lead in the seventh, driving home Heim from first with a two-out double.
–Field Level Media
