Jake Burger’s pinch-hit single off the left field wall in the 10th inning produced the walk-off run as the Texas Rangers roared from behind to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-6 on Monday in Arlington, Texas.
The Rangers were down 5-0 and 6-1 before working their way back into the game. They tied it on Rowdy Tellez’s solo home run off Andrew Hoffmann to open the ninth.
In the 10th, Arizona reliever Andrew Saalfrank (0-1) intentionally walked Corey Seager before a fly ball moved automatic runner Sam Haggerty to third base. Burger then delivered on a 1-2 pitch.
Phil Maton (2-3) pitched a perfect top of the 10th and was the beneficiary of Burger’s hit.
Texas, which pounded out 11 hits, ended a four-game losing skid by taking the opener of a three-game interleague series. The Diamondbacks had a three-game winning streak snapped.
The Diamondbacks, who also had 11 hits, jumped on Texas ace Nathan Eovaldi for three home runs over the first three innings. Eovaldi allowed five runs on eight hits (both season highs) over five innings while striking out three and walking one. The outing snapped Eovaldi’s streak of wins in six consecutive outings.
Tyler Locklear started the barrage with a solo home run in the second.
The Diamondbacks added to their lead with a pair of two-run homers in the third. First, Corbin Carroll ripped a flyball off the right field foul pole to allow Jake McCarthy (who had doubled) to score in front of him.
After Eovaldi hit Ketel Marte with a pitch, Geraldo Perdomo made it 5-0 with a homer deep into the right field stands.
Texas trimmed its deficit to four runs in the bottom of the third on Seager’s two-out double that brought home Josh Jung, who had started the inning with a double. However, the Diamondbacks answered in the sixth as Blaze Alexander homered to center field off reliever Jon Gray.
The Rangers got back in the game in the bottom of the sixth. Josh Smith doubled to open the frame and scored on Seager’s single. Marcus Semien followed with a single, and Wyatt Langford plated both runners with a ringing one-out, three-run homer to left field that chased Arizona starter Ryne Nelson.
Nelson yielded five runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He fanned six without issuing a walk.
–Field Level Media
